History Main / CanonicalListOfSubtleTropeDistinctions

This will also help some tell tropes apart other than TheSameButMore. One thing to remember is that individual examples may overlap between these different {{trope}}s, sometimes [[SubjectiveTrope depending on interpretation.]]

Compare Administrivia/TVTropesGlossary, TropesOfLegend.

Compare TVTropesGlossary, TropesOfLegend.

See also LaconicalListOfSubtleTropeDistinctions.

Some tropes are sometimes confused (which can lead to TropeDecay). This is the canonical list of tropes that might be confused for one another.

Other tropes are sometimes split to segregate very different examples. This is also the canonical list of tropes that have been split to segregate very different examples (but not those split by media).

Please take all discussions of whether two tropes are insufficiently distinguished to the discussion page.

This will also help some tell tropes apart other than TheSameButMore. One thing to remember is that individual examples may overlap between these different tropes, sometimes [[SubjectiveTrope depending on interpretation.]]

Contrast OppositeTropes, in which two or more tropes are SomethingCompletelyDifferent.

Items are currently sorted alphabetically by whichever trope is first.

Items are currently sorted alphabetically by whichever trope is alphabetically first; if you're looking for one in specific, use the "Find" or "Search" function of your Web browser.

!!!AccidentalInnuendo vs. InnocentInnuendo vs. DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything vs. FreudWasRight
* AccidentalInnuendo occurs when something that is obviously meant to be non-sexual accidentally comes off as sexually charged.
* InnocentInnuendo is the opposite: The writers build an AccidentalInnuendo on purpose, by revealing the suggestive tones first, and ''then'' revealing that it was genuinely innocent [[ItMakesSenseInContext in context]].
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything is like InnocentInnuendo, except with no trickery involved. The audience is clearly shown the innocence of the scene and is tempted into viewing it suggestively. Like InnocentInnuendo, it is done on purpose by the writers.
* FreudWasRight describes why tropes like the previous three exist, due to how [[EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory sex is always on the human mind.]] It also describes the act of [[{{Lampshade}} lampshading]] said tropes.

!!!AccidentalMurder vs. MurderByMistake
* AccidentalMurder happens when someone dies, but the murderer had no intent to kill anyone, the death was purely an accident.
* MurderByMistake is when someone dies and the murderer had intent to kill, but kills the wrong person for whatever reason.

!!!ActorAllusion vs. CastingGag vs. CelebrityParadox vs. TheDanza
* An ActorAllusion references another role the actor has played via plot or discussion.
* A CastingGag references another role the actor has played or real-life circumstances simply via choice of actor rather than outright mention.
* A CelebrityParadox references the actor themselves.
* TheDanza references the actor by sharing the same name.

!!!AdamSmithHatesYourGuts vs. KarlMarxHatesYourGuts vs. NoHeroDiscount
* AdamSmithHatesYourGuts is about the price of items going up when this puts the player at a disadvantage.
* KarlMarxHatesYourGuts is about the price of items staying the same when it puts the player at a disadvantage. Both can be true: equipment sells for the same price (so you can't make money dealing in equipment) but the inns keep going up.
* NoHeroDiscount is unrelated (it's about shopkeepers charging the hero even though they want the world to be saved too) but is called "Adam Smith's Revenge" on TheGrandListOfConsoleRolePlayingGameCliches.

!!!AdamWesting vs. AsHimself vs. AutobiographicalRole vs. CelebrityStar vs. CharacterAsHimself vs. TheDanza vs. SpecialGuest
* AdamWesting: Bob the Actor makes a good living continually playing [[{{Flanderization}} Flanderized]] versions of himself or his most popular character for laughs.
* AsHimself: Bob the Actor is playing himself as a (believable) main character, inserted into (believable) fictional circumstances.
* AutobiographicalRole: A non-actor is playing themselves in the biopic of their life story/events.
* CelebrityStar: The SpecialGuest completely takes over the episode.
* CharacterAsHimself: A fictional character is credited "as Himself" for laughs or to hide a spoiler.
* TheDanza: Bob the Actor is playing a fictional character also named Bob, but it's not actually supposed to ''be'' Bob the Actor.
* SpecialGuest: When a celebrity or famous figure cameos as themselves for a quick joke or shock.

!!!AdaptationDecay vs. {{Bowdlerise}} vs. CutAndPasteTranslation vs. [=~They Just Didn't Care~=]
* AdaptationDecay is about new works based on previous ones, when changes are made to the source material that are detrimental to the overall narrative.
* A CutAndPasteTranslation is when entire scenes or a storyline are changed from the original source in a "cut and paste" manner.
* {{Bowdlerise}} is about either, and means to censor potentially offensive content because of MediaWatchdogs.
* [=~They Just Didn't Care~=] is a qualitative difference where the adaptation decay or general care given in a production reaches a point that it has almost zero resemblance to the source.

!!!AdaptationDistillation vs. PragmaticAdaptation vs. {{Woolseyism}}
* A PragmaticAdaptation is when outright and necessary changes are made to the source material.
* AdaptationDistillation is when outright changes to the source material aren't made, but the complexity of the source is simplified/streamlined in a successful way.
* A {{Woolseyism}} is when outright but unnecessary changes are made to the source material, but those changes are good in their own right, if not better than the original. Also, it applies to translations only, not to adaptations from one medium to another within the same language.

!!!AdventureTowns vs. CityOfAdventure
* Both are settings where interesting things happen.
** In AdventureTowns, the heroes are WalkingTheEarth and are thus visitors to the setting.
** In CityOfAdventure, the heroes live in the setting.

!!!AffablyEvil vs. EvillyAffable vs. LaughablyEvil
* AffablyEvil refers to villains who are genuinely kind, jovial, and friendly. If they didn't want to rule the world, they'd make a good friend.
* EvillyAffable characters are villains that are fun to watch because of their humor and demeanour, but are devoid of redeeming characteristics.
* LaughablyEvil characters are villains that aren't trying to be funny, but viewers like to laugh at anyway.

!!!AirborneAircraftCarrier vs. TheBattlestar vs. TheMothership
* AirborneAircraftCarrier: ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin - An aircraft carrier that flies. Usually planet bound. [[MarvelComics The SHIELD Helicarrier]] is probably the most famous example.
* TheBattlestar: A hybrid of the AirborneAircraftCarrier and a battleship, made for space battle. Often carries some sort of WaveMotionGun for extra awesome. The BattlestarGalactica is the TropeMaker.
* TheMothership: TheBattlestar taken BeyondTheImpossible. Usually the size of a large city and is usually used as Command Central for the invading hordes. Destroying it usually means near-instant defeat for the enemy. The capital ships from ''IndependenceDay'' are the [[TropeCodifier codifiers]] in modern Sci-Fi.

!!!AllMythsAreTrue vs. CrossoverCosmology vs. FantasyKitchenSink vs. PlanetEris
* AllMythsAreTrue means any myths ''in-universe'' are verbatim or slightly garbled accounts of actual past events (or, in the case of prophecies, future events).
* CrossoverCosmology is about the FridgeLogic inherent when a setting is so chock full of different religions (which are all true) that their mutual exclusivity becomes problematic.
* A FantasyKitchenSink is a different matter; nearly every mythological idea or being from ''our'' world is real and lives in the story's universe -- often with vastly different and contradictory origin myths. This can even include things that are more sci-fi than mythological (stuff like aliens, other dimensions, or super-science).
* PlanetEris goes one step further and dictates that basically ''everything within the realm of fiction'' itself is fair game, so you get things like Godzilla fighting Al Bundy over the keys to the [[BackToTheFuture DeLorean]] to get the Deathly Hallows from the trunk, all while Grey aliens watch with fiendish glee.

!!!AllThereIsToKnowAboutTheCryingGame vs. FirstEpisodeSpoiler vs. ItWasHisSled vs. LateArrivalSpoiler
* ItWasHisSled refers to any work which features a TwistEnding that was truly shocking when it was first presented, but over time lost its ability to surprise because [[PopculturalOsmosis it gets talked about too much]].
* AllThereIsToKnowAboutTheCryingGame is a specific case of this which refers to works which are hardly known for anything ''but'' their twist endings.
* FirstEpisodeSpoiler: It's an event that starts the series, and as such is impossible to explain the series without spoiling it.
* LateArrivalSpoiler is a fandom-specific variety of this in which promotional material for new installments of a franchise give away major plot developments of past installments, assuming that fans are already familiar with them.

!!!AllegedlyFreeGame vs. BribingYourWayToVictory vs. RealMoneyTrade vs. RevenueEnhancingDevices
* An AllegedlyFreeGame is a free game that cannot be fully experienced (whether due to pricey DLC or unlockables or because necessary features are kept away from free users) without purchasing extra features.
* BribingYourWayToVictory is where, in any game (free or not), you can get additional but not necessary perks by paying for them.
* RealMoneyTrade is where third parties buy or sell in-game items, currencies, etc. without the permission and often against the wishes of the game's developers.
* RevenueEnhancingDevices are "extras" you can buy separately from the core game, which may or may not be required to experience all the content or be competitive.

!!!TheAlliance vs. TheEmpire vs. TheFederation vs. LaResistance
* TheFederation is a group of strong nations that work together for their own mutual benefit; a powerful enemy usually isn't necessary.
* TheEmpire is The Federation's EvilCounterpart: a conglomeration of nations in which one powerful nation has absorbed the others by force; said nation is usually led by a powerful demagogue.
* LaResistance is a small group that tries to foment rebellion against The Empire or corruption in one nation.
* TheAlliance is the evolution of La Resistance: a group of small nations that join together for their own mutual benefit, usually to stand up against The Empire.

!!!AlternateContinuity vs. AlternateTimeline vs. AlternateHistory vs. ContinuityReboot
* AlternateContinuity: The author scraps all canon and backstory established until now and writes a new setting in BroadStrokes with the same cast in the focus.
* ContinuityReboot: Same as above, but the new continuity is additionally declared the "main" one.
* AlternateTimeline: Same as above, but some of the backstory, usually up to a certain divergence point, is kept intact in the new continuity.
* AlternateHistory: Same as above, but with RealLife.

!!!AlwaysABiggerFish vs. BigDamnVillains vs VillainousRescue
* BigDamnVillains is about a villain who shows up to ShootTheDog or otherwise do something else that the heroes are averse to doing, emphasizing the evilness of the villains while keeping the good guys' hands clean.
* VillainousRescue is the Villain saving the Hero in a classical fashion, there's nothing evil about the act itself, just the oddity in who did it. What happens ''after'' is up for grabs.
* AlwaysABiggerFish is more closely related to DeusExMachina. The forces involved, while they have been obstacles to the protagonists in the past, are indiscriminate enough in their malice that they'll go after whatever is currently menacing the protagonists.

!!!AmbiguouslyGay vs. ButNotTooGay vs. HaveIMentionedIAmGay vs. HideYourLesbians vs. GetBackInTheCloset
* AmbiguouslyGay is when a character displays stereotypical mannerisms associated with gays/lesbians, but it is unclear if they are actually gay or not and no one will discuss it.
* ButNotTooGay is when characters are gay and acknowledged as such but when it comes to their love lives, they will show very little affection toward their partners or none at all.
* HaveIMentionedIAmGay is when characters are openly gay, but never get any sort of romance and their sexuality is basically an InformedAttribute.
* HideYourLesbians is where characters can be seen as either gay or straight, and there usually is subtext suggesting the character may be gay but this will never ever be addressed.
* GetBackInTheCloset is when gay affection and love scenes are shown but are given higher ratings than that of heterosexual affection/love scenes, no matter how tame they are in comparison.

!!!AmusingAlien vs. FunnyForeigner
* An AmusingAlien is an otherworldly character (relative to the rest of the cast) who's funny by any number of means.
* A FunnyForeigner is a character who entertains the audience with their ignorance and odd behavior.
* If the FunnyForeigner is an alien in a setting that doesn't normally have aliens, then the trope is AmusingAlien.

!!!AncientConspiracy vs. TheMasquerade
* The AncientConspiracy has an EvilPlan and they hide it.
* TheMasquerade is any group that has stakes in {{Muggles}} not knowing the alternative exists.

!!!AndThisIsFor vs. ArsonMurderAndJaywalking vs. BreadEggsMilkSquick
* AndThisIsFor is a list of crimes one character rants at at the other as he beats him up. Usually played for drama, can be very emotionally effective if pulled off well.
* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking is the essentially same list, but by RuleOfFunny the last one on the list is something mundane.
* BreadEggsMilkSquick is the exact inversion of ArsonMurderAndJaywalking, with a list of mundame things ending in a non sequitur with something horrible.

!!!AntiMagic vs. NoSell vs. PowerNullifier
* AntiMagic is when an established power or ability completely ceases to exist.
* PowerNullifier is when someone or something can induce an AntiMagic effect.
* NoSell is when someone is completely immune to a power or ability.

!!!AnyoneCanDie vs. KillEmAll vs. RocksFallEverybodyDies vs. TotalPartyKill
* AnyoneCanDie means that even one of the story's main characters could die, when called for by the plot.
* KillEmAll means that most of the story's main characters will probably die at some point.
* RocksFallEverybodyDies: Same as above, but where the entire main cast dies in a tragic accident, all at the same time.
* TotalPartyKill: Same as above, except that the main characters are directly responsible for their own death.

!!!AppliedPhlebotinum vs. GreenRocks vs. SinglePhlebotinumLimit vs. MagneticPlotDevice vs. MineralMacGuffin vs. MinovskyParticle vs. {{Unobtainium}}
* AppliedPhlebotinum is almost anything that magically performs some function necessary to the plot, and a [[SuperTrope general category]] for many of the other types below.
* GreenRocks is a natural resource that can do just about anything the plot demands of it, like bestowing superpowers on normal people.
* SinglePhlebotinumLimit is a resource that is used in most, if not all, of the technology in a setting (kinda like electricity in RealLife), even for things that wouldn't seem to need it.
* MagneticPlotDevice is a standing PlotCoupon used to attract [[WeirdnessMagnet weirdness]] towards the heroes.
* MineralMacGuffin is specifically a crystal-like object that is sought after, often to provide power for some technology or device.
* A MinovskyParticle has very strict rules on what it can and cannot do, and it's the plot that obeys these rules, not the other way around.
* {{Unobtainium}} is a resource with important properties that is either rare, difficult to find or create; sometimes [[MacGuffin the entire plot revolves around acquiring it]].

!!!ArtifactOfDeath vs. ArtifactOfDoom
* An ArtifactOfDeath is one that will always inevitably kill the person who uses it.
* An ArtifactOfDoom is one that is [[AlwaysChaoticEvil pure evil]], and can corrupt the person who wields it.

!!!AscendedExtra vs. BreakoutCharacter vs. EnsembleDarkhorse
* AscendedExtra is where a character of relatively minor consequence is given more lines, maybe even a name and a DayInTheLimelight.
* An EnsembleDarkhorse is when a minor character is unexpectedly popular, sometimes moreso than the rest of the cast.
* BreakoutCharacter is when the writers notice the existence of an EnsembleDarkhorse and have said character become more important. This doesn't happen to every EnsembleDarkhorse, however: sometimes the writers don't notice or care about his/her existence. Also, BreakoutCharacter often implies that the character comes to dominate the show, rather than just become as important as other main characters.

!!!AssPull vs. DeusExMachina vs. DiabolusExMachina
* An {{Asspull}} is a plot twist that's so poorly set up, it feels like the writer just pulled something out of their ass.
* A DeusExMachina is a resolution to a seemingly impossible situation that comes out of nowhere; it can still be set up with [=~Chekhov's Gun~=] and feel forced if too little attention is given to the set up.
* DiabolusExMachina is a DeusExMachina that's there to make things worse.

!!!AtomicFBomb vs. ClusterFBomb vs. PrecisionFStrike
* An AtomicFBomb is a very loud and sudden curse that shows extreme anger and/or frustration.
* A ClusterFBomb is any work that is a general-purpose hotbed of foul language, or when a character has one or more pieces of dialogue that includes a lot of cursing.
* A PrecisionFStrike is a strategically placed and/or timed curse in a setting where such language isn't normally used or is very infrequent.

!!!AudienceSurrogate vs. TheArthurDent vs. AscendedFanboy vs. EscapistCharacter vs. TheEveryman vs. ThisLoserIsYou
* AudienceSurrogate is the supertrope: any character with whom the audience (or the children in the audience) doesn't just sympathize, but actively sees themselves as, or at least is supposed to.
* TheArthurDent is the OnlySaneMan version of an AudienceSurrogate.
* An AscendedFanboy is just that: a fanboy who has become powerful enough to be part of the main plot.
* TheEveryman is a bland nonentity AudienceSurrogate.
* An EscapistCharacter is someone that already represents what the audiences wishes they were.
* The Loser in ThisLoserIsYou is an AudienceSurrogate who either represents a harsh criticism of, is an unflattering caricature of, or else depicts a generally negative view of the audience.

!!!AuthorAppeal vs. {{Fanservice}} vs. FetishFuel
* AuthorAppeal is designed to satisfy a particular interest the author has; often a fetish, but not always.
* With {{Fanservice}}, the intention is to please the audience.
* FetishFuel is essentially Fanservice of the unintentional variety; the material isn't necessarily designed to appeal to ''anyone's'' kink, but it does, all the same.

!!!AuthorAppeal vs. PlayingToTheFetishes
* AuthorAppeal is when the creator has a specific fetish and includes it in a work for personal satisfaction.
* PlayingToTheFetishes is when the author does not have the specific fetish but includes it in a work to appeal to a niche demographic.

!!!AuthorCatchphrase vs. CatchPhrase
* An AuthorCatchphrase is a quote or description reused across different characters in different works, where the only common aspect is the author/actor/creator of those works.
* A CatchPhrase is a quote or description reused by the same character in a single work or series.

!!!AuthorFilibuster vs. AuthorTract vs. WriterOnBoard vs. CharacterFilibuster
* WriterOnBoard is the most general term for when an author has something that doesn't make sense happening for their own purposes (usually an expression of political views).
* AuthorFilibuster takes this one step further by actually stopping the plot dead in its tracks just to preach this particular point.
* CharacterFilibuster is an Author Filibuster put in a character's mouth rather than prose.
* AuthorTract refers to a work whose ''entire purpose'' is to promote the author's viewpoint.

!!!AvertedTrope vs. LampshadeHanging Vs. JustifiedTrope vs. SubvertedTrope vs. DoubleSubversion vs. ZigZaggingTrope vs. InvertedTrope
* An AvertedTrope is when no comment is made, the characters simply do not use, approach or address it. The trope only exists in the mind of the individual viewer.
* LampshadeHanging is when a work points out the use of a trope, but still uses it straight.
* A JustifiedTrope is one where the trope occurs, but there is an in-universe reason for it.
* A SubvertedTrope is when it appears as if a trope is going to be used, but something else happens instead.
* DoubleSubversion happens when a subverted trope actually ends up being used.
* A ZigZaggingTrope is when a trope gets subverted, then double subverted, then re-subverted; the process can possibly repeat itself.
* An InvertedTrope is when the exact opposite of a trope is used. Sometimes lampshaded, sometimes not.

!!!AwesomeButImpractical vs. CoolButInefficient vs. TooAwesomeToUse vs. UselessUsefulSpell
* CoolButInefficient: something appears advanced and exotic but isn't superior to the mundane alternative.
* AwesomeButImpractical: something that really ''is'' superior, but has an extra cost, side effect or drawback that limits its long-term usefulness.
* TooAwesomeToUse: something that is both superior and useful, but its rarity strongly encourages you to save it for later so you end up never using it.
* UselessUsefulSpell: something only works when you don't need it, regardless of any value.

!!!AxCrazy vs. BloodKnight vs. PsychoForHire
* AxCrazy describes a character that is violently unstable, and dangerous to anyone they come by.
* BloodKnight is a character who greatly enjoys fighting, and some of them greatly enjoy the violence part.
* A PsychoForHire is someone that makes a career out of something that involves hurting people, largely [[ForTheEvulz so they can get to hurt people]]. Often overlaps with AxCrazy, with the former leading the character to become the latter.

!!!BackForTheDead vs. BusCrash vs. DiedOnABus vs. DroppedABridgeOnHim vs. {{McLeaned}} vs. PutOnABus vs. PutOnABusToHell vs. WrittenInAbsence
* Being PutOnABus is when a character leaves the show but has plenty of opportunity for a return; it is just another bus ride back into town.
* Being PutOnABusToHell is where being PutOnABus was done in a particularly mean-spirited manner for the character.
* A BusCrash happens after a long absence, the character is killed offscreen.
* DiedOnABus happens when the actor playing a character dies (usually after being PutOnABus), but the character is not killed off- he is alive, just never shown on screen anymore.
* BackForTheDead takes place when a character who had been PutOnABus returns to the show and is ''then'' killed off.
* {{McLeaned}} is when the actor portraying the character decides to leave and in their final/farewell episode the character is killed, [[KilledOffForReal in theory]] preventing a return appearance.
* DroppedABridgeOnHim is when a character is killed off in a particularly mean-spirited manner.
* WrittenInAbsence is a casual remark saying that certain characters are not going to be around for this adventure, just to keep the party smaller.

!!!BadAssBack vs. OffhandBackhand
* A BadAssBack belongs to anyone who can make a successful attack without looking, and can be done in premeditated combat.
* An OffhandBackhand happens when the person who gets backhanded had thought that the person who backhanded him didn't know he was there.

!!!BadassLongcoat vs. ConspicuousTrenchcoat vs. TrenchcoatBrigade
* BadassLongcoat is about the article of clothing (and includes trench coats, dusters, greatcoats, Inverness capes, and other knee-length-or-longer coats), worn unbuttoned to make its wearer look cool. The way these coats flair and billow around the wearer is an essential part of the trope.
* ConspicuousTrenchcoat is about the article of clothing, worn buttoned to make its wearer blend in (though it often has [[RevealingCoverup the opposite effect]], or it [[FridgeLogic logically should]]).
* TrenchcoatBrigade is about a stock character. Wearing a trench coat is one of their defining traits, but hardly the most important.

!!!BadGuyBar vs. GoodGuyBar
* The BadGuyBar is a seedy DenOfIniquity where the antagonists scheme in secrecy. Heroes will be attacked on sight.
* The GoodGuyBar can be anything from a pub to a restaurant, where the heroes go to unwind after hours. Evildoers are welcome if they behave themselves.

!!!TheBadGuyWins vs. DownerEnding vs. ShootTheShaggyDog
* DownerEnding is any ending with a tragic or unhappy result.
* TheBadGuyWins is (usually a DownerEnding) where the villain accomplishes his goal and lives to tell about it.
* ShootTheShaggyDog is a DownerEnding where the heroes' actions (and thus the whole story) were rendered completely meaningless.

!!!{{Bara}} vs. {{Yaoi}}
* Both are stories about gay male relationships.
* {{Yaoi}} is usually written by women for women; characters tend to be {{bishounen}} and romantic connections are emphasized. Sexual content, when present, tends to not be all that explicit.
* {{Bara}} is usually written by gay men for gay men; characters tend to fit the HardGay mold, and sexual content is more frequent and more explicit.

!!!BatmanGambit vs. XanatosGambit vs. XanatosRoulette vs. XanatosSpeedChess vs. ThirtyXanatosPileup
* A BatmanGambit is a plan designed to succeed by predicting the opponent's moves [[FlawExploitation based on the opponent's flaws]], and isn't supposed to fail.
* A XanatosGambit is a plan that is designed to predict the opponent's moves, and to pay off for the planner regardless of whether it "succeeds" or "fails".
* A XanatosRoulette is a Batman or Xanatos Gambit where the prediction of the opponent's moves breaks the WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief because it involves factors that people shouldn't be able to predict.
* XanatosSpeedChess happens when a Xanatos Gambit has to be altered on the fly in the face of [[DidntSeeThatComing unexpected circumstances]].
* A ThirtyXanatosPileup can occur when the plans of two or more characters intersect with each other, usually in a manner that makes the plot extremely confusing.

!!!BatmanGambit vs. CloningGambit vs. FakeTwinGambit vs. GenghisGambit vs. LysistrataGambit vs. MemoryGambit vs. PartySchedulingGambit vs. PoisonAndCureGambit vs. TheUriahGambit vs. WoundedGazelleGambit vs. XanatosGambit vs. ZeroApprovalGambit
* A BatmanGambit is a plan designed to predict the opponent's moves [[FlawExploitation based on the opponent's flaws]].
* A CloningGambit is a scheme wherein a disposable clone is used to believably fake the mastermind's death.
* A FakeTwinGambit is when a character pretends to be his/her own, nonexistent identical twin, for whatever reason.
* A GenghisGambit is a subtrope of Zero Approval Gambit in which someone seeking to unite a group of enemies creates a common enemy for all the factions to fight against.
* A LysistrataGambit is when a woman threatens to withhold sex from a man (usually her husband) unless he does what she wants him to do.
* A MemoryGambit is a plan which calls for a character to sacrifice his/her memories, with a specific trigger to get them back when it's convenient or advantageous to do so.
* A PartySchedulingGambit is when character A tries to sabotage character B's party by throwing a bigger party at the same time.
* A PoisonAndCureGambit is when a villain releases a poison and then tries to sell the antidote.
* TheUriahGambit is a plan for a character to get rid of an underling who has become inconvenient or an enemy by giving him an assignment that's sure to get him killed.
* A WoundedGazelleGambit is when character A hurts him[=/=]herself, then frames character B for the act to get sympathy from character C.
* A XanatosGambit is a plan that is designed to predict the opponent's moves and to pay off for the planner regardless of the final outcome.
* A ZeroApprovalGambit is a plan in which a character sacrifices his reputation[=/=]integrity[=/=]honor in order to achieve a long-term goal.


!!![=~The Battle Didn't Count~=] vs. HeadsIWinTailsYouLose vs. HopelessBossFight vs. ILetYouWin
* In [=~The Battle Didn't Count~=], you have to win a fight to avoid getting a GameOver, but afterwards the boss is still alive. He may either be anywhere from severely wounded to perfectly healthy, as long as he's not dead.
* HeadsIWinTailsYouLose is a subtrope of [=~The Battle Didn't Count~=] where the boss ''immediately'' gets back up and kicks your ass in a cutscene.
* In a HopelessBossFight, you are presented with a boss you couldn't possibly defeat, except by cheating or exploiting a bug. When you lose, instead of getting a GameOver like in any other event, the plot continues on.
* In ILetYouWin, you find out (possibly much later) that a boss let you win a certain fight as part of one of his [[XanatosPlannedThisIndex gambits]], even though during the fight the boss could kill you and get you a GameOver. ILetYouWin is usually also [=~The Battle Didn't Count~=], unless MyDeathIsJustTheBeginning.

!!!BeautifulAllAlong vs. SheCleansUpNicely vs. SheIsAllGrownUp
* BeautifulAllAlong refers to when a character previously thought to be homely is suddenly shown in such a light as to make it apparent that she is actually quite attractive.
* With SheCleansUpNicely, it is not necessary that the character be thought of as homely; it simply refers to when a character who is usually depicted in a normal fashion is suddenly made to appear as glamorous as possible.
* SheIsAllGrownUp occurs when a child character returns after an absence and, thanks to growing up, has become handsome/beautiful in the eyes of those who knew him/her back in the day.

!!!BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor vs. WantingIsBetterThanHaving
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: A character wants something, and has it granted by a wish. Unforseen consequences cause him to later regret making the wish.
* WantingIsBetterThanHaving: A character wants something and eventually achieves it. Disappointment sets in when reality fails to live up to the expectations.

!!!BecomeARealBoy vs. PinocchioSyndrome
* BecomeARealBoy: Character wants to become more human, to understand what that means without actually giving up any of their gifts. Usually achieved through character building event or quest.
* PinocchioSyndrome: Character wants to become fully human, even (or occasionally especially) if it means giving up all their special abilities. IJustWantToBeNormal for non- or partial-humans. Usually achieved via AppliedPhlebotinum or other instant change devices.

!!!BeneathTheMask vs ADarkerMe vs {{GIFT}} vs HiddenDepths
* These are psychological-personality oriented tropes that explain why first impressions can be misleading, and suggest situations where the audience's perception of a character might change. Tie in with IndexWithAHeartOfGold and MoreThanMeetsTheEye tropes.
* BeneathTheMask states that people often hide how they really are and how they really feel about things because they are scared of what others might think of them or what punishment they could receive. Both power and anonymity remove said fears and show how a person really is. This trope also states that this hidden self is sometimes hidden even from ourselves. The hidden qualities might be anything, good, bad, or subjectively ugly, that the character is afraid to show.
* ADarkerMe is a subtrope of BeneathTheMask where the hidden self isn't radically different, only DarkerAndEdgier and/or less inhibited.
* {{GIFT}} is a theory that tries to explain the antisocial behaviour of people on the Internet. This trope states that anonymity corrupts people that are otherwise normally nice, making them act like jerks. As opposed to BeneathTheMask that states that anonymity doesn't corrupt but only reveals what was already there.
* HiddenDepths: This trope is about [[IAmNotLeftHanded hidden skills]] and hidden backstory rather than about personality, though it may well result in the audience's perception of the character changing.

!!!BellisariosMaxim vs. {{MST3K Mantra}}
* Both are about a certain level of forgiveness from the fans when watching a compelling story.
** The {{MST3K Mantra}} is a caution against turning something into SeriousBusiness. It is about the simple enjoyment of any work of fiction.
** BellisariosMaxim is from a more technical standpoint, it is assuming that a group of 10 writers can't squeeze in enough research to placate the millions of critical viewers. Also, they can't be expected to exorcise ''every single'' PlotHole from a story (especially on a weekly basis).

!!!BetterByADifferentName vs. FollowTheLeader vs. RecycledInSPACE
* FollowTheLeader attempts to cash in on a popular work by using a similar premise and appealing to the same audience, but doesn't copy the work directly.
* BetterByADifferentName does copy the work directly, featuring similar characters and a very similar plot.
* RecycledInSPACE copies the premise and characters, but puts a spin on it by adding a gimmick of some sort.

!!!{{BFG}} vs. HandCannon
* All {{Hand Cannon}}s are handguns or pistols.
* Anything too large to be a handgun is a {{BFG}}, even if (and sometimes ''especially'' if) the character using it is treating it like a handgun.

!!!BigNo vs. {{Squick}}
* A BigNo is a verbal response to something that upsets you.
* {{Squick}} is a physical reaction you have to something that unsettles you.

!!!BitPartBadGuys vs. {{Mooks}}
* Both of these are about small-time villains.
* BitPartBadGuys are acting on their own.
* {{Mooks}} work for a BigBad of some kind.

!!!BittersweetEnding vs. EarnYourHappyEnding vs. PyrrhicVictory
* A BittersweetEnding is when the story's resolution is in the hero or heroes' favor, but at great cost -- in other words, a happy ending with little or no actual happiness to it.
* A PyrrhicVictory is a battle with a BittersweetEnding; it can occur at any point in a story.
* EarnYourHappyEnding is when the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism is very carefully balanced -- specifically, when a happy (or at least idealistic) ending is reached despite a significant portion of the story being on the cynical end.
* Note that these can and often do overlap.

!!!BlackComedy vs. DeadBabyComedy vs. GallowsHumor
* BlackComedy is a form of humor in which serious subjects are used as a source of comedy.
* DeadBabyComedy is a form of comedy where offending the sensibilites of the audience is part of the goal.
* GallowsHumor is a form of BlackComedy in which the jokes are made from the perspective of the victim.

!!!BlackHoleSue vs. GodModeSue
* A BlackHoleSue makes a story less interesting by making everything about her and [[ConflictKiller nullifying conflict]] because no one can resist her.
* A GodModeSue makes the story less interesting by nullifying conflict by being too powerful/charismatic.

!!!BlessedWithSuck vs. CursedWithAwesome
* BlessedWithSuck is when you have an awesome power, but it comes with tons of drawbacks.
* CursedWithAwesome is when you have a relatively sucky power, but it gets you good advantages.

!!!BlindIdiotTranslation vs. MyHovercraftIsFullOfEels vs. TranslationTrainWreck vs. TheVodkaIsGoodButTheMeatIsRotten
* In MyHovercraftIsFullOfEels, Alice doesn't speak Tropish very well, so she says something hilarious and nonsensical like "My hovercraft is full of eels."
* In TheVodkaIsGoodButTheMeatIsRotten, Alice says something perfectly sensible in Tropish like "The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak." Then Bob, who doesn't speak Tropish very well, translates it into something hilarious and nonsensical like "The vodka is good but the meat is rotten."
* BlindIdiotTranslation is when the latter happens in RealLife.
* TranslationTrainWreck is when a translation in RealLife is so mangled that the result is gibberish, usually the result of the translators not actually speaking any of the language they're translating to.

!!!{{Bokukko}} vs. TheLadette vs. {{Shorttank}} vs. {{Tomboy}}
* A {{Tomboy}} is the supertrope to all of these.
* A {{Bokukko}} is a girl's using male pronouns; how boyly/girly she is is not important.
* A {{Shorttank}} is a more sporty tomboy where the boyish qualities outweigh the feminine qualities; they often wear pants or shorts with a tank top.
* TheLadette is the girl who swears, drinks and arm-wrestles with the best of the guys.

!!!BondOneLiner vs. QuipToBlack vs. PreAssKickingOneLiner vs. PreMortemOneLiner
* A PreAssKickingOneLiner is uttered ''before beginning'' a fight.
* A PreMortemOneLiner is uttered ''before ending'' a fight.
* A BondOneLiner is uttered ''after ending'' a fight.
* A QuipToBlack is uttered by someone who wasn't in the fight about the fight's results.

!!!BoobsOfSteel vs. BuxomIsBetter vs. GagBoobs vs. MostCommonSuperpower
* BoobsOfSteel is the tendency in many media for a woman who's very strong and/or an excellent fighter to have larger breasts than those who are less so.
* BuxomIsBetter is the tendency to emphasize the positive qualities of a woman having large breasts.
* GagBoobs are when a woman's large breasts are used as a sight gag or other comedic purpose.
* MostCommonSuperpower is the tendency for just about every female superhero or superhuman to have large breasts.

!!!BoredOnBoard vs. HamAndCheese vs. TookTheBadFilmSeriously vs. WriterRevolt
* BoredOnBoard is a writer reacting to a bad work.
* HamAndCheese is an actor reacting to a bad work by [[LargeHam acting over the top]].
* TookTheBadFilmSeriously is an actor reacting to a bad work by acting better than the work deserves.
* WriterRevolt is a writer reacting to ExecutiveMeddling in an otherwise good work.

!!!BoringInvincibleHero vs. ShowyInvincibleHero vs. BoringFailureHero
* A BoringInvincibleHero is a character who always accomplishes his/her goals with relative ease, to the point that it's impossible to build drama around the character.
* A ShowyInvincibleHero is like a Boring Invincible Hero, but his/her exploits are built around RuleOfCool and the point of the work is to show this in full effect.
* A BoringFailureHero is a character who ''never'' accomplishes his/her goals, whether through personal failures or other elements of the story seemingly conspiring to foil the character.

!!!BrainlessBeauty vs. DumbBlonde
* The BrainlessBeauty does not ''have'' to be blond.
* The DumbBlonde can be the BrainlessBeauty, but can also be TheFool, TheDitz, or any other less than clever character.

!!!BrattyHalfPint vs. TheBumblebee vs. TagalongKid vs. TokenLoli
* A BrattyHalfPint is that kid who is constantly finding trouble because they want to be a part of the team.
* TheBumblebee is more of a marketing ploy, but the character can actually be a part of the team, usually the inexperienced one with youthful energy.
* The TagalongKid is a little kid watching the heroism of the team with excitement.
* The TokenLoli is any of the above three who also provides {{Fanservice}} for a PeripheryDemographic

!!!BreakingTheFourthWall vs. FourthWall vs. MediumAwareness vs. NoFourthWall vs. PaintingTheFourthWall
* The FourthWall is the metaphorical invisible wall between the characters in a story and the audience. It's the default state of most fiction that the characters are unaware that they're characters in a fictional story.
* BreakingTheFourthWall is when characters speak to (or in some way acknowledge the existence of) the audience or the author, thereby acknowledging their own fictionality.
* MediumAwareness is when ''characters'' notice the conventions of the storytelling medium.
* NoFourthWall describes fiction where the characters break the Fourth Wall ''all the time''.
* PaintingTheFourthWall is when the author plays with the conventions of a storytelling medium in order to convey additional information to the ''audience''.

!!!BrickJoke vs. [=~Chekhov's Gag~=]
* [=~Chekhov's Gag~=]: About humor: a joke is set up, pays off, and is forgotten by the viewer, but then much later pays off yet again.
** Example: Family Guy - In a cutaway about random Discovery channel specials, Peter watches an Animal Documentary-esque program about the hunting rituals of fire engines. Later on, at the very end of the episode, a feral fire engine ends up on their lawn for another gag. Basically a call-back gag.
* BrickJoke: Not solely about humor. Plot related. A minor, insignificant, or seemingly concluded event occurs, and the viewer is meant to think it over and done with. The event then recurs much later on to effect the plot in an unexpected way. In some ways, it is actually a CallBack with severe plot significance.
** Example: Early in the plot, John Doe steals something insignificant as a show to the audience of how much of a rogue he is, and escapes the police. Later on he is shot, and it's revealed he never got around to taking the thing out his pocket, so the bullet ricocheted off of it, saving his life.

!!!BringMyBrownPants vs. PottyEmergency vs. PottyFailure
* When a character has a BringMyBrownPants moment, it's because something scared him so badly he wet or soiled himself in pure fright.
* A character having a PottyEmergency is in desperate need of a toilet, but has not yet lost control.
* A character who suffers PottyFailure ''was'' in desperate need of a toilet, but has lost control.

!!!BrokenAesop vs. CluelessAesop vs. FamilyUnfriendlyAesop vs. LostAesop
* The message of a BrokenAesop is clear, but it just isn't supported by the actual events of the story.
* A CluelessAesop is straightforward and plain, but it fails because of how poorly the writers handle the issues being presented.
* In a FamilyUnfriendlyAesop, the message is questionable in and of itself.
* A LostAesop is a moral that is presented in so confusing and contradictory a fashion that it is unclear exactly what the message is supposed to be.

!!!BrokenBase vs. FanDumb vs. TheyChangedItNowItSucks vs. UnpleasableFanbase
* BrokenBase is when the fans of a work are heavily divided in their own opinions, to the point of having a FlameWar on just about anything.
* FanDumb is the critical fan who can end up being a {{troll}} because they are so set on their opinions.
* TheyChangedItNowItSucks is about the fans being quick to judge a change in the source material as "RuinedFOREVER!"
* UnpleasableFanbase can cover all of the above, but is about how any effort to please the fans will fail because of differing desires. (With the exception of AndTheFandomRejoiced)

!!!BulletproofHumanShield vs. HumanShield
* BulletproofHumanShield is when a character grabs another person to block or absorb incoming gunfire, and doesn't care if the victim gets killed in the process.
* HumanShield is when a character (usually a villain) grabs another person to ''stop'' his attackers from opening fire, for fear of hitting the victim.

!!!BulletTime vs. SuperReflexes
* BulletTime is a visual effect to show that a character's senses are so heightened that he can react to things as if they were in slow-motion.
* SuperReflexes is a StockSuperpower where a character can react to situations faster than normal; it may be depicted (visually) with BulletTime, SlowMotion, or some other effect.

!!!BullyingADragon vs. MuggingTheMonster
* BullyingADragon is about knowingly picking on a superpowered person, despite or because of the fact that they have super powers, often ones that can kill you.
* MuggingTheMonster is when a criminal or otherwise bad person doesn't realize that they are picking on a superpowered person.

!!!BunnyEarsLawyer vs. CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass vs. LetsGetDangerous vs. ObfuscatingStupidity vs. ObfuscatingInsanity
* ObfuscatingStupidity and ObfuscatingInsanity are when someone fakes stupidity or craziness, respectively, in order to hide the fact that they are very capable.
* A BunnyEarsLawyer ''is'' genuinely crazy/quirky, but is very capable at the same time.
* A CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass is someone who really is stupid/incapable, until the right button is pushed and they start kicking all kinds of ass.
* LetsGetDangerous is when someone who has the reputation of being a badass but [[InformedAbility doesn't normally act that way]] finally shows off why he's got the reputation.

!!![=~But I Can't Be Pregnant!~=] vs. ButWeUsedACondom vs. SurprisePregnancy
* [=~But I Can't Be Pregnant!~=]: Pregnancy occurs despite biological factors that should've made it impossible (age, injury, [[NoBiochemicalBarriers differing species]].)
* ButWeUsedACondom: Pregnancy occurs despite the use of birth control (which may or may not have been used correctly)
* SurprisePregnancy: Pregnancy and birth occur despite the woman being unaware (truly or willfully) that she was pregnant at all.

!!!ButNotTooEvil vs. HarmlessVillain vs. PokeThePoodle
* ButNotTooEvil is a villain that MoralGuardians complain about because he ''is'' seen as "too evil" for the work he's in. He is sometimes toned down as a result of the complaints and sometimes not.
* A HarmlessVillain is an antagonist that was ''never'' intended to be a serious threat; they're most often found in funny shows and as comic relief if there ''is'' a more evil/harmful villain.
* PokeThePoodle is an "evil" ''action'' that's not really all that serious. A HarmlessVillain can poke the poodle as a joke, but sometimes something a serious villain does fails at looking evil and is also poodle-poking.

!!!ButtMonkey vs. TheChewToy vs. CosmicPlaything vs. TheWoobie
* The ButtMonkey is somebody other characters and/or the creators enjoy abusing.
* TheChewToy is somebody who seems the target of abuse through pure bad luck, PlayedForLaughs.
* TheWoobie is somebody the audience sympathizes with when they are being abused, PlayedForDrama.
* The CosmicPlaything is someone in these situations who is aware of the fact that the gods/universe/writers have it in for them.

!!!CallBack vs. ContinuityNod vs. MythologyGag
* A CallBack is a reference to the past of the characters in the scene that ''does'' influence their thoughts or actions in the current plot.
* A ContinuityNod is a reference to the past of the characters in the scene that ''doesn't'' affect the current plot.
* A MythologyGag is a reference to some aspect of the universe or an earlier adaptation, but isn't a part of the past of the characters in the scene.

!!!{{Calvinball}} vs. GretzkyHasTheBall vs. NewRulesAsThePlotDemands
* {{Calvinball}} is when a game doesn't ''have'' any rules or the rules are deliberately changed from session to session, except for maybe one or two consistant rules purely to identify the game as itself (for example, Calvinball's One Hard Rule is "Calvinball must never be played the same way twice")
* GretzkyHasTheBall is when the rules of real life sports or games are present erroneously (either by the character or just the work).
* NewRulesAsThePlotDemands is when a game that exists in-series operates in a non-nonsensical, impossible, or self-contradictory way. There are presumed to be rules, but what those might be is completely lost on the viewer.

!!!CampStraight vs. TheDandy
* A CampStraight has pretty much all of the traits of the CampGay except for the homosexuality.
* TheDandy is simply overly concerned with his/her appearance. This is usually what most people mean when they say "Metrosexual".

!!!CampbellCountry vs. LovecraftCountry
* CampbellCountry is a place where the [[CosmicHorrorStory dark secrets]] are well-hidden by the virtue of being very old (AncientRome or earlier old). And it is usually in the Old World.
* LovecraftCountry is a place where the [[CosmicHorrorStory dark secrets]] are well-hidden through vast spaces in-between and general isolation of towns. Also, it's normally NewEngland.

!!!CanonForeigner vs. CanonImmigrant
* CanonForeigner refers to a character exclusive to a certain adaptation of a previously-existing fictional universe.
* CanonImmigrant is when a character originally created in an adaptation is later introduced in the original source material.

!!!CanonSue vs. PossessionSue
* Alice and Bob co-exist in a work. If...
** ...the author of that work writes Alice as a MarySue, you have a CanonSue.
** ...a ''FanFic'' writer writes Bob as a MartyStu, you have a PossessionSue.

!!!CannonFodder vs. RedshirtArmy
* CannonFodder exist to emphasize the superiority of the elite by providing a baseline normal.
* A RedshirtArmy exists to emphasize the danger of a situation by taking casualties.
* In other words, CannonFodder makes TheHero look powerful, while the RedshirtArmy makes the BigBad look powerful.

!!!CaptainErsatz vs. {{Expy}}
* A CaptainErsatz is a character created to stand in for one that the author is not able to use, usually due to legal issues.
* An {{Expy}} is a character that is suspiciously similar to another character in another work, but not obviously supposed to be that character. This often happens within works by the same author as the previous character, but it can also be a {{Homage}} or ShoutOut by another author.
* A lot of the examples are [[TropeDecay on both pages when they should only be on one]].

!!!CartwrightCurse vs. FatalAttractor
* CartwrightCurse: A character's GirlOfTheWeek love interests are quickly killed off or otherwise swiftly - but intentionally - written out.
* FatalAttractor: A character's GirlOfTheWeek love interests are quickly revealed to be an AbhorrentAdmirer, AxCrazy, or a BrainwashedAndCrazy [[TheMole mole]].

!!!TheCassandra vs. CassandraTruth vs. TheJorEl
* TheCassandra is someone who is right about a great many things, verging on infallibility, yet those around her rarely listen to her warnings for no good reason.
* CassandraTruth is when a great secret or danger is discovered by someone, and their warnings are disbelieved because the person is considered unreliable. Often, but not always applied to children.
* TheJorEl is much like CassandraTruth, but rather than be a kid they tend to be scientists or other researcher who has discovered a danger or imminent disaster, he'll try to warn others and be disbelieved because he's just a lone scientist.
* While CassandraTruth is disbelieved because the claim is ridiculous or the person is considered unreliable, TheJorEl isn't believed because the claim they make is unpopular or unpleasant.

!!!CassandraTruth vs. NotNowKiddo
* CassandraTruth: a character delivers important news, but is not believed.
* NotNowKiddo: a character is never given the chance to deliver the news.

!!!CassandraTruth vs. SarcasticConfession
* CassandraTruth is meant to be believed, but isn't; it's a subtrope of PoorCommunicationKills.
* SarcasticConfession is a truth delivered in such a way so as to be disbelieved (though it sometimes isn't).

!!!CasualKink vs. ConvenientlyCommonKink
* CasualKink: A character's kink is unique among the cast but nobody makes a big deal out of it.
* ConvenientlyCommonKink: A character's kink is shared by their love interest and possibly others.

!!!CerebusSyndrome vs. DarkerAndEdgier
* CerebusSyndrome is when a light series turns dark as it goes on.
* DarkerAndEdgier is a sequel/reboot/alternate continuity that's noticeably darker than its predecessor(s).

!!!TheChamberlain vs. TheQuisling
* TheChamberlain is named for NevilleChamberlain (who may not be an example of the trope) and is an authority figure that refuses to address an evil because they are being willfully blind.
* TheQuisling is named for Vidkun Quisling (who is definitely an example of the trope) and is an authority figure who aids the evil force in controlling his own side.

!!!CharacterDerailment vs. OutOfCharacter
* CharacterDerailment takes place when a character's personality changes in canon without proper justification.
* OutOfCharacter is when the same thing happens in a FanFic or [[DerivativeWorks Derivative Work]].

!!!CharacterFilibuster vs. HoldingTheFloor
* In a CharacterFilibuster the author lectures the reader on a particular point (often political) by using a character to give a long speech.
* In HoldingTheFloor the character must filibuster for an in-universe reason, usually to buy time or provide a distraction. The content of the speech itself doesn't matter.
* The same speech can serve both functions, with the latter justifying the former.

!!!CharacterMagneticTeam vs. HitchhikerHeroes vs. MagneticHero
* MagneticHero is about the ''plot'' of group finding, using a hero's ability to persuade and attract others to his cause.
* HitchhikerHeroes is more about the group members.
* And CharacterMagneticTeam is a team where each member attracts more, snowballing into LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters.

!!!CharmPerson vs. CompellingVoice
* CharmPerson can be disobeyed or resisted.
* CompellingVoice can't.
* This means antagonists will generally have CharmPerson rather than CompellingVoice, because otherwise they could just command the hero to shoot himself.

!!!ChasteHero vs. CelibateHero vs. {{Asexuality}}
* A ChasteHero is ignorant of sex and oblivious to romance in general.
* A CelibateHero knows about them (in theory at the least) but eschews them as secondary to his goals.
* With {{Asexuality}}, the hero simply isn't interested in sex or romantic love, period.

!!!CheatersNeverProsper vs. DickDastardlyStopsToCheat
* CheatersNeverProsper is when anyone who cheats ends up losing.
* DickDastardlyStopsToCheat is when someone could win legitimately, but loses because they cheat.

!!![=~Chekhov's Boomerang~=] vs. [=~Chekhov's Gun~=]
* A [=~Chekhov's Gun~=] is an object that is set up as unimportant, then used as a plot device, surprising the audience with actual significance.
* A [=~Chekhov's Boomerang~=] is a Chekhov's Gun after it has been used, and the audience assumes it has no further importance, but is unexpectedly reused and surprises the audience with new actual significance.

!!!TheChessmaster vs. MagnificentBastard vs. ManipulativeBastard
* Many debates have surrounded these tropes.
** TheChessmaster is someone who looks upon everyone as being pawns in a game; the chess metaphor is frequently used. They sit safely away in their evil lair and play everyone against each other.
** MagnificentBastard is someone whose intelligence and capability alone causes fear and respect in the heroes. Likely to be DangerouslyGenreSavvy and will manipulate people to their advantage, but unlike the Chessmaster they are personally active in their schemes. As a result they usually have a much higher success rate than most villains and will likely have a large fanbase.
** ManipulativeBastard is someone who can identify an emotional nerve within someone and then proceed to [[FlawExploitation exploit that flaw]] to their own advantage.

!!!ChewingTheScenery vs. LargeHam
* ChewingTheScenery is when a character who is usually acted in a normal fashion suddenly starts acting like a LargeHam.
* A LargeHam is a character who is almost constantly overacting.

!!!ClarkKenting vs. PaperThinDisguise vs. WigDressAccent
* WigDressAccent is when a character physically disguises himself.
* ClarkKenting is how the character changes his behavior to compliment the physical disguise.
* PaperThinDisguise is when the audience isn't fooled by the disguise.

!!!CliffHanger vs. SequelHook
* A CliffHanger is when the story is not concluded within the single movie or television show, which requires an additional movie or episode to finish the story. The worst case is LeftHanging, when that conclusion does not happen.
* A SequelHook is when the story is finished, whether it be a HappyEnding or a DownerEnding, but hints are given towards a new storyline in the sequel.

!!!ClosingCredits vs. CreativeClosingCredits vs. CreditsGag
* ClosingCredits are the credits that roll at the end of a show.
* CreativeClosingCredits are interesting variations on closing credits, as opposed to the classic "white text and black background."
* CreditsGag is a joke that appears during the end credits

!!!CoincidentalBroadcast vs. CrystalBallScheduling
* A CoincidentalBroadcast is one that acts as a plot enabler - the characters act on the information that they have conveniently been given.
* CrystalBallScheduling acts as a metaphor for events on the show - it doesn't have any plot relevance, but allows the writer to comment on the storyline without breaking the FourthWall.

!!!ColdBloodedTorture vs. EnhancedInterrogationTechniques vs. JackBauerInterrogationTechnique vs. TortureAlwaysWorks
* ColdBloodedTorture is exactly what it sounds like - torture performed by someone who has no compunctions about its use, and who may even enjoy the experience and/or the agony of the victim.
* EnhancedInterrogationTechniques are interrogation methods that (usually) rely on psychologically brutalizing the victim rather than physical violence.
* JackBauerInterrogationTechnique is when the hero (usually someone in law enforcement) uses physical torture against a villain/criminal/suspect/etc.
* GeneHuntInterrogationTechnique is a subtrope in which the torture is played for comedic effect through RefugeInAudacity and/or CrossesTheLineTwice.
* TortureAlwaysWorks is the tendency for fictional torture to produce information useful to those doing the torture.

!!!ComicBookFantasyCasting vs. InkSuitActor vs. NoCelebritiesWereHarmed
* ComicBookFantasyCasting is where a character in a comic or animation looks like a real person (usually an actor, musician or model) but clearly isn't meant to actually "be" that person.
* InkSuitActor is where a character in an animated show or computer game is designed to look like the real-world performer who did their voice.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed is where a fictional character is clearly intended to be a fictionalised version or caricature of a celebrity, down to having a similar profession and/or a personality based on that person's public persona.

!!!ConceptAlbum vs. RockOpera
* In a ConceptAlbum, all the songs relate to some theme or idea.
* A RockOpera is a Concept Album that tells a narrative story.
* ''DarkSideOfTheMoon'' is a ConceptAlbum, but not a RockOpera. ''TheWall'' is a RockOpera, and also a ConceptAlbum. All {{Rock Opera}}s are {{Concept Album}}s, but not all Concept Albums are Rock Operas.

!!!ContinuityCreep vs. ContinuityDrift vs. EarthDrift
* ContinuityCreep is about a series that slowly uses continuity to a greater degree.
* ContinuityDrift is about the continuity itself slowly changing.
* EarthDrift is a subtrope where the continuity changes to be less like the real world.

!!!ConvenientlyAnOrphan vs. [=~Orphan's Ordeal~=]
* ConvenientlyAnOrphan covers the common narrative device of making the hero an orphan to provide them a particular heroic motivation, or to unroot them so they can go on some unrelated adventure. Generally the parents died some time ago, and the hero may not angst about them very much on-screen.
* [=~Orphan's Ordeal~=] covers stories where the grief and other hardships associated with lost parents are a major focus of the plot. Generally the parents died more recently.

!!!ConvictionByContradiction vs. ConvictionByCounterfactualClue
* The solution to a ConvictionByContradiction is actually valid, but would hardly be substantial enough to prove guilt in a real world situation.
* ConvictionByCounterfactualClue happens when the solution to a mystery is based on a fundamentally incorrect fact.

!!!CordonBleughChef vs. LethalChef vs. OneNoteCook
* A CordonBleughChef is an otherwise skilled cook who has an unfortunate habit of mixing ingredients that should not be mixed. The result of these "experiments" is usually indistinguishable from that of the LethalChef.
* A LethalChef is one who has absolutely no culinary skills. Their dishes go past merely bad and straight to "toxic"
* A OneNoteCook has one dish, or type of dish, at which they excel at making. Outside of that area of expertise, they're usually a LethalChef.

!!!CorruptChurch vs. PathOfInspiration vs. ReligionOfEvil
* The CorruptChurch is an otherwise legitimate ("good") religion that has become rotten under the surface, usually by corrupt individuals in the church offices or evil forces.
* The PathOfInspiration is a church created for evil that disguises itself as a legitimate good faith, typically manipulating its followers into inobvious service of evil and setting itself up as a VillainWithGoodPublicity.
* The ReligionOfEvil was created for evil and does not hide the fact that it's evil (though it may make itself hard to find in the first place).

!!!CosmicHorrorStory vs. EldritchAbomination vs. LovecraftLite
* CosmicHorrorStory is the ''genre'' where the universe is a hopeless, horrific and meaningless place, often filled to the brim with [[EldritchAbomination obscenely powerful entities]] that could crush humanity like an ant and not notice, and it is only a matter of time before that happens.
* {{Eldritch Abomination}}s are strange otherworldly ''monstrosities'' from beyond; they do the crushing mentioned above.
* LovecraftLite is a ''genre'' that uses many of the trappings of a CosmicHorrorStory, but is not bleak, hopeless, or meaningless. The evil entities can be defeated permanently; the good guys can win decisively; the world, and humanity, can survive.

!!!CowboyBebopAtHisComputer vs. IAmNotShazam
* CowboyBebopAtHisComputer is about a news article that presents erroneous information about a work, often to the point where it seems they didn't read/watch the thing.
* IAmNotShazam concerns confusion over the title of a work and what it is supposed to represent within the work.

!!!CreatorBacklash vs. OldShame
* CreatorBacklash is when a creator hates one of his works in spite of its sizeable fandom because of factors outside of its quality.
* OldShame is when a creator hates one of his works because of its low quality; said work has little to no fandom.

!!!CriticalResearchFailure vs. DanBrowned vs. DidNotDoTheResearch
* A CriticalResearchFailure is if the error is obvious to any viewer with even the smallest degree of knowledge of that field.
* So if a character steals the Mona Lisa, Raphael's most famous painting, from the British Museum, it is a CriticalResearchFailure on the part of the author. [[hottip:* :Two of the most basic things almost anyone would know about the Mona Lisa are that it was painted by Leonardo Da Vinci and that it's in the Louvre.]]
* DanBrowned occurs when a work is noticeably or prominently proclaimed to be factual but is, in reality, inaccurate or wrong.
* If the author makes notable claims regarding the accuracy of his facts and the diligence of his research, and then describes the methods Leonardo used to prepare the canvas for the Mona Lisa, the author has DanBrowned the audience. [[hottip:* :There was no canvas to prepare.]]
* DidNotDoTheResearch indicates that the could have been avoided by the most basic level of research.
* If the character rolls the Mona Lisa up and puts it in a rucksack, it is a case of DidNotDoTheResearch on the part of the author.[[hottip:* :The MonaLisa is painted on a wooden panel and thus cannot be rolled up. Not commonly known, but fairly easily discovered.]]


!!!CrossOver vs. IntercontinuityCrossover vs. MassiveMultiplayerCrossover vs. MegaCrossover vs. FusionFic
* CrossOver is appearance of a show's characters in another show that is set in the same universe as the former show.
* IntercontinuityCrossover is like CrossOver but the two shows present are not set in the same universe.
* Note that this is the type often seen in webcomics (although it's generally referred to in those communities simply as a "crossover"), when two authors coordinate to create overlapping storylines -- they each tell one half in their own strip, and the reader must flip back and forth, interleaving them to see the full story.
* MassiveMultiplayerCrossover is like IntercontinuityCrossover but with three or more shows.
* MegaCrossover is the FanFic version of MassiveMultiplayerCrossover.
* A FusionFic is a FanFic in which the cast of one work is partly or completely replaced by the cast of another work, and the original work's plot plays out modified by the new characters' quirks.

!!!CurbStompBattle vs. NoHoldsBarredBeatDown vs. OneHitKO
* CurbStompBattle: The fight is swift, decisive, and completely one-sided. Usually done ''by'' the good guys.
* NoHoldsBarredBeatDown: The fight is completely one-sided, brutal, and lasts as long as the victor wants it to. Usually done ''to'' the good guys.
* OneHitKO: ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin

!!!CuriousAsAMonkey vs. [=~Elephant's Child~=]
* CuriousAsAMonkey: A young child who tries to learn about the world around him by taking things apart and figuring out how they work.
* [=~Elephant's Child~=]: A young child who tries to learn about the world around him by constantly asking questions.

!!!DangerouslyGenreSavvy vs. FunctionalGenreSavvy vs. GenreSavvy vs. WrongGenreSavvy vs. MediumAwareness
* A GenreSavvy character notices story conventions but otherwise doesn't break the FourthWall.
* A FunctionalGenreSavvy character is just GenreSavvy enough to accept the story premise.
* A WrongGenreSavvy character accepts the ''wrong'' story premise and suffers for it.
* A DangerouslyGenreSavvy character "bends" the FourthWall slightly as they are able to anticipate story conventions to their advantage.
* MediumAwareness is when a character notices the mechanics of the medium the story is told in and can directly break the FourthWall.

!!!DeathbringerTheAdorable vs. FluffyTheTerrible
* DeathbringerTheAdorable: A creature has a name that makes it sound scary and / or dangerous, but it is actually very docile.
* FluffyTheTerrible: A creature has a cute / funny / nonsensical name but is actually very dangerous and / or sinister.
* This can also apply to non-creature characters.

!!!DeathBySex vs. OutWithABang
* DeathBySex: A character participates in sexual intercourse and is subsequently shot to the top of the SortingAlgorithmOfMortality.
* OutWithABang: A character dies while participating in sexual intercourse, either because of a heart disorder, or because (s)he's killed by his/her partner.

!!!DeathSeeker vs. KillMeNowOrForeverStayYourHand vs. PleaseKillMeIfItSatisfiesYou
* DeathSeeker: A character who wants to die in a fight.
* KillMeNowOrForeverStayYourHand: A character is put in a situation where he could easily kill a character he hates. Said other character doesn't want to be killed.
* PleaseKillMeIfItSatisfiesYou: Due to remorse, a character A offers another character B to kill him for something A did to B.

!!!{{Defictionalization}} vs. ProductPlacement vs. TheRedStapler
* {{Defictionalization}} takes place when a fictional product in a media work is turned into a real product in the real world. It is generally pre-planned.
* TheRedStapler is when the use of a product in a work of fiction creates a demand for the product. The product may be real or fictional, but the effect is almost always unplanned.
* ProductPlacement involves real world products being inserted into a work of fiction with the specific purpose of creating a demand for them.

!!!DemonicSpiders vs. GoddamnedBats
* GoddamnedBats are creatures that delay the player by being ''hard to hit'' and/or ''hard to avoid''.
* DemonicSpiders are GoddamnedBats that also delay the player by being ''very deadly''.

!!!DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment vs. ShapedLikeItself
* ShapedLikeItself is an instance where someone expresses themself by using multiple words that mean the same thing.
* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment is a subtrope in which the same words or phrases are repeated over and over (often for comedic effect).

!!!TheDeterminator vs. ImplacableMan
* TheDeterminator is a character who never stops pursuing his goal, no matter how much suffering or sacrifice they take along the way.
* ImplacableMan is a character who never stops pursuing his goal because he cannot be damaged.

!!!DeusExNukina vs. NukeEm
* DeusExNukina is when a nuke is [[HollywoodScience scientifically]] used to avert a disaster or solve a problem.
* NukeEm is when a nuke is [[GeneralRipper impulsively and militarily]] used to destroy a target.

!!!DieForOurShip vs. ShipToShipCombat
* DieForOurShip is when fans of a pair of characters twist one of their possible LoveInterests into something [[OutOfCharacter completely unlike their original character]] (either in FanFiction or just their general view of the character) to make way for their OneTruePairing.
* ShipToShipCombat is usually an attack on the [[{{Shipping}} shipper]] of a rival OTP.
* In other words, DieForOurShip attacks a rival fictional character, while ShipToShipCombat attacks a rival real person. The end result, in either case, is [[FlameWar rarely pretty]].

!!!DieselPunk vs. RaygunGothic
* RaygunGothic was the predominant aesthetic of science fiction from the RealLife 1920's through the 1950's; these days, it's mainly used for sci-fi that's deliberately trying to be retro. It's a relatively shiny and optimistic vision of the ([[HistoryMarchesOn then-]]) future.
* DieselPunk is PunkPunk fiction set in a fictionalized version of the 1920's to the 1950's. It basically bridges the gap between SteamPunk and CyberPunk. It's a relatively recent genre; the term "dieselpunk" was coined in 2001.

!!!DifficultButAwesome vs. LethalJokeCharacter
* DifficultButAwesome: A character/faction has obvious potential, but has a steep learning curve.
* LethalJokeCharacter: A character/faction appears to be a JokeCharacter at first, but actually has some hidden tricks that can be exploited for victory.

!!!DiscreditedTrope vs. DeadHorseTrope vs. ForgottenTrope vs. UndeadHorseTrope vs. DeadUnicornTrope
* DiscreditedTrope: Parodies and subversions are at least as common as straight uses.
* DeadHorseTrope: Parodies and subversions are about all you ever see.
* ForgottenTrope: Even the parodies and subversions are gone.
* UndeadHorseTrope: A very high ratio of subversions and parodies.
* DeadUnicornTrope: A trope never was actually played straight in the first place, but is treated otherwise like a dead horse trope.

!!!DissonantSerenity vs. TheStoic vs. TranquilFury
* DissonantSerenity is when a character is unnaturally, psychotically calm when being violent.
* TranquilFury implies that the character is angry within, but actively reining in this rage, rather than being outright collected.
* Both of the above are distinct from TheStoic in that the characters using them will normally display emotions like regular people, but only become chill when a situation is serious. TheStoic is always emotionless.

!!!DolledUpInstallment vs. InNameOnly
* A DolledUpInstallment is when a production begins as a stand-alone project, then someone makes mention that it has a resemblence to a prior story or franchise. So instead of starting from scratch, they buy the rights and change the current script using the names from the older work.
* InNameOnly is when a production is slated from the beginning to be an adaptation, but the resulting production has only a superficial resemblence to the source material, usually with cries of AdaptationDecay.

!!!DoWrongRight vs. EvenEvilHasStandards vs. PragmaticVillainy
* EvenEvilHasStandards is when a villain doesn't do something abhorrent because even he finds it too evil.
* PragmaticVillainy is when a villain doesn't do something abhorrent because he knows it's not practical.
* DoWrongRight is when, in the process of doing something abhorrent, someone points out how they're doing it wrong and then offer advice on how to do it properly.

!!!DumbIsGood vs. RedemptionDemotion
* DumbIsGood is about how dumber people are good to begin with.
* RedemptionDemotion is about someone becoming good and then becoming dumb or less useful.

!!!EarthShatteringKaboom vs. TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt
* TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt is any severe catastrophe that renders the world unfit for human habitation.
* EarthShatteringKaboom is a SubTrope of TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt in which the Earth is literally destroyed, as if the planet were shattered into a million little pieces.

!!!EasilyForgiven vs. GetOutOfJailFreeCard vs. KarmaHoudini
* EasilyForgiven is when a character (usually but not always a villain) is explicitly forgiven by someone for [[KickTheDog misdeeds committed earlier in the series]].
* If an actual reason is given for the lack of punishment for said character, that's a GetOutOfJailFreeCard.
* If there's no explanation of any sort given, then the character becomes a KarmaHoudini.

!!!EigenPlot vs. ThisLooksLikeAJobForAquaman
* An EigenPlot is when characters are faced with a task that requires everyone working together with their individual specialty, such as superpowers or the roles in a FiveManBand.
* ThisLooksLikeAJobForAquaman is when a plot seems written just to accomodate the [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway restrictive powers]] of an individual team member.

!!!EndOfAnAge vs. {{Gotterdammerung}} vs. HereThereWereDragons vs. TheMagicGoesAway
* The EndOfAnAge is a SuperTrope in which a more childlike golden age of sorts gives way to an age with less wonder and innocence in it. It is not necessarily magical, it can be [[LostTechnology technological]] or [[ComingOfAgeStory personal to one character]]
* In a {{Gotterdammerung}}, the plot centers on a remote, better past, usually but not necessarily magical.
* HereThereWereDragons is the idea that the past was an age of magic.
* A TheMagicGoesAway plot is set at the very end of the era of magic and concerns itself with the last of said magic and how it leaves the world.

!!!EnemyWithout vs. LiteralSplitPersonality
* An EnemyWithout is a facet of a character's personality brought out into the physical world.
* A LiteralSplitPersonality is an entire character split in two.
* Basic rule of thumb: if you can point to one of the instances of the character and say "that's the original one", it's a case of EnemyWithout; if all the copies have an equal claim on being the original, it's a LiteralSplitPersonality.

!!!EpilepticTrees vs. EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory vs. WildMassGuessing
* These all refer to speculation made by the audience about a show, the first two differ based on their subject.
** EpilepticTrees are guesses about something internal to the show's story - Character A is Character B's father, Character C is really working for Faction D, etc.
** EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory refers to speculation about the allegorical meaning of the show - Character A represents Stalin, the war is a metaphor for the conflict between science and religion, etc.
** WildMassGuessing is not a trope, but a wiki section where tropers can record their own EpilepticTrees and EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory speculation.

!!!ErectionRejection vs. FanDisservice vs. FetishRetardant
* ErectionRejection takes place when sex is the primary selling point of a work, and [[IncrediblyLamePun it flops]].
* FanDisservice is ''intentionally'' unsexy.
* FetishRetardant is intended to be sexy, but fails.

!!!EvenTheGirlsWantHer / EvenTheGuysWantHim vs. GayMoment vs. StupidSexyFlanders
* EvenTheGirlsWantHer / EvenTheGuysWantHim describes a character who comes across as ridiculously attractive to people usually attracted to his or her gender as well as a disproportionate amount of people who aren't.
* A GayMoment is when a straight character says or does something (such as complimenting a member of the same gender's appearance, or partaking in an AccidentalHug or AccidentalKiss with a member of the same gender) that, a second later, he realizes "sounds gay"; HaveIMentionedIAmHeterosexualToday ensues.
* StupidSexyFlanders is simply the phenomenon of someone experiencing unwarranted sexual attraction towards a member of a sex they usually aren't attracted to. Usually PlayedForLaughs. Different from the GayMoment in that its origins are sexual.

!!!EvilChancellor vs. TreacherousAdvisor
* An EvilChancellor is by definition an advisor to a ruler, as indicated by the fact that TheGrandVizier redirects there.
* A TreacherousAdvisor is anyone who seems to be an advisor or ally, often to TheHero, only to betray him.

!!!ExpositoryHairstyleChange vs. ImportantHaircut vs. GoodHairEvilHair
* ExpositoryHairstyleChange is when a character's hairstyle/-color or facial hair changes in order to show you (usually subtly) that something is different (usually their personality).
* ImportantHaircut is often a subtype in which a character's hair is specifically cut, almost always as a symbolic or otherwise important act. This may or may not be expository.
* GoodHairEvilHair is a subtype in which the change indicates a HeelFaceTurn or FaceHeelTurn.

!!!ExaltedTorturer vs. TortureTechnician vs. {{Yandere}}/{{Yangire}}
* An ExaltedTorturer is viewed as [[DesignatedHero heroic]] or as LawfulGood, when his actions are more in line with being a CompleteMonster acting as LawfulEvil or even ChaoticEvil or ForTheEvulz. He is AlwaysMale and the combination of the DesignatedHero with elements of the TortureTechnician, wrapped up in a TheHero KnightInShiningArmor package, and stuck on the "white" side of BlackAndWhiteMorality.
* The TortureTechnician is simply and only a professional torturer. He exists on the black side of BlackAndWhiteMorality, or in a universe of GreyAndGreyMorality, BlueAndOrangeMorality, or EvilVersusEvil, and is not specifically defined as someone the audience should be rooting for or supporting [[MisaimedFandom even if some do.]]
* The difference between these two is that heroism/being on the "side of good" defines the ExaltedTorturer, whereas "professionalism" and skill ''alone'' define the TortureTechnician. A heroic CowboyCop who rapes an accused pedophile as "punishment" with no real knowledge of having had anal sex before, for example, is an ExaltedTorturer, even if he has no idea of how to do what he's doing. Said CowboyCop would be a TortureTechnician, on the other hand, if he was portrayed as the story's antihero or villain or suspect, and he had studied for years on how to conduct the most painful castrations possible and set up a "castration lab" to which he lured his AssholeVictim s.
* The {{Yandere}} and {{Yangire}} tropes often collect female characters who would fall into either trope, because due to a DoubleStandard, female torturers are assumed to act out of relationship reasons or insanity or derangement 100 percent of the time as opposed to a simple desire to hurt other people. This should be a DiscreditedTrope, but it is played straight often enough that the ExaltedTorturer is AlwaysMale, whereas a female acting in the same way (a heroic torturer) will almost always be played for {{fanservice}} as a {{Yandere}}. A female TortureTechnician, on the other hand (a torture specialist who is not heroic), will be played for {{drama}} and often {{fetish}} as a [[TheMentallyDisturbed mentally disturbed]] {{Yangire}}.

!!!ExpospeakGag vs. [=~Layman's Terms~=]
* An ExpospeakGag is about complex ways of expressing simple concepts.
* [=~Layman's Terms~=] is about attempts to simplify complex statements or concepts.

!!!FaceOfTheBand vs. IAmTheBand
* FaceOfTheBand is when only one member of a particular band is sufficiently famous to be recognized individually by the general public, regardless of his or her role within the band.
* IAmTheBand takes place when one individual plays such a prominent role in a band's creative output and musical direction that the other members are largely irrelevant.

!!!FakeShemp vs. TheNthDoctor vs. TheOtherDarrin vs. ReplacementScrappy vs. SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute
* When an actor is replaced by another actor playing the same character, with no explanation provided for the switch, it's TheOtherDarrin.
* When there is an attempt to conceal the switch (e.g. not showing the substitute's face, splicing in stock footage) it's a FakeShemp.
* When some sort of AppliedPhlebotinum is invoked in order to explain the character's change in appearance/voice, it's TheNthDoctor.
* If the replacement is technically a different character but is written pretty much with the same role, you have a SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute.
* A ReplacementScrappy involves any kind of switch which is unpopular with fans and is seen as bringing the franchise down.

!!!FakeUltimateHero vs. MilesGloriosus
* The FakeUltimateHero is anyone who gets credit for at least one heroic act which they did not do.
* The MilesGloriosus is a FakeUltimateHero who ''actively claims'' credit for lots of heroic behavior, but when put to the test is always a DirtyCoward.

!!!FallingForSomeoneNeverMet vs. LoveBeforeFirstSight
* In FallingForSomeoneNeverMet, person A finds some object connected to person B (a letter, song, picture, etc.) and falls in love with B because of that.
* In LoveBeforeFirstSight, A knows what B looks like (via dream, prophecy, picture, etc) and may have communicated with B enough to form some level of relationship, but hasn't actually met B.

!!!FamilyVersusCareer vs. FemaleSuccessIsFamily
* In FamilyVersusCareer, a woman with a family and a career is forced to choose between the two, usually in favor of the former and with the implication that that is what a woman should choose.
* In FemaleSuccessIsFamily, wether or not a woman gives up her career is unimportant. This trope is about female characters always being less important than their lovers, brothers and fathers, and how they function as devices to male character's development before gaining any of their own.

!!!FantasticAesop vs. SpaceWhaleAesop
* The FantasticAesop suggests a fantastic course of action ("don't use black magic to try and resurrect the dead") which can't even be attempted in the real world.
* The SpaceWhaleAesop suggests a real, viable course of action ("don't perform nuclear tests") by presenting fantastic consequences ("radiation from the tests will awaken an army of zombies").

!!!FantasticDrug vs. GRatedDrug vs. [=~I Can't Believe It's Not Heroin~=]
* If the drug doesn't exist, it's a FantasticDrug.
* If the drug exists, but is a replacement for a stronger drug, it's a GRatedDrug.
* If the drug exists, but isn't a drug at all, [=~I Can't Believe It's Not Heroin~=].

!!!FetishFuelStationAttendant vs. HelloNurse vs. MsFanservice
* FetishFuelStationAttendant is the character considered attractive to the audience because he or she encompasses a large number of [[TurnOnTropes common, often fetishistic turn-ons]].
* HelloNurse is the character whose attractiveness is designed to [[MaleGaze distract]] other characters.
* MsFanservice is the character whose attractiveness is designed to appeal to the audience.
* Overlap between these three is unsurprisingly common.

!!!{{Filler}} vs. {{Padding}} vs. WackyWaysideTribe
* {{Filler}} is taking a MythArc-based series and interweaving additional stories that ultimately do not influence the MythArc. Sometimes, no one ever references the filler material because it was ''that'' unimportant.
* {{Padding}} is when the normal story is slowed down to a crawl. No side stories are given but characters might just have a [[ContemplateOurNavels long coversation]] before they actually get anything accomplished.
* WackyWaysideTribe is when you are in the midst of the main story when troublesome, unfortunate and unrelated things happen just to give the characters a harder time.

!!!TheFilmOfTheBook vs. TheMovie
* TheMovie is a film spun off from a TV series.
* TheFilmOfTheBook is, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin well,]] [[CaptainObvious guess.]]

!!!TheFilmOfTheSeries vs. TheMovie vs. NonSerialMovie
* TheFilmOfTheSeries uses a different cast. (And is usually out of continuity, unless it's a years-later sequel.)
* TheMovie uses the series cast and is in continuity.
* A NonSerialMovie uses the series cast but is not in continuity.

!!!FiveBadBand vs. ThePsychoRangers vs. QuirkyMinibossSquad
* The FiveBadBand is a team of bad guys who are carefully organized to compliment each others skills. They are most often the primary group of bad guys that the heroes have to defeat and they include specific tropes such as the BigBad and TheDragon.
* ThePsychoRangers are a collective EvilCounterpart to the heroes.
* A QuirkyMinibossSquad are a group of footsoldiers or Lieutenants to the BigBad who can include TheDragon as a leader, but in general are just a collection of skilled warriors to challenge the heroes. Their personality quirk don't necessarily dictate their defining role in the group.

!!!ForgottenPhlebotinum vs. HoldingBackThePhlebotinum vs. ItOnlyWorksOnce vs. PlotInducedStupidity
* ForgottenPhlebotinum: They introduced a gimmick in one story, and could have used it later, but they forgot to.
* HoldingBackThePhlebotinum: They introduced a gimmick in one story, and could have used it later, but there's some reason why they can't use it.
* ItOnlyWorksOnce: They introduced a gimmick in one story, and could have used it later, but they explained that it doesn't work any more.
* PlotInducedStupidity: A standard ability of the character could have been used, but they forgot to.

!!!ForHalloweenIAmGoingAsMyself vs. YourCostumeNeedsWork
* ForHalloweenIAmGoingAsMyself is about Halloween, festival or some other occasion where the superhero or paranormal creature can act relatively normal in public.
* YourCostumeNeedsWork is when appearing as yourself fails, invoking the trope name as a phrase.

!!!FragileSpeedster vs. GlassCannon vs. SquishyWizard vs TheMedic
* A FragileSpeedster can't take punishment, but is (supposed to be) fast enough to avoid it.
* A GlassCannon can't take punishment, but can dish it out.
* A SquishyWizard can't take punishment, but has supernatural powers that gives it attack power and/or utilitarian abilities to help it out.
* TheMedic can't take punishment, but can heal up the allies who can.
* Usually there's overlap.

!!! FunbagAirbag vs. MarshmallowHell
* MarshmallowHell is when a well-endowed woman deliberately hugs another person, (un)intentionally smushing their head between her boobs.
* FunbagAirbag is an accidental collision between the two, which ends up with pretty much the same position (or a rebound effect).

!!!FunnyAneurysmMoment vs. HarsherInHindsight vs. HilariousInHindsight vs. {{Narm}}
* A FunnyAneurysmMoment is when something originally intended as being funny (or lighthearted or heartwarming) makes people uncomfortable when seen in reruns or looked back upon, because of tragic later events in the series or in [[RealitySubtext real life]].
* HarsherInHindsight is when later events cause a scene that was already dark and disturbing to start with to be become even creepier.
* HilariousInHindsight is when later events (in the fiction or in real life) cause a scene to be even funnier than it previously was.
* A {{Narm}} is a scene that is not intended to be funny to begin with, but ends up being perceived that way for whatever reason.

!!!FunnyAnimal vs. PettingZooPeople vs. {{Kemonomimi}}
* A FunnyAnimal is an anthropomorphized animal with a bipedal stance and human mannerisms, but their visual style retains something of the animal's proportions. For example, [[LooneyTunes Daffy Duck]] still has a "duck-shaped" body. Most likely to be a HalfDressedCartoonAnimal.
* PettingZooPeople resemble a human body with an animal's head and tail substituted. Has human mannerisms. Usually wears clothing but doesn't (necessarily) require them, character posesses the same body fur/feathers/scale as the animal. Very common in the FurryFandom.
* "{{Kemonomimi}}" resemble a human with only the animal's [[UnusualEars ears]] and tail present. Has human mannerisms; would be obviously [[{{Fanservice}} naked]] without their clothes on.

!!!GameOver vs. KobayashiMario vs. {{Unwinnable}}
* A GameOver is the game declaring ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: You died, ran out of lives, or failed a mission objective, so your game is over.
* A KobayashiMario is an EndlessGame -- you simply continue playing from level to level until you ultimately lose.
* An {{Unwinnable}} situation occurs when something makes it impossible to progress in a game but ''doesn't'' result in a GameOver, forcing you to start over yourself.

!!!GenderBender vs. EasySexChange vs. {{Transsexual}} vs. GenderFlip
* {{Transsexual}} portrays the kind of "sex change" seen in real-life, technically referred to as [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_reassignment_therapy Sex Reassignment Therapy, or SRT]].
* EasySexChange has the trappings of the "realistic" sex change, but portrays it in a more simplified manner, often minimizing the physical, psychological, and/or social issues involved.
* GenderBender changes a character ''completely'' into the opposite sex (usually by magic or AppliedPhlebotinum), almost as if they were born that way to begin with. (A [[FirstLawOfGenderBending man turned into a woman]] would be able to get pregnant, etc.) Wholly impossible in RealLife (apart from a few oddities in the animal kingdom).
* GenderFlip doesn't involve an actual sex change: A character is re-designed, ''out-of-universe'', as the opposite gender of what the audience knew them to be. In-universe, the character actually ''was'' born that way to begin with.

!!!GenocideBackfire vs. NiceJobBreakingItHerod
* GenocideBackfire occurs when a villain wipes out an entire people in order to prevent an uprising. An act which frequently ''causes'' the uprising he was trying to prevent. Can overlap with NiceJobBreakingItHerod if the genocide had a specific target.
* NiceJobBreakingItHerod occurs when a villain targets the person destined to defeat him while he is still too young to protect himself. Can overlap with GenocideBackfire if the villain wipes out the target's entire people to try and get to him.

!!!GoneHorriblyRight vs. GoneHorriblyWrong
* GoneHorriblyRight is when the product/experiment has a bad outcome from doing exactly what was intended, either from going further than the creator(s) thought it would, or because of unforeseen consequences of its purpose.
* GoneHorriblyWrong is when an unforeseen glitch causes the product/experiment to have a bad outcome.

!!!GuyInBack vs {{Wingman}}
* The GuyInBack is a member of the same aircraft crew as the main character, but isn't the pilot or co-pilot (where applicable). He isn't flying the plane.
* The {{Wingman}} is the pilot of another plane altogether.

!!!HandWave vs. JustifiedTrope vs. LampshadeHanging vs. VoodooShark
* A HandWave is an explanation given for a trope that, well, isn't actually an explanation; it's merely something that the writers tossed in to make it appear as if they had addressed the issue ("The car exploded because of the bullets hitting the fuel tank").
* A JustifiedTrope is when a logical explanation is given for a trope ([[EveryCarIsAPinto "The truck exploded because it was loaded with unspent ordnance"]]).
* A LampshadeHanging makes no attempt at an explanation, it just notes the improbability or impossibility of the trope, and moves on ("Cars don't just explode like that!").
* A VoodooShark is an explanation that actually makes things ''worse'' ("The car exploded because it was loaded with nitroglycerin" - [[FridgeLogic why was the car carrying nitroglycerin, exactly]]?).

!!!HannibalLecture vs. TheReasonYouSuckSpeech
* A HannibalLecture involves a lot of analysis deconstructing someone's motivations and is meant to break an opponent's will.
* A TheReasonYouSuckSpeech generally involves more of a reminder of everything that is out in the open, and does not necessarily have a tactical or strategic purpose. It can even be done between people that are supposed to be friends or allies.

!!!HaveANiceDeath vs. [=~It's A Wonderful Failure~=] vs. NonstandardGameOver
* HaveANiceDeath is a regular game over which is mocked in some way by the game itself.
* [=~It's A Wonderful Failure~=] is a regular game over which is accompanied by a drawn-out DownerEnding.
* A NonstandardGameOver is a sudden, unexpected game over which deviates from the standard game mechanics in some way.

!!!HeroicFantasy vs. HighFantasy vs. LowFantasy vs. StandardFantasySetting
* HighFantasy features a DarkLord who must be beaten.
* LowFantasy may have a DarkLord, but he is not the BigBad.
* HeroicFantasy centers more around the hero than the DarkLord.
* The StandardFantasySetting is a ''possible'' setting for any of the above genres.

!!!HeterosexualLifePartners vs. HoYay vs. OddCouple
* HeterosexualLifePartners are two people of the same gender who are inseparable, to the point there may be a "breakup episode" or even withdrawals when they are separated.
* HoYay is when interactions between characters of the same gender (usually male) have a homosexual subtext, sometimes (often) only seen by (some of) the fans.
* An OddCouple are two people who are friends but are in general complete opposites, for example a neat freak vs. a slob.

!!!HighOctaneNightmareFuel vs. NightmareFuel
* NightmareFuel is (normally) unintentional things that cause massive amount of terror for children.
* HighOctaneNightmareFuel causes the terror in both children and adults, and often is intentional.

!!!{{Homage}} vs. ShoutOut
* An {{Homage}} is an aspect of a production that directly references something else, whether it be in the designs, character names, or something else that is repeatedly shown.
* A ShoutOut is is a one-time reference that is not a major aspect of the production, just a quick nod.

!!!HonorBeforeReason vs. LawfulStupid
* HonorBeforeReason is when a character does something detrimental to themselves because it's the right thing to do.
* LawfulStupid is when a character does something detrimental to themselves because the rules say they should.
* Another way to put it is that someone who has Honor Before Reason would give the McGuffin to the Big Bad because he promised. A Lawful Stupid character would work for the Big Bad because said Big Bad managed to become his boss.

!!!HyperAwareness vs. SherlockScan
* HyperAwareness is when a character is actively aware of their surroundings at almost all times, and will often point out events that occured even while they were occupied with something else. Most "Hyper Aware" characters are capable of performing a SherlockScan.
* A character who does a SherlockScan is capable of instantly observing minor details and expanding upon them to make broader and accurate [[strike:deductions]] inductions about a person or location.

!!!IAmNotShazam vs. ProtagonistTitleFallacy
* IAmNotShazam is a case of mistaken identity -- people mistake whom the CharacterTitle refers to or wrongly assume the title is a CharacterTitle when it isn't even one at all.
* ProtagonistTitleFallacy is a case of mistaken role -- people correctly know whom or what the CharacterTitle refers to but wrongly assume that the eponymous character is the protagonist because his/her name is the title.

!!!IGotBetter vs. ItGetsBetter
* IGotBetter is about ''characters'': a character who was at one point dead, mutilated, turned into a newt, etc., has a seemingly miraculous recovery. DisneyDeath meets HandWave.
* ItGetsBetter is about ''works'': A show starts out slow or confusing or otherwise "meh" and improves over time. Compare GrowingTheBeard.

!!!IdiotBall vs. IdiotPlot vs. PlotInducedStupidity
* The IdiotBall is when a singular character behaves stupidly in order for the plot to go forward at all. The full term is "Who has the idiot ball this week?"
* An IdiotPlot is when multiple characters pass the ball between them. One character acts stupidly to another character's stupid act and that is what keeps the dramatic tension.
* PlotInducedStupidity is when the plot gets started just fine, but in order to keep dramatic tension a character or multiple characters miss an obvious clue, forget they have a [[ForgotICouldFly certain superpower]] or forget they actually had a plan for just [[CrazyPrepared such an emergency.]]

!!!IfJesusThenAliens vs. NoSuchThingAsSpaceJesus vs. NoSuchThingAsWizardJesus
* IfJesusThenAliens refers to the tendency of belief in Jesus to be associated with belief in aliens -- either both beliefs (to show that believers accept anything) or neither (to show that skeptics believe nothing).
* NoSuchThingAsSpaceJesus is when sci-fi beings with great power are treated as aliens, not as genuine gods.
* NoSuchThingAsWizardJesus is when the existence of beings as powerful as religious figures doesn't call into question the divine nature of those figures.
* Basically, "Space Jesus" and "Wizard Jesus" mean different things -- "Space Jesus" means a being that's in space and divine, and "Wizard Jesus" means a being that's a wizard ''instead'' of being divine.

!!!IgnoreTheFanservice vs. NotDistractedByTheSexy
* IgnoreTheFanservice is about an individual character who is not distracted by sexually suggestive displays, especially when they are intentional.
* NotDistractedByTheSexy is when a character wears {{stripperiffic}} outfits in public but ''nobody'' makes any comment about them.

!!!{{Immortality}} vs. MadeOfIron vs. NighInvulnerability
* {{Immortality}} lists types; such as NighInvulnerability, [[WeAreAsMayflies Unlimited Longevity]], {{Regeneration}}, StayingAlive, etc.
* MadeOfIron is when the normal human body survives things it really, really shouldn't.
* NighInvulnerability is when this is a specified design, such as a special power, magic, or science. Someone who is ''literally'' made of iron is this.

!!!IncrediblyLamePun vs. StealthPun
* An IncrediblyLamePun is an explicitly stated pun, marked as lame in the series by character reaction, LampshadeHanging, context, delivery, or its history of use/overuse.
* The title is also frequently used in trope descriptions on this site when a glaringly obvious and[=/=]or cheesy pun is made.
* A StealthPun isn't a pun until the association is drawn by the viewer, sometimes after a LateToThePunchline moment.

!!!IJustWantToBeBeautiful vs.BeautifulAllAlong vs. TheMakeover
* These tropes are about changing personal appereance.
** IJustWantToBeBeautiful: A character wants to be beautiful but often doesn't believe they are.
** BeautifulAllAlong: A character is revealed as being beautiful having thought of themselves as ugly before
** TheMakeover: A character who was thought to be unattractive is made beautiful by a change of wardrobe, haircut, and makeup.

!!!IncurableCoughOfDeath vs. SoapOperaDisease vs. TheDiseaseThatShallNotBeNamed vs. VictorianNovelDisease
* The IncurableCoughOfDeath is a vaguely defined illness with few apparent symptoms aside from coughing that will lead to a character's death.
* A SoapOperaDisease is a vague illness that allows a character to die over a long time and milk the situation for drama.
* TheDiseaseThatShallNotBeNamed is a known disease with known symptoms. However for reasons of social taboo it is never referred to directly.
* VictorianNovelDisease refers to the way that pure-hearted Victorian characters tend to be dying from tuberculosis as the symptoms tie into Victorian concepts of purity.

!!!{{Indexitis}} vs. IndexSyndrome
* {{Indexitis}} covers pages that are actually about medical conditions.
* IndexSyndrome covers pages whose titles sound like the names of medical conditions.

!!!InsufferableGenius vs. TooCleverByHalf
* An InsufferableGenius is a very smart character with a serious attitude problem who annoys the other characters.
* A TooCleverByHalf character is an InsufferableGenius who additionally feels the need to actively prove him/herself, and as a result tends to fail spectacularly.

!!!InstrumentOfMurder vs. MusicalAssassin vs. SenselessViolins
* InstrumentOfMurder is when a normal weapon is disguised to look like an instrument.
* MusicalAssassin is when the instrument itself can be used as a weapon, and/or the music it produces can be used to attack.
* SenselessViolins is when a normal weapon is concealed in an instrument case.

!!!InvisibleMainCharacter vs. {{Invisibility}}
* InvisibleMainCharacter: Invisibility as a one shot situation, often uncontrolled, and rarely ever mentioned again. Often used to give an actor a vacation.
* {{Invisibility}}: Invisibility as a mostly intentional, stable, reoccuring superpower, such as a magic ring or potion.

!!!IronicEcho vs. MeaningfulEcho
* An IronicEcho occurs when a prominent line of dialogue is repeated in an ironic context -- sometimes changing the meaning to be something opposite, and sometimes showing a character's change of mind.
* A MeaningfulEcho occurs when a minor or easy-to-miss line of dialogue is repeated or alluded to in order to increase the emotional tension of the scene, in order to enhance the meaning the original line already had.

!!!IWantMyJetPack vs. MagicFloppyDisk vs. ScienceMarchesOn vs. TechMarchesOn vs. OurGraphicsWillSuckInTheFuture vs. {{Zeerust}} vs. ZeerustCanon
* IWantMyJetPack is about how a person reacts to futuristic things becoming out of date in real life.
* MagicFloppyDisk is about inventions that are out of date when the work was made.
* ScienceMarchesOn is about science that was state of the art becoming out of date when a work is seen later.
* TechMarchesOn is about inventions that are state of the art becoming out of date when a work is seen later.
* OurGraphicsWillSuckInTheFuture is specifically about computer displays and graphics ''in story'' that are state of the art becoming out of date when a work is seen later.
* {{Zeerust}} is about something that was originally futuristic becoming out of date when the work is seen later.
* ZeerustCanon is about something futuristic becoming out of date, as in Zeerust, and later prequels or sequels continuing to use it even though it's out of date.

!!!IWillFightSomeMoreForever vs. AttackAttackAttack
* IWillFightSomeMoreForever: A character continues to pursue his chosen conflict, be it war or checkers, long after it's clear that they can't win.
* AttackAttackAttack: A character continues to throw himself and/or his forces at an enemy, suffering heavy losses/damage, long after it's clear they can't win.

!!!JumpingTheShark vs. RuinedFOREVER
* JumpingTheShark is when fans look back over a series that has suffered a decline in quality and identify the turning point where things started to go downhill.
* RuinedFOREVER is when the latest installment of a series is released and the fans are so unhappy with some element that they issue a knee-jerk declaration that it's a shark jump before anyone can tell if the series is going downhill for sure.

!!!JustifiedTrope vs. TruthInTelevision These may sound similar, but they're completely different.
* A JustifiedTrope is any time a trope is played with an explanation ("He got out of [[CardboardPrison prison]] with [[BatmanGambit his ingenious escape plan]]").
* TruthInTelevision is when a trope is based in some way on reality (for CardboardPrison, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joaquin_Guzman Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán Loera]], a Mexican drug lord, managed to escape a maximum security prison with very little actual effort, although [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney it did cost a whole lot of money]]).
* ''Using'' TruthInTelevision to justify your trope is sometimes ButItReallyHappened.

!!![[{{Kawaisa}} Kawaii]] vs. {{Moe}}
* {{Kawaisa}}/Kawaii is anything that appeals to a broad (Japanese) audience thanks to its GenericCuteness.
* {{Moe}} caters to the audience's particular {{fetish}}es and is usually aimed at smaller groups (creating larger thematic diversity).

!!!KickTheDog vs. PokeThePoodle vs. MoralEventHorizon vs. JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope
* KickTheDog is when an action reminds us who the villain is, and is otherwise pointless: evil for evil's sake.
* PokeThePoodle is kicking that's nowhere near extreme enough, so that the villain fails at seeming evil.
* The MoralEventHorizon may be crossed by an action that is or is not a Dog Kick; instead, it is about the sheer moral depravity of the act, to the point that the audience now wants the character who crossed it dead.
* JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope is when a previously-ambiguous character does something clearly villainous, so the hero is free to stop them [[DebateAndSwitch without debating the morality]] of the earlier, ambiguous behavior.

!!!KillEmAll vs. RocksFallEveryoneDies
* KillEmAll occurs when cast members are bumped off regularly over the course of a series' storyline.
* RocksFallEveryoneDies happens when a high number of characters are abruptly killed off at once, usually to [[OffTheRails force an ending]].

!!!KillItWithFire vs. PlayingWithFire
* KillItWithFire is about fire being able to permanently destroy otherwise NighInvulnerable foes.
* PlayingWithFire is about attacking with fire generally.

!!!KnightInSourArmor v [[TheSnarkKnight SnarkKnight, The]]
* A KnightInSourArmor, so to speak, will fight nobly for a world despite being very cynical about it.
* TheSnarkKnight as a trope is strongly identified with a [[{{Daria}} a high school character who was the trope namer]], but generally is a snide and sarcastic about everyone because they hold people, him or herself included, to such a high standard.

!!!KnightTemplar vs. TheKnightsTemplar
* KnightTemplar is any villain (or sometimes a villainous organization) who believes himself to be completely in the right--usually former good guys who turn tyrannical in the pursuit of justice.
* TheKnightsTemplar were a RealLife religious order founded during the Crusades, accused of self-righteous villainy and turning tyrannical in the pursuit of justice.

!!!TheKobayashiMaru vs. TrainingAccident
* TheKobayashiMaru is when the character knows it's a drill, but the audience doesn't.
* TrainingAccident is when the character think it's a drill, then that it isn't, then finds out it always was. The audience may or may not know; they might guess.

!!!{{Kuudere}} vs. {{Tsundere}} vs. {{Yandere}} vs. {{Yangire}}
* A {{Kuudere}} appears cold at first, but is softer and more loving underneath.
* A {{Tsundere}} comes in two variants:
** A Type A acts angry or aloof, but has a softer side that can (usually) be triggered by specific people.
** A Type B is nice and affectionate by default, but can be aggressive on occasion. Note that the Type B {{Tsundere}} will be far more stable than the {{Yangire}} or {{Yandere}}.
* A {{Yandere}} is a character who may appear sweet on the surface, but underneath is obsessive or even psychotic over someone they love.
* A {{Yangire}} is a character whose sweetness hides a violent or psychotic side. Unlike the {{Yandere}}, the reason for this violent side does not have to be related to love.

!!!{{Kuudere}} vs. TinMan
* A {{Kuudere}} is a character, usually female, that comes off as unemotional at first, often with some elements of TheSpock, yet has a sweet, cute, and nurturing side that is there all along but that she rarely shows.
* A TinMan ''claims'' to have no emotions, yet their actions directly contradict this. It is clear to the audience that the character was [[TheMcCoy ruled by their emotions]] all along. Has a much higher chance of being male than the {{Kuudere}}.

!!!LeeroyJenkins vs. SpannerInTheWorks vs. SwissMessenger
* The SpannerInTheWorks destroys the BigBad's evil plan by doing something [[DidntSeeThatComing he didn't expect]].
* The SwissMessenger destroys the protagonists' plans by doing ''one tiny thing'' that ruins everything.
* The LeeroyJenkins destroys the plan by charging in too early.

!!!IntoxicationEnsues vs. MushroomSamba
* In a IntoxicationEnsues, a character (un)knowingly ingests drugs and begins ''acting strangely''.
* In a MushroomSamba, a character ingests drugs (unknowingly or otherwise) and begins ''hallucinating wildly''.
* Overlap is common, but a character in a IntoxicationEnsues will often react strangely to real-world situations, while a character in a MushroomSamba may react perfectly rationally to nonexistent stimuli.

!!!LukeIAmYourFather vs. LukeYouAreMyFather
* LukeIAmYourFather: A character reveals that he/she is the parent of another character.
* LukeYouAreMyFather: A character reveals that he/she is the child of another character.

!!!MeanwhileInTheFuture vs. PortalToThePast vs. SanDimasTime
* PortalToThePast: There is a permanent portal linking two different times together. Most likely, one hour on one side of the portal equals one hour on the other side, but dilations are possible.
* SanDimasTime: The characters behave as if spending an hour in another time means that they will have to return to the point in time that is one hour after when they left. This is not explained or reflected upon, and is probably false.
* MeanwhileInTheFuture: The narrator treats two different plot threads in different times as if they were happening simultaneously, despite the fact that the plot thread in the past is going to be resolved long before the thread in the future starts (using chronological time).

!!!MightyWhitey vs. [=~White Man's Burden~=]
* MightyWhitey is when a Caucasian hero encounters a foreign culture, and soon becomes the most skilled member of the group.
* [=~White Man's Burden~=] is a plot where a Caucasian [[TheEveryman Everyman]] meets an underprivileged non-white character, then selflessly works to improve that person's lot in life.

!!!MoralDissonance vs. WhatTheHellHero vs. ValuesDissonance
* MoralDissonance is when a hero acts immorally, [[JerkAss jerkishly]], or just plain against their character, but other characters don't notice or recognize it that way.
* WhatTheHellHero is when the action is not only noticed and recognized by all characters, but has fallout inside the show.
* ValuesDissonance is when the characters act normally for their culture of origin, but viewers outside the setting don't recognize that as "normal".

!!!MoralityChain vs. MoralityPet
* a MoralityChain is someone special to the BloodKnight whose strict moral creed is the ''only'' thing keeping them from being a CompleteMonster and slaughtering everybody.
* A MoralityPet is someone special to a Jerkass or BloodKnight who presents the opportunity to show some leeway towards heroism or at least peaceful co-existence with heros and neutrals. (and the audience may like the character more).

!!!MorphWeapon vs. ShapeshifterWeapon
* A MorphWeapon is one that changes its shape at will.
* If the weapon is also a part of the user's body, then it's a ShapeshifterWeapon.

!!!MyNaymeIs vs. SpellMyNameWithAnS
* MyNaymeIs deals with names that are intentionally spelled in an unusual fashion.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS revolves around unusual name spellings or disagreements over name spelling resulting from translation issues.

!!!MySignificanceSenseIsTingling vs. SpiderSense vs. AStormIsComing
* MySignificanceSenseIsTingling indicates awareness that some event with major repercussions ''has'' happened.
* SpiderSense warns of danger that is ''about to'' strike.
* AStormIsComing is a sense that some major cataclysm is on the way, but not right here and now.

!!!NarrowParody vs. ShallowParody
* NarrowParody parodies [[{{Nohamotyo}} really recent things]] (in extreme cases, the parody's target in question might not have been even ''released'' yet)
* ShallowParody is when the writers clearly DidNotDoTheResearch and wind up with the film equivalent of CowboyBebopAtHisComputer.

!!!NegativeContinuity vs. StatusQuoIsGod
* With NegativeContinuity, the status quo ''does'' change quite a bit, but it has absolutely no effect on further stories.
* StatusQuoIsGod refers to the tendency of series to avoid doing anything that would cause the status quo to change, or if it does change, to undo those changes as quickly as possible.

!!!NeverGrewUp vs. NotGrowingUpSucks vs. NotAllowedToGrowup
* NeverGrewUp is when a character makes a conscious choice to remain a child indefinitely.
* NotGrowingUpSucks is when that choice is taken away from the charcter. A BlessedWithSuck situation at best.
* NotAllowedToGrowUp is when a character doesn't age due to author fiat or ExecutiveMeddling. Can reach WallBanger levels when applied to live action characters.

!!!NietzscheWannabe vs. {{Ubermensch}}
* An {{Ubermensch}} is someone who has discarded conventional moral and social restraints and often seeks to elevate himself over humanity or MakeABetterWorld. Nietzsche's actual philosophy.
* A NietzscheWannabe is someone who takes "life is meaningless" to its ultimate extreme, becoming nihilistic and/or hedonistic and often engaging in wanton destruction to prove his point. TheThemeParkVersion of Nietzsche's philosophy.

!!!NoOneCouldSurviveThat vs. NotQuiteDead vs. StayingAlive
* NoOneCouldSurviveThat is when a character is assumed to be dead, but without adequate proof.
* NotQuiteDead is when that character is revealed to have survived the incident, often with a good explanation.
* StayingAlive is when the character ''dies'' beyond the shadow of a doubt, and simply returns later, often ''without'' a good explanation

!!!TheMario vs. MasterOfNone
* When a character's strength is that he has no weaknesses, he's TheMario.
* When a character's weakness is that he has no strengths, he's the MasterOfNone.

!!!NotDrawnToScale vs. YouFailEngineeringForever
* NotDrawnToScale has to do with inconsistent depictions of a character or structure's physical features relative to other characters or structures.
* YouFailEngineeringForever is when a structure is completely impossible and likely to collapse, unless it's being done [[{{Bizarrchitecture}} on purpose.]]

!!!OneMarioLimit vs. OneSteveLimit
* OneMarioLimit is when a name becomes so famous, any other characters with that same name will bring to mind that character.
* OneSteveLimit is when no two characters in a series have similar-sounding names.

!!!OneWingedAngel vs. SequentialBoss vs. TurnsRed
* SequentialBoss is when a boss dramatically changes form, and can usually be regarded as a separate BossBattle.
* OneWingedAngel is a special type of SequentialBoss that takes a godlike form, usually reserved for the BigBad.
* TurnsRed is when a boss or enemy simply becomes more aggressive\difficult when it runs low on health or numbers.

!!!OnlyIdiotsMayPass vs. StupidityIsTheOnlyOption vs. ViolationOfCommonSense
* OnlyIdiotsMayPass is where the game requires the player to perform an erroneous or unnecessary action despite a better option that should be available, usually because the player isn't expected to use the better option yet.
* StupidityIsTheOnlyOption is where the game requires the player to perform a visibly stupid, immoral or illogical action, and then punishes the player for doing it.
* ViolationOfCommonSense is where the game requires the player to perform a visibly stupid, immoral or illogical action, and then rewards the player for doing it.

!!!OrgasmicCombat vs. SexIsViolence
* OrgasmicCombat is when a combat scene begins to ''sound'' [[IfYouKnowWhatIMean more like something else]].
* SexIsViolence is when one or more of the combatants is actually sexually aroused by the fight.

!!!ThePowerOfCheese vs. TooIncompetentToOperateABlanket
* ThePowerOfCheese is the people in a commercial doing stupid, dangerous or crazy things because the product is ''just that good''.
* TooIncompetentToOperateABlanket is when the ad attempts to convince the audience that they need the product by showing people having severe difficulty doing the task "the old way". The Old Way usually involves something as simple as a colander, a pair of scissors, or a blanket.

!!!PsychoSupporter vs. {{Yandere}}
* The PsychoSupporter supports another character's opinions and goals because he or she is insane.
* The {{Yandere}} is someone who goes AxCrazy over someone they love, or loves because he or she is insane -- the [[ClingyJealousGirl clingy jealous person]] gone violent, if you will.
* Note that the two tropes may not be mutually exclusive, unlike other cases of subtle trope distinctions.

!!!PsychoticSmirk vs. SlasherSmile
* A PsychoticSmirk is a small smile that usually doesn't show teeth and gives the character an air of smug superiority.
* A SlasherSmile shows teeth and gives the character an overtly malicious / insane appearance, or enhances what's already there.

!!!TheQuietOne vs. TheSpeechless vs. SilentBob vs. TheVoiceless
* TheQuietOne can talk but will only do so to deliver a WhoopiEpiphanySpeech or something equally profound.
* TheSpeechless is a character who ''never'' talks, '''ever'''. They might be mute, but normally aren't and simply choose never to talk. If TheSpeechless ever talks, he becomes TheQuietOne.
* SilentBob is also functionally the Speechless, but he communicates (often very "verbosely") through his body language, especially if it involves facial expressions.
* TheVoiceless is functionally TheSpeechless, except he talks plenty...only it's always offscreen. Usually done for laughs with characters commenting on how he's a chatterbox.

!!!ReignOfTerror vs. TheThermidor
* Both deal with revolutions against an established government.
** ReignOfTerror is when, after a revolution occurs, the new regime becomes tyrannical and bloodthirsty.
** TheThermidor is when a revolution doesn't solve the problems that incited the revolution in the first place.

!!!ResetButton vs. {{Snapback}}
* ResetButton is when a plot point is "reset" ''on''screen during the course of the story ([[ResetButtonEnding usually at the end]]); by the time it's done it's as if that event never happened.
* {{Snapback}} is when a plot point is resolved ''off''screen; by the time the next episode begins or the story returns to the characters, everything is back to normal.

!!!RetGone vs. {{Unperson}}
* Both of these tropes involve the functional destruction of a person's history; the difference lies in the completeness of this event.
** A RetGone simply erases the character from history. They don't exist, they never existed, and nothing they did ever happened in the first place.
** Being {{Unperson}}ed involves the destruction or alteration of all records, sometimes up to and including memory alteration, but the person still existed -- or perhaps exists -- and there may be evidence of this if you're persistent enough.

!!!RomanticTwoGirlFriendship vs. SchoolgirlLesbians
* Despite its name, RomanticTwoGirlFriendship actually doesn't have romantic elements in it, but more of a deeply-committed friendship or admiration.
* SchoolgirlLesbians actually does contain romance.

!!!RousingSpeech vs. [=~He's Back~=] vs. HeroicResolve vs. ShutUpHannibal vs. WorldOfCardboardSpeech
* RousingSpeech is a speech to the troops about ignoring the odds and rushing out to face the enemy because you would rather die fighting then die helpless.
* [=~He's Back~=] is when a hero overcomes a [[HeroicBSOD personal obstacle]] and rejoins the fight.
* HeroicResolve is linked with TheDeterminator, the goal is so noble and righteous that the hero can't simply stop and give up.
* ShutUpHannibal is what the hero says to ignore a [[HannibalLecture wordy lecture]] from the villain.
* A WorldOfCardboardSpeech is when the hero gives a ''self''-empowering speech that allows them to accept their personal flaws while unlocking their true potential.

!!!TheScrappy vs. TheWesley vs. XPacHeat
* TheScrappy is the character much of the fandom hates.
* TheWesley is the character much of the fandom hates ''but the creators'' like.
* With XPacHeat, it's not the character no one likes, it's the ''actor''.

!!!SelfDemonstratingArticle v. ExampleAsAThesis
* SelfDemonstratingArticle is when the entire article is written as though it were an example of a trope.
* ExampleAsAThesis starts with a hypothetical example of a trope, and then the rest is a standard description.

!!!SenselessSacrifice vs. StupidSacrifice
* A SenselessSacrifice is one that turns out to have been in vain. Often, it legitimately seemed like a good idea at the time.
* A StupidSacrifice is when FridgeLogic sets in on a normal HeroicSacrifice, and fans notice that there was another logical option that didn't involve the hero killing himself. Usually, the StupidSacrifice ''does'' achieve its goal; it's just rather ineffecient about it.

!!!ShirtlessScene vs. WalkingShirtlessScene
* A ShirtlessScene is when a character takes off his shirt for {{fanservice}}
* A WalkingShirtlessScene is a character who doesn't wear a shirt (or always leaves it open) as part of their [[LimitedWardrobe regular costume]]

!!!SortingAlgorithmOfDeadness vs. SortingAlgorithmOfMortality
* SortingAlgorithmOfMortality tells how likely it is that a character will be killed in the series they're in.
* SortingAlgorithmOfDeadness tells how likely it is that that character will come BackFromTheDead.

!!!SpiderSense vs. SuperReflexes vs. SuperSpeed
* SpiderSense is a PsychicPower that allows a character to know when something is about to happen, even if they cannot normally detect it.
* SuperReflexes allows a character to detect and react to something faster than a normal person could.
* SuperSpeed is the ability of a character to move at incredibly fast speeds; SuperReflexes are often a RequiredSecondaryPower.

!!!SubvertedKidsShow vs. [=~What Do You Mean, It's Not For Kids?~=]
* SubvertedKidsShow features flagrantly adult themes coupled with adorable characters who look as if they're from a show aimed at kindergarteners but clearly aren't. Graphic violence and sex are to be expected.
* [=~What Do You Mean, It's Not For Kids?~=] will feature adult themes, but under a heavy shadow of innuendo so people who don't know what to listen for will miss it. Aside from the occassional one-liner or long-term plot implications that only set it when the viewer [[FridgeBrilliance thinks about it]], is largely indistinguishable from "normal" kid's show.

!!!SuicideAttack vs. TakingYouWithMe
* SuicideAttack involves someone detonating themselves or a vehicle in a suicidal attack, which can be premeditated.
* TakingYouWithMe involves someone who knows they are going down deciding to try and take their opponent with them.

!!!TragicMonster vs. StakingTheLovedOne
* StakingTheLovedOne Is when a character is turned into a monster, and their loved one is forced to kill them. StakingTheLovedOne requires a TragicMonster, but not all {{Tragic Monster}}s are [[StakingTheLovedOne Staked By The Loved One.]]
* TragicMonster Is when a character is turned into [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a tragic monster.]]

!!!TotallyRadical vs. {{Buffyspeak}}
* TotallyRadical is a genuine attempt by the writers (or a character) to use modern (or period) slang, but comes off as fake because it is from the wrong period, or otherwise misused.
* {{Buffyspeak}} is a writer avoiding the first trope by using made-up speech patterns that sound plausible but aren't an actual attempt to use RealLife slang.

!!!TropeCodifier vs. TropeMaker vs. TropeNamer vs. UrExample
* The UrExample is the first example of a trope.
* The TropeMaker is the first well known and intentional use of the trope.
* The TropeCodifier provides the template for all later uses of the trope.
* The TropeNamer provides the name of the trope on this Wiki. Usually a well-known case, but sometimes it's unrelated to the actual trope; the name just fit best.
** Note that any and all of these may overlap, but are sometimes entirely different; for example, EdgarAllanPoe invented the DetectiveStory, but SherlockHolmes is the template everyone goes to when discussing such stories; however, {{Hamlet}} may be considered the UrExample of the mystery detective, though, as he behaves exactly like a mystery detective in the early acts of his play.

!!!UnexpectedSuccessor vs. YouAreInCommandNow
* UnexpectedSuccessor deals with people unexpectedly receiving political office or nobility, where the ascension is usually permanent and almost always the result of a single disastrous event or unscrupulous individual.
* YouAreInCommandNow deals with military rank, where the ascension is usually temporary and sometimes occurs as the result of several coincidental deaths or removals.

!!!WhatCouldPossiblyGoWrong vs. The StockPhrase of the Same Name
* WhatCouldPossiblyGoWrong is about an obvious potential catastrophe that is said to be unlikely to happen, and thus [[MillionToOneChance very likely to actually happen]]. It's said sarcastically by the audience or GenreSavvy character.
* The stock phrase "What could possibly go wrong?" is usually said genuinely by an unsuspecting victim with ASimplePlan.

!!!BrickJoke vs. ChekhovsGag
* Chekhovs Gag: About humor: a joke is set up, pays off, and is forgotten by the viewer, but then much later pays off yet again.
o Example: Family Guy - In a cutaway about random Discovery channel specials, Peter watches an Animal Documentary-esque program about the hunting rituals of fire engines. Later on, at the very end of the episode, a feral fire engine ends up on their lawn for another gag. Basically a call-back gag.
* Brick Joke: Not solely about humor. Plot related. A minor, insignificant, or seemingly concluded event occurs, and the viewer is meant to think it over and done with. The event then recurs much later on to effect the plot in an unexpected way. In some ways, it is actually a CallBack with severe plot significance.
o Example: Early in the plot, John Doe steals something insignificant as a show to the audience of how much of a rogue he is, and escapes the police. Later on he is shot, and it's revealed he never got around to taking the thing out his pocket, so the bullet ricocheted off of it, saving his life.

* A XanatosGambit is a plan that is designed to predict the opponent's moves and to pay off for the planner regardless of the final outcome.
* A LysistrataGambit is when a woman threatens to withhold sex from her husband unless he does what she wants him to do.
* TheUriahGambit is a plan for a character to get rid of an underling who has become inconvenient or an enemy by giving him an assignment that's sure to get him killed.
* A WoundedGazelleGambit is when character A hurts him[=/=]herself, then frames character B for the act to get sympathy from character C.
* A MemoryGambit is a plan which calls for a character to sacrifice his/her memories, with a specific trigger to get them back when it's convenient or advantageous to do so.
* A FakeTwinGambit is when a character pretends to be his/her nonexistent identical twin, for whatever reason.

* A PoisonAndCureGambit is when a villain releases a poison and then tries to sell the antidote.
* A PartySchedulingGambit is when character A tries to sabotage character B's party by throwing a bigger party at the same time.
* A ZeroApprovalGambit is a plan in which a character sacrifices his reputation[=/=]integrity[=/=]honor in order to achieve a long-term goal.

* BecomeARealBoy: Character wants to become more human, to understand that that means without actually giving up any of their gifts. Usually achieved through character building event or quest.
* PinocchioSyndrome: Character wants to become fully human, even (or occasionally especially) if it means giving up all their special abilities. IJustWantToBeNormal for non or partial humans. Usually achieved via AppliedPhlebotinum or other instant change devices.

!!!{{Asspull}} vs. DeusExMachina vs. DiabolusExMachina

* StakingTheLovedOne Is when a character is turned into a monster, and their loved one is forced to kill them. StakingTheLovedOne requires a TragicMonster, but not all TragicMonsters are StakedByTheLovedOne.

!!!BatmanGambit vs. FakeTwinGambit vs. GenghisGambit vs. LysistrataGambit vs. MemoryGambit vs. PartySchedulingGambit vs. PoisonAndCureGambit vs. TheUriahGambit vs. WoundedGazelleGambit vs. XanatosGambit vs. ZeroApprovalGambit

If one of the entries is wrong, feel free to fix it; this list aims to be Canonical, and thus, accurate.

** ...a ''FanFic'' writer writes Bob as a MarySue, you have a PossessionSue.

!!! AuthorAppeal vs. PlayingToTheFetishes

!!!CanonSue vs. PossessionSue Characters
* A & B co-exist in a work. If...
** ...the author of that work writes Character A as a MarySue, you have a CanonSue.
** ...a ''FanFic'' writer writes Character B as a MarySue, you have a PossessionSue.

!!!AntiMagic vs. NoSell vs. PowerNullifier.'''

!!!BeneathTheMask vs ADarkerMe vs {{GIFT}} vs HiddenDepths '''.

!!!CanonSue vs. PossessionSue Characters A & B co-exist in a work. If...
* ...the author of that work writes Character A as a MarySue, you have a CanonSue.
* ...a ''FanFic'' writer writes Character B as a MarySue, you have a PossessionSue.

!!!ChasteHero vs. CelibateHero vs. {{Asexuality}}'''

!!!ConvenientlyAnOrphan vs. '''[=~Orphan's Ordeal~=]

!!!CuriousAsAMonkey vs. [=~Elephant's Child~=]'''

!!!ExaltedTorturer vs. TortureTechnician vs. {{Yandere}}/{{Yangire}}'''

!!!KnightInSourArmor v '''[[TheSnarkKnight SnarkKnight, The]]'''

* (sexual) AuthorAppeal vs. PlayingToTheFetishes

* '''AccidentalInnuendo vs. InnocentInnuendo vs. DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything vs. FreudWasRight''':
** AccidentalInnuendo occurs when something that is obviously meant to be non-sexual accidentally comes off as sexually charged.
** InnocentInnuendo is the opposite: The writers build an AccidentalInnuendo on purpose, by revealing the suggestive tones first, and ''then'' revealing that it was genuinely innocent [[ItMakesSenseInContext in context]].
** DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything is like InnocentInnuendo, except with no trickery involved. The audience is clearly shown the innocence of the scene and is tempted into viewing it suggestively. Like InnocentInnuendo, it is done on purpose by the writers.
** FreudWasRight describes why tropes like the previous three exist, due to how [[EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory sex is always on the human mind.]] It also describes the act of [[{{Lampshade}} lampshading]] said tropes.

* '''AccidentalMurder vs. MurderByMistake''':
** AccidentalMurder happens when someone dies, but the murderer had no intent to kill anyone, the death was purely an accident.
** MurderByMistake is when someone dies and the murderer had intent to kill, but kills the wrong person for whatever reason.

* '''ActorAllusion vs. CastingGag vs. CelebrityParadox vs. TheDanza:'''
** An ActorAllusion references another role the actor has played via plot or discussion.
** A CastingGag references another role the actor has played or real-life circumstances simply via choice of actor rather than outright mention.
** A CelebrityParadox references the actor themselves.
** TheDanza references the actor by sharing the same name.

* '''AdamSmithHatesYourGuts vs. KarlMarxHatesYourGuts vs. NoHeroDiscount:'''
** AdamSmithHatesYourGuts is about the price of items going up when this puts the player at a disadvantage.
** KarlMarxHatesYourGuts is about the price of items staying the same when it puts the player at a disadvantage. Both can be true: equipment sells for the same price (so you can't make money dealing in equipment) but the inns keep going up.
** NoHeroDiscount is unrelated (it's about shopkeepers charging the hero even though they want the world to be saved too) but is called "Adam Smith's Revenge" on TheGrandListOfConsoleRolePlayingGameCliches.

* '''AdamWesting vs. AsHimself vs. AutobiographicalRole vs. CelebrityStar vs. CharacterAsHimself vs. TheDanza vs. SpecialGuest:'''
** AdamWesting: Bob the Actor makes a good living continually playing [[{{Flanderization}} Flanderized]] versions of himself or his most popular character for laughs.
** AsHimself: Bob the Actor is playing himself as a (believable) main character, inserted into (believable) fictional circumstances.
** AutobiographicalRole: A non-actor is playing themselves in the biopic of their life story/events.
** CelebrityStar: The SpecialGuest completely takes over the episode.
** CharacterAsHimself: A fictional character is credited "as Himself" for laughs or to hide a spoiler.
** TheDanza: Bob the Actor is playing a fictional character also named Bob, but it's not actually supposed to ''be'' Bob the Actor.
** SpecialGuest: When a celebrity or famous figure cameos as themselves for a quick joke or shock.

* '''AdaptationDecay vs. {{Bowdlerise}} vs. CutAndPasteTranslation vs. [=~They Just Didn't Care~=]:'''
** AdaptationDecay is about new works based on previous ones, when changes are made to the source material that are detrimental to the overall narrative.
** A CutAndPasteTranslation is when entire scenes or a storyline are changed from the original source in a "cut and paste" manner.
** {{Bowdlerise}} is about either, and means to censor potentially offensive content because of MediaWatchdogs.
** [=~They Just Didn't Care~=] is a qualitative difference where the adaptation decay or general care given in a production reaches a point that it has almost zero resemblance to the source.

* '''AdaptationDistillation vs. PragmaticAdaptation vs. {{Woolseyism}}''':
** A PragmaticAdaptation is when outright and necessary changes are made to the source material.
** AdaptationDistillation is when outright changes to the source material aren't made, but the complexity of the source is simplified/streamlined in a successful way.
** A {{Woolseyism}} is when outright but unnecessary changes are made to the source material, but those changes are good in their own right, if not better than the original. Also, it applies to translations only, not to adaptations from one medium to another within the same language.

* '''AdventureTowns vs. CityOfAdventure:''' Both are settings where interesting things happen.

* '''AffablyEvil vs. EvillyAffable vs. LaughablyEvil:'''
** AffablyEvil refers to villains who are genuinely kind, jovial, and friendly. If they didn't want to rule the world, they'd make a good friend.
** EvillyAffable characters are villains that are fun to watch because of their humor and demeanour, but are devoid of redeeming characteristics.
** LaughablyEvil characters are villains that aren't trying to be funny, but viewers like to laugh at anyway.

* '''AirborneAircraftCarrier vs. TheBattlestar vs. TheMothership'''
** AirborneAircraftCarrier: ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin - An aircraft carrier that flies. Usually planet bound. [[MarvelComics The SHIELD Helicarrier]] is probably the most famous example.
** TheBattlestar: A hybrid of the AirborneAircraftCarrier and a battleship, made for space battle. Often carries some sort of WaveMotionGun for extra awesome. The BattlestarGalactica is the TropeMaker.
** TheMothership: TheBattlestar taken BeyondTheImpossible. Usually the size of a large city and is usually used as Command Central for the invading hordes. Destroying it usually means near-instant defeat for the enemy. The capital ships from ''IndependenceDay'' are the [[TropeCodifier codifiers]] in modern Sci-Fi.

* '''AllMythsAreTrue vs. CrossoverCosmology vs. FantasyKitchenSink vs. PlanetEris:'''
** AllMythsAreTrue means any myths ''in-universe'' are verbatim or slightly garbled accounts of actual past events (or, in the case of prophecies, future events).
** CrossoverCosmology is about the FridgeLogic inherent when a setting is so chock full of different religions (which are all true) that their mutual exclusivity becomes problematic.
** A FantasyKitchenSink is a different matter; nearly every mythological idea or being from ''our'' world is real and lives in the story's universe -- often with vastly different and contradictory origin myths. This can even include things that are more sci-fi than mythological (stuff like aliens, other dimensions, or super-science).
** PlanetEris goes one step further and dictates that basically ''everything within the realm of fiction'' itself is fair game, so you get things like Godzilla fighting Al Bundy over the keys to the [[BackToTheFuture DeLorean]] to get the Deathly Hallows from the trunk, all while Grey aliens watch with fiendish glee.

* '''AllThereIsToKnowAboutTheCryingGame vs. FirstEpisodeSpoiler vs. ItWasHisSled vs. LateArrivalSpoiler:'''
** ItWasHisSled refers to any work which features a TwistEnding that was truly shocking when it was first presented, but over time lost its ability to surprise because [[PopculturalOsmosis it gets talked about too much]].
** AllThereIsToKnowAboutTheCryingGame is a specific case of this which refers to works which are hardly known for anything ''but'' their twist endings.
** FirstEpisodeSpoiler: It's an event that starts the series, and as such is impossible to explain the series without spoiling it.
** LateArrivalSpoiler is a fandom-specific variety of this in which promotional material for new installments of a franchise give away major plot developments of past installments, assuming that fans are already familiar with them.

* '''AllegedlyFreeGame vs. BribingYourWayToVictory vs. RealMoneyTrade vs. RevenueEnhancingDevices'''
** An AllegedlyFreeGame is a free game that cannot be fully experienced (whether due to pricey DLC or unlockables or because necessary features are kept away from free users) without purchasing extra features.
** BribingYourWayToVictory is where, in any game (free or not), you can get additional but not necessary perks by paying for them.
** RealMoneyTrade is where third parties buy or sell in-game items, currencies, etc. without the permission and often against the wishes of the game's developers.
** RevenueEnhancingDevices are "extras" you can buy separately from the core game, which may or may not be required to experience all the content or be competitive.

* '''TheAlliance vs. TheEmpire vs. TheFederation vs. LaResistance'''
** TheFederation is a group of strong nations that work together for their own mutual benefit; a powerful enemy usually isn't necessary.
** TheEmpire is The Federation's EvilCounterpart: a conglomeration of nations in which one powerful nation has absorbed the others by force; said nation is usually led by a powerful demagogue.
** LaResistance is a small group that tries to foment rebellion against The Empire or corruption in one nation.
** TheAlliance is the evolution of La Resistance: a group of small nations that join together for their own mutual benefit, usually to stand up against The Empire.

* '''AlternateContinuity vs. AlternateTimeline vs. AlternateHistory vs. ContinuityReboot'''
** AlternateContinuity: The author scraps all canon and backstory established until now and writes a new setting in BroadStrokes with the same cast in the focus.
*** ContinuityReboot: Same as above, but the new continuity is additionally declared the "main" one.
** AlternateTimeline: Same as above, but some of the backstory, usually up to a certain divergence point, is kept intact in the new continuity.
** AlternateHistory: Same as above, but with RealLife.

* '''AlwaysABiggerFish vs. BigDamnVillains vs VillainousRescue'''
** BigDamnVillains is about a villain who shows up to ShootTheDog or otherwise do something else that the heroes are averse to doing, emphasizing the evilness of the villains while keeping the good guys' hands clean.
** VillainousRescue is the Villain saving the Hero in a classical fashion, there's nothing evil about the act itself, just the oddity in who did it. What happens ''after'' is up for grabs.
** AlwaysABiggerFish is more closely related to DeusExMachina. The forces involved, while they have been obstacles to the protagonists in the past, are indiscriminate enough in their malice that they'll go after whatever is currently menacing the protagonists.

* '''AmbiguouslyGay vs. ButNotTooGay vs. HaveIMentionedIAmGay vs. HideYourLesbians vs. GetBackInTheCloset'''
** AmbiguouslyGay is when a character displays stereotypical mannerisms associated with gays/lesbians, but it is unclear if they are actually gay or not and no one will discuss it.
** ButNotTooGay is when characters are gay and acknowledged as such but when it comes to their love lives, they will show very little affection toward their partners or none at all.
** HaveIMentionedIAmGay is when characters are openly gay, but never get any sort of romance and their sexuality is basically an InformedAttribute.
** HideYourLesbians is where characters can be seen as either gay or straight, and there usually is subtext suggesting the character may be gay but this will never ever be addressed.
** GetBackInTheCloset is when gay affection and love scenes are shown but are given higher ratings than that of heterosexual affection/love scenes, no matter how tame they are in comparison.

* '''AmusingAlien vs. FunnyForeigner'''
** An AmusingAlien is an otherworldly character (relative to the rest of the cast) who's funny by any number of means.
** A FunnyForeigner is a character who entertains the audience with their ignorance and odd behavior.
*** If the FunnyForeigner is an alien in a setting that doesn't normally have aliens, then the trope is AmusingAlien.

* '''AncientConspiracy vs. TheMasquerade:'''
** The AncientConspiracy has an EvilPlan and they hide it.
** TheMasquerade is any group that has stakes in {{Muggles}} not knowing the alternative exists.

* '''AndThisIsFor vs. ArsonMurderAndJaywalking vs. BreadEggsMilkSquick'''
** AndThisIsFor is a list of crimes one character rants at at the other as he beats him up. Usually played for drama, can be very emotionally effective if pulled off well.
** ArsonMurderAndJaywalking is the essentially same list, but by RuleOfFunny the last one on the list is something mundane.
** BreadEggsMilkSquick is the exact inversion of ArsonMurderAndJaywalking, with a list of mundame things ending in a non sequitur with something horrible.

* '''AntiMagic vs. NoSell vs. PowerNullifier.'''
** AntiMagic is when an established power or ability completely ceases to exist.
** PowerNullifier is when someone or something can induce an AntiMagic effect.
** NoSell is when someone is completely immune to a power or ability.

* '''AnyoneCanDie vs. KillEmAll vs. RocksFallEverybodyDies vs. TotalPartyKill''':
** AnyoneCanDie means that even one of the story's main characters could die, when called for by the plot.
** KillEmAll means that most of the story's main characters will probably die at some point.
*** RocksFallEverybodyDies: Same as above, but where the entire main cast dies in a tragic accident, all at the same time.
*** TotalPartyKill: Same as above, except that the main characters are directly responsible for their own death.

* '''AppliedPhlebotinum vs. GreenRocks vs. SinglePhlebotinumLimit vs. MagneticPlotDevice vs. MineralMacGuffin vs. MinovskyParticle vs. {{Unobtainium}}:'''
** AppliedPhlebotinum is almost anything that magically performs some function necessary to the plot, and a [[SuperTrope general category]] for many of the other types below.
** GreenRocks is a natural resource that can do just about anything the plot demands of it, like bestowing superpowers on normal people.
** SinglePhlebotinumLimit is a resource that is used in most, if not all, of the technology in a setting (kinda like electricity in RealLife), even for things that wouldn't seem to need it.
** MagneticPlotDevice is a standing PlotCoupon used to attract [[WeirdnessMagnet weirdness]] towards the heroes.
** MineralMacGuffin is specifically a crystal-like object that is sought after, often to provide power for some technology or device.
** A MinovskyParticle has very strict rules on what it can and cannot do, and it's the plot that obeys these rules, not the other way around.
** {{Unobtainium}} is a resource with important properties that is either rare, difficult to find or create; sometimes [[MacGuffin the entire plot revolves around acquiring it]].

* '''ArtifactOfDeath vs. ArtifactOfDoom:'''
** An ArtifactOfDeath is one that will always inevitably kill the person who uses it.
** An ArtifactOfDoom is one that is [[AlwaysChaoticEvil pure evil]], and can corrupt the person who wields it.

* '''AscendedExtra vs. BreakoutCharacter vs. EnsembleDarkhorse:'''
** AscendedExtra is where a character of relatively minor consequence is given more lines, maybe even a name and a DayInTheLimelight.
** An EnsembleDarkhorse is when a minor character is unexpectedly popular, sometimes moreso than the rest of the cast.
** BreakoutCharacter is when the writers notice the existence of an EnsembleDarkhorse and have said character become more important. This doesn't happen to every EnsembleDarkhorse, however: sometimes the writers don't notice or care about his/her existence. Also, BreakoutCharacter often implies that the character comes to dominate the show, rather than just become as important as other main characters.

* '''{{Asspull}} vs. DeusExMachina vs. DiabolusExMachina:'''
** An {{Asspull}} is a plot twist that's so poorly set up, it feels like the writer just pulled something out of their ass.
** A DeusExMachina is a resolution to a seemingly impossible situation that comes out of nowhere; it can still be set up with [=~Chekhov's Gun~=] and feel forced if too little attention is given to the set up.
** DiabolusExMachina is a DeusExMachina that's there to make things worse.

* '''AtomicFBomb vs. ClusterFBomb vs. PrecisionFStrike''':
** An AtomicFBomb is a very loud and sudden curse that shows extreme anger and/or frustration.
** A ClusterFBomb is any work that is a general-purpose hotbed of foul language, or when a character has one or more pieces of dialogue that includes a lot of cursing.
** A PrecisionFStrike is a strategically placed and/or timed curse in a setting where such language isn't normally used or is very infrequent.

* '''AudienceSurrogate vs. TheArthurDent vs. AscendedFanboy vs. EscapistCharacter vs. TheEveryman vs. ThisLoserIsYou''':
** AudienceSurrogate is the supertrope: any character with whom the audience (or the children in the audience) doesn't just sympathize, but actively sees themselves as, or at least is supposed to.
** TheArthurDent is the OnlySaneMan version of an AudienceSurrogate.
** An AscendedFanboy is just that: a fanboy who has become powerful enough to be part of the main plot.
** TheEveryman is a bland nonentity AudienceSurrogate.
** An EscapistCharacter is someone that already represents what the audiences wishes they were.
** The Loser in ThisLoserIsYou is an AudienceSurrogate who either represents a harsh criticism of, is an unflattering caricature of, or else depicts a generally negative view of the audience.

* '''AuthorAppeal vs. {{Fanservice}} vs. FetishFuel:'''
** AuthorAppeal is designed to satisfy a particular interest the author has; often a fetish, but not always.
** With {{Fanservice}}, the intention is to please the audience.
** FetishFuel is essentially Fanservice of the unintentional variety; the material isn't necessarily designed to appeal to ''anyone's'' kink, but it does, all the same.

* (sexual) '''AuthorAppeal''' vs. '''PlayingToTheFetishes'''
** AuthorAppeal is when the creator has a specific fetish and includes it in a work for personal satisfaction.
** PlayingToTheFetishes is when the author does not have the specific fetish but includes it in a work to appeal to a niche demographic.

* '''AuthorCatchphrase vs. CatchPhrase'''
** An AuthorCatchphrase is a quote or description reused across different characters in different works, where the only common aspect is the author/actor/creator of those works.
** A CatchPhrase is a quote or description reused by the same character in a single work or series.

* '''AuthorFilibuster vs. AuthorTract vs. WriterOnBoard vs. CharacterFilibuster'''
** WriterOnBoard is the most general term for when an author has something that doesn't make sense happening for their own purposes (usually an expression of political views).
** AuthorFilibuster takes this one step further by actually stopping the plot dead in its tracks just to preach this particular point.
** CharacterFilibuster is an Author Filibuster put in a character's mouth rather than prose.
** AuthorTract refers to a work whose ''entire purpose'' is to promote the author's viewpoint.

* '''AvertedTrope vs. LampshadeHanging Vs. JustifiedTrope vs. SubvertedTrope vs. DoubleSubversion vs. ZigZaggingTrope vs. InvertedTrope:'''
** An AvertedTrope is when no comment is made, the characters simply do not use, approach or address it. The trope only exists in the mind of the individual viewer.
** LampshadeHanging is when a work points out the use of a trope, but still uses it straight.
** A JustifiedTrope is one where the trope occurs, but there is an in-universe reason for it.
** A SubvertedTrope is when it appears as if a trope is going to be used, but something else happens instead.
** DoubleSubversion happens when a subverted trope actually ends up being used.
** A ZigZaggingTrope is when a trope gets subverted, then double subverted, then re-subverted; the process can possibly repeat itself.
** An InvertedTrope is when the exact opposite of a trope is used. Sometimes lampshaded, sometimes not.

* '''AwesomeButImpractical vs. CoolButInefficient vs. TooAwesomeToUse vs. UselessUsefulSpell:'''
** CoolButInefficient: something appears advanced and exotic but isn't superior to the mundane alternative.
** AwesomeButImpractical: something that really ''is'' superior, but has an extra cost, side effect or drawback that limits its long-term usefulness.
** TooAwesomeToUse: something that is both superior and useful, but its rarity strongly encourages you to save it for later so you end up never using it.
** UselessUsefulSpell: something only works when you don't need it, regardless of any value.

* '''AxCrazy vs. BloodKnight vs. PsychoForHire:'''
** AxCrazy describes a character that is violently unstable, and dangerous to anyone they come by.
** BloodKnight is a character who greatly enjoys fighting, and some of them greatly enjoy the violence part.
** A PsychoForHire is someone that makes a career out of something that involves hurting people, largely [[ForTheEvulz so they can get to hurt people]]. Often overlaps with AxCrazy, with the former leading the character to become the latter.

* '''BackForTheDead vs. BusCrash vs. DiedOnABus vs. DroppedABridgeOnHim vs. {{McLeaned}} vs. PutOnABus vs. PutOnABusToHell vs. WrittenInAbsence:'''
** Being PutOnABus is when a character leaves the show but has plenty of opportunity for a return; it is just another bus ride back into town.
** Being PutOnABusToHell is where being PutOnABus was done in a particularly mean-spirited manner for the character.
** A BusCrash happens after a long absence, the character is killed offscreen.
** DiedOnABus happens when the actor playing a character dies (usually after being PutOnABus), but the character is not killed off- he is alive, just never shown on screen anymore.
** BackForTheDead takes place when a character who had been PutOnABus returns to the show and is ''then'' killed off.
** {{McLeaned}} is when the actor portraying the character decides to leave and in their final/farewell episode the character is killed, [[KilledOffForReal in theory]] preventing a return appearance.
** DroppedABridgeOnHim is when a character is killed off in a particularly mean-spirited manner.
** WrittenInAbsence is a casual remark saying that certain characters are not going to be around for this adventure, just to keep the party smaller.

* '''BadAssBack vs. OffhandBackhand''':
** A BadAssBack belongs to anyone who can make a successful attack without looking, and can be done in premeditated combat.
** An OffhandBackhand happens when the person who gets backhanded had thought that the person who backhanded him didn't know he was there.

* '''BadassLongcoat vs. ConspicuousTrenchcoat vs. TrenchcoatBrigade''':
** BadassLongcoat is about the article of clothing (and includes trench coats, dusters, greatcoats, Inverness capes, and other knee-length-or-longer coats), worn unbuttoned to make its wearer look cool. The way these coats flair and billow around the wearer is an essential part of the trope.
** ConspicuousTrenchcoat is about the article of clothing, worn buttoned to make its wearer blend in (though it often has [[RevealingCoverup the opposite effect]], or it [[FridgeLogic logically should]]).
** TrenchcoatBrigade is about a stock character. Wearing a trench coat is one of their defining traits, but hardly the most important.

* '''BadGuyBar vs. GoodGuyBar'''
** The BadGuyBar is a seedy DenOfIniquity where the antagonists scheme in secrecy. Heroes will be attacked on sight.
** The GoodGuyBar can be anything from a pub to a restaurant, where the heroes go to unwind after hours. Evildoers are welcome if they behave themselves.

* '''TheBadGuyWins vs. DownerEnding vs. ShootTheShaggyDog'''
** DownerEnding is any ending with a tragic or unhappy result.
** TheBadGuyWins is (usually a DownerEnding) where the villain accomplishes his goal and lives to tell about it.
** ShootTheShaggyDog is a DownerEnding where the heroes' actions (and thus the whole story) were rendered completely meaningless.

* '''{{Bara}} vs. {{Yaoi}}''':
** Both are stories about gay male relationships.
*** {{Yaoi}} is usually written by women for women; characters tend to be {{bishounen}} and romantic connections are emphasized. Sexual content, when present, tends to not be all that explicit.
*** {{Bara}} is usually written by gay men for gay men; characters tend to fit the HardGay mold, and sexual content is more frequent and more explicit.

* '''BatmanGambit vs. XanatosGambit vs. XanatosRoulette vs. XanatosSpeedChess vs. ThirtyXanatosPileup:'''
** A BatmanGambit is a plan designed to succeed by predicting the opponent's moves [[FlawExploitation based on the opponent's flaws]], and isn't supposed to fail.
** A XanatosGambit is a plan that is designed to predict the opponent's moves, and to pay off for the planner regardless of whether it "succeeds" or "fails".
** A XanatosRoulette is a Batman or Xanatos Gambit where the prediction of the opponent's moves breaks the WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief because it involves factors that people shouldn't be able to predict.
** XanatosSpeedChess happens when a Xanatos Gambit has to be altered on the fly in the face of [[DidntSeeThatComing unexpected circumstances]].
** A ThirtyXanatosPileup can occur when the plans of two or more characters intersect with each other, usually in a manner that makes the plot extremely confusing.

* '''BatmanGambit vs. FakeTwinGambit vs. GenghisGambit vs. LysistrataGambit vs. MemoryGambit vs. PartySchedulingGambit vs. PoisonAndCureGambit vs. TheUriahGambit vs. WoundedGazelleGambit vs. XanatosGambit vs. ZeroApprovalGambit:'''
** A BatmanGambit is a plan designed to predict the opponent's moves [[FlawExploitation based on the opponent's flaws]].
** A XanatosGambit is a plan that is designed to predict the opponent's moves and to pay off for the planner regardless of the final outcome.
** A LysistrataGambit is when a woman threatens to withhold sex from her husband unless he does what she wants him to do.
** TheUriahGambit is a plan for a character to get rid of an underling who has become inconvenient or an enemy by giving him an assignment that's sure to get him killed.
** A WoundedGazelleGambit is when character A hurts him[=/=]herself, then frames character B for the act to get sympathy from character C.
** A MemoryGambit is a plan which calls for a character to sacrifice his/her memories, with a specific trigger to get them back when it's convenient or advantageous to do so.
** A FakeTwinGambit is when a character pretends to be his/her nonexistent identical twin, for whatever reason.
** A PoisonAndCureGambit is when a villain releases a poison and then tries to sell the antidote.
** A PartySchedulingGambit is when character A tries to sabotage character B's party by throwing a bigger party at the same time.
** A ZeroApprovalGambit is a plan in which a character sacrifices his reputation[=/=]integrity[=/=]honor in order to achieve a long-term goal.
*** A GenghisGambit is a subtrope of Zero Approval Gambit in which someone seeking to unite a group of enemies creates a common enemy for all the factions to fight against.

* '''[=~The Battle Didn't Count~=] vs. HeadsIWinTailsYouLose vs. HopelessBossFight vs. ILetYouWin:'''
** In [=~The Battle Didn't Count~=], you have to win a fight to avoid getting a GameOver, but afterwards the boss is still alive. He may either be anywhere from severely wounded to perfectly healthy, as long as he's not dead.
** HeadsIWinTailsYouLose is a subtrope of [=~The Battle Didn't Count~=] where the boss ''immediately'' gets back up and kicks your ass in a cutscene.
** In a HopelessBossFight, you are presented with a boss you couldn't possibly defeat, except by cheating or exploiting a bug. When you lose, instead of getting a GameOver like in any other event, the plot continues on.
** In ILetYouWin, you find out (possibly much later) that a boss let you win a certain fight as part of one of his [[XanatosPlannedThisIndex gambits]], even though during the fight the boss could kill you and get you a GameOver. ILetYouWin is usually also [=~The Battle Didn't Count~=], unless MyDeathIsJustTheBeginning.

* '''BeautifulAllAlong vs. SheCleansUpNicely vs. SheIsAllGrownUp:'''
** BeautifulAllAlong refers to when a character previously thought to be homely is suddenly shown in such a light as to make it apparent that she is actually quite attractive.
** With SheCleansUpNicely, it is not necessary that the character be thought of as homely; it simply refers to when a character who is usually depicted in a normal fashion is suddenly made to appear as glamorous as possible.
** SheIsAllGrownUp occurs when a child character returns after an absence and, thanks to growing up, has become handsome/beautiful in the eyes of those who knew him/her back in the day.

* '''BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor vs. WantingIsBetterThanHaving'''
** BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: A character wants something, and has it granted by a wish. Unforseen consequences cause him to later regret making the wish.
** WantingIsBetterThanHaving: A character wants something and eventually achieves it. Disappointment sets in when reality fails to live up to the expectations.

* '''BecomeARealBoy vs. PinocchioSyndrome'''
** BecomeARealBoy: Character wants to become more human, to understand that that means without actually giving up any of their gifts. Usually achieved through character building event or quest.
** PinocchioSyndrome: Character wants to become fully human, even (or occasionally especially) if it means giving up all their special abilities. IJustWantToBeNormal for non or partial humans. Usually achieved via AppliedPhlebotinum or other instant change devices.

* '''BeneathTheMask vs ADarkerMe vs {{GIFT}} vs HiddenDepths '''.
** These are psychological-personality oriented tropes that explain why first impressions can be misleading, and suggest situations where the audience's perception of a character might change. Tie in with IndexWithAHeartOfGold and MoreThanMeetsTheEye tropes.
** BeneathTheMask states that people often hide how they really are and how they really feel about things because they are scared of what others might think of them or what punishment they could receive. Both power and anonymity remove said fears and show how a person really is. This trope also states that this hidden self is sometimes hidden even from ourselves. The hidden qualities might be anything, good, bad, or subjectively ugly, that the character is afraid to show.
*** ADarkerMe is a subtrope of BeneathTheMask where the hidden self isn't radically different, only DarkerAndEdgier and/or less inhibited.
** {{GIFT}} is a theory that tries to explain the antisocial behaviour of people on the Internet. This trope states that anonymity corrupts people that are otherwise normally nice, making them act like jerks. As opposed to BeneathTheMask that states that anonymity doesn't corrupt but only reveals what was already there.
** HiddenDepths: This trope is about [[IAmNotLeftHanded hidden skills]] and hidden backstory rather than about personality, though it may well result in the audience's perception of the character changing.

* '''BellisariosMaxim vs. {{MST3K Mantra}}:''' Both are about a certain level of forgiveness from the fans when watching a compelling story.

* '''BetterByADifferentName vs. FollowTheLeader vs. RecycledInSPACE''':
** FollowTheLeader attempts to cash in on a popular work by using a similar premise and appealing to the same audience, but doesn't copy the work directly.
** BetterByADifferentName does copy the work directly, featuring similar characters and a very similar plot.
** RecycledInSPACE copies the premise and characters, but puts a spin on it by adding a gimmick of some sort.

* '''{{BFG}} vs. HandCannon''':
** All {{Hand Cannon}}s are handguns or pistols.
** Anything too large to be a handgun is a {{BFG}}, even if (and sometimes ''especially'' if) the character using it is treating it like a handgun.

* '''BigNo vs. {{Squick}}:'''
** A BigNo is a verbal response to something that upsets you.
** {{Squick}} is a physical reaction you have to something that unsettles you.

* '''BitPartBadGuys vs. {{Mooks}}:'''
** Both of these are about small-time villains.
*** BitPartBadGuys are acting on their own.
*** {{Mooks}} work for a BigBad of some kind.

* '''BittersweetEnding vs. EarnYourHappyEnding vs. PyrrhicVictory:'''
** A BittersweetEnding is when the story's resolution is in the hero or heroes' favor, but at great cost -- in other words, a happy ending with little or no actual happiness to it.
** A PyrrhicVictory is a battle with a BittersweetEnding; it can occur at any point in a story.
** EarnYourHappyEnding is when the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism is very carefully balanced -- specifically, when a happy (or at least idealistic) ending is reached despite a significant portion of the story being on the cynical end.
*** Note that these can and often do overlap.

* '''BlackComedy vs. DeadBabyComedy vs. GallowsHumor''':
** BlackComedy is a form of humor in which serious subjects are used as a source of comedy.
** DeadBabyComedy is a form of comedy where offending the sensibilites of the audience is part of the goal.
** GallowsHumor is a form of BlackComedy in which the jokes are made from the perspective of the victim.

* '''BlackHoleSue vs. GodModeSue'''
** A BlackHoleSue makes a story less interesting by making everything about her and [[ConflictKiller nullifying conflict]] because no one can resist her.
** A GodModeSue makes the story less interesting by nullifying conflict by being too powerful/charismatic.

* '''BlessedWithSuck vs. CursedWithAwesome'''
** BlessedWithSuck is when you have an awesome power, but it comes with tons of drawbacks.
** CursedWithAwesome is when you have a relatively sucky power, but it gets you good advantages.

* '''BlindIdiotTranslation vs. MyHovercraftIsFullOfEels vs. TranslationTrainWreck vs. TheVodkaIsGoodButTheMeatIsRotten:'''
** In MyHovercraftIsFullOfEels, Alice doesn't speak Tropish very well, so she says something hilarious and nonsensical like "My hovercraft is full of eels."
** In TheVodkaIsGoodButTheMeatIsRotten, Alice says something perfectly sensible in Tropish like "The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak." Then Bob, who doesn't speak Tropish very well, translates it into something hilarious and nonsensical like "The vodka is good but the meat is rotten."
** BlindIdiotTranslation is when the latter happens in RealLife.
** TranslationTrainWreck is when a translation in RealLife is so mangled that the result is gibberish, usually the result of the translators not actually speaking any of the language they're translating to.

* '''{{Bokukko}} vs. TheLadette vs. {{Shorttank}} vs. {{Tomboy}}:'''
** A {{Tomboy}} is the supertrope to all of these.
** A {{Bokukko}} is a girl's using male pronouns; how boyly/girly she is is not important.
** A {{Shorttank}} is a more sporty tomboy where the boyish qualities outweigh the feminine qualities; they often wear pants or shorts with a tank top.
** TheLadette is the girl who swears, drinks and arm-wrestles with the best of the guys.

* '''BondOneLiner vs. QuipToBlack vs. PreAssKickingOneLiner vs. PreMortemOneLiner:'''
** A PreAssKickingOneLiner is uttered ''before beginning'' a fight.
** A PreMortemOneLiner is uttered ''before ending'' a fight.
** A BondOneLiner is uttered ''after ending'' a fight.
** A QuipToBlack is uttered by someone who wasn't in the fight about the fight's results.

* '''BoobsOfSteel vs. BuxomIsBetter vs. GagBoobs vs. MostCommonSuperpower'''
** BoobsOfSteel is the tendency in many media for a woman who's very strong and/or an excellent fighter to have larger breasts than those who are less so.
** BuxomIsBetter is the tendency to emphasize the positive qualities of a woman having large breasts.
** GagBoobs are when a woman's large breasts are used as a sight gag or other comedic purpose.
** MostCommonSuperpower is the tendency for just about every female superhero or superhuman to have large breasts.

* '''BoredOnBoard vs. HamAndCheese vs. TookTheBadFilmSeriously vs. WriterRevolt''':
** BoredOnBoard is a writer reacting to a bad work.
** HamAndCheese is an actor reacting to a bad work by [[LargeHam acting over the top]].
** TookTheBadFilmSeriously is an actor reacting to a bad work by acting better than the work deserves.
** WriterRevolt is a writer reacting to ExecutiveMeddling in an otherwise good work.

* '''BoringInvincibleHero vs. ShowyInvincibleHero vs. BoringFailureHero'''
** A BoringInvincibleHero is a character who always accomplishes his/her goals with relative ease, to the point that it's impossible to build drama around the character.
** A ShowyInvincibleHero is like a Boring Invincible Hero, but his/her exploits are built around RuleOfCool and the point of the work is to show this in full effect.
** A BoringFailureHero is a character who ''never'' accomplishes his/her goals, whether through personal failures or other elements of the story seemingly conspiring to foil the character.

* '''BrainlessBeauty vs. DumbBlonde'''
** The BrainlessBeauty does not ''have'' to be blond.
** The DumbBlonde can be the BrainlessBeauty, but can also be TheFool, TheDitz, or any other less than clever character.

* '''BrattyHalfPint vs. TheBumblebee vs. TagalongKid vs. TokenLoli:'''
** A BrattyHalfPint is that kid who is constantly finding trouble because they want to be a part of the team.
** TheBumblebee is more of a marketing ploy, but the character can actually be a part of the team, usually the inexperienced one with youthful energy.
** The TagalongKid is a little kid watching the heroism of the team with excitement.
** The TokenLoli is any of the above three who also provides {{Fanservice}} for a PeripheryDemographic

* '''BreakingTheFourthWall vs. FourthWall vs. MediumAwareness vs. NoFourthWall vs. PaintingTheFourthWall:'''
** The FourthWall is the metaphorical invisible wall between the characters in a story and the audience. It's the default state of most fiction that the characters are unaware that they're characters in a fictional story.
** BreakingTheFourthWall is when characters speak to (or in some way acknowledge the existence of) the audience or the author, thereby acknowledging their own fictionality.
** MediumAwareness is when ''characters'' notice the conventions of the storytelling medium.
** NoFourthWall describes fiction where the characters break the Fourth Wall ''all the time''.
** PaintingTheFourthWall is when the author plays with the conventions of a storytelling medium in order to convey additional information to the ''audience''.

* '''BringMyBrownPants vs. PottyEmergency vs. PottyFailure:'''
** When a character has a BringMyBrownPants moment, it's because something scared him so badly he wet or soiled himself in pure fright.
** A character having a PottyEmergency is in desperate need of a toilet, but has not yet lost control.
** A character who suffers PottyFailure ''was'' in desperate need of a toilet, but has lost control.

* '''BrokenAesop vs. CluelessAesop vs. FamilyUnfriendlyAesop vs. LostAesop:'''
** The message of a BrokenAesop is clear, but it just isn't supported by the actual events of the story.
** A CluelessAesop is straightforward and plain, but it fails because of how poorly the writers handle the issues being presented.
** In a FamilyUnfriendlyAesop, the message is questionable in and of itself.
** A LostAesop is a moral that is presented in so confusing and contradictory a fashion that it is unclear exactly what the message is supposed to be.

* '''BrokenBase vs. FanDumb vs. TheyChangedItNowItSucks vs. UnpleasableFanbase''':
** BrokenBase is when the fans of a work are heavily divided in their own opinions, to the point of having a FlameWar on just about anything.
** FanDumb is the critical fan who can end up being a {{troll}} because they are so set on their opinions.
** TheyChangedItNowItSucks is about the fans being quick to judge a change in the source material as "RuinedFOREVER!"
** UnpleasableFanbase can cover all of the above, but is about how any effort to please the fans will fail because of differing desires. (With the exception of AndTheFandomRejoiced)

* '''BulletproofHumanShield vs. HumanShield'''
** BulletproofHumanShield is when a character grabs another person to block or absorb incoming gunfire, and doesn't care if the victim gets killed in the process.
** HumanShield is when a character (usually a villain) grabs another person to ''stop'' his attackers from opening fire, for fear of hitting the victim.

* '''BulletTime vs. SuperReflexes'''
** BulletTime is a visual effect to show that a character's senses are so heightened that he can react to things as if they were in slow-motion.
** SuperReflexes is a StockSuperpower where a character can react to situations faster than normal; it may be depicted (visually) with BulletTime, SlowMotion, or some other effect.

* '''BullyingADragon vs. MuggingTheMonster'''
** BullyingADragon is about knowingly picking on a superpowered person, despite or because of the fact that they have super powers, often ones that can kill you.
** MuggingTheMonster is when a criminal or otherwise bad person doesn't realize that they are picking on a superpowered person.

* '''BunnyEarsLawyer vs. CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass vs. LetsGetDangerous vs. ObfuscatingStupidity vs. ObfuscatingInsanity''':
** ObfuscatingStupidity and ObfuscatingInsanity are when someone fakes stupidity or craziness, respectively, in order to hide the fact that they are very capable.
** A BunnyEarsLawyer ''is'' genuinely crazy/quirky, but is very capable at the same time.
** A CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass is someone who really is stupid/incapable, until the right button is pushed and they start kicking all kinds of ass.
** LetsGetDangerous is when someone who has the reputation of being a badass but [[InformedAbility doesn't normally act that way]] finally shows off why he's got the reputation.

* '''[=~But I Can't Be Pregnant!~=] vs. ButWeUsedACondom'''
** [=~But I Can't Be Pregnant!~=]: Pregnancy occurs despite biological factors that should've made it impossible (age, injury, [[NoBiochemicalBarriers differing species]].)
** ButWeUsedACondom: Pregnancy occurs despite the use of birth control (which may or may not have been used correctly)

* '''ButNotTooEvil''' vs. '''HarmlessVillain''' vs. '''PokeThePoodle'''
** ButNotTooEvil is a villain that MoralGuardians complain about because he ''is'' seen as "too evil" for the work he's in. He is sometimes toned down as a result of the complaints and sometimes not.
** A HarmlessVillain is an antagonist that was ''never'' intended to be a serious threat; they're most often found in funny shows and as comic relief if there ''is'' a more evil/harmful villain.
** PokeThePoodle is an "evil" ''action'' that's not really all that serious. A HarmlessVillain can poke the poodle as a joke, but sometimes something a serious villain does fails at looking evil and is also poodle-poking.

* '''ButtMonkey vs. TheChewToy vs. CosmicPlaything vs. TheWoobie:'''
** The ButtMonkey is somebody other characters and/or the creators enjoy abusing.
** TheChewToy is somebody who seems the target of abuse through pure bad luck, PlayedForLaughs.
** TheWoobie is somebody the audience sympathizes with when they are being abused, PlayedForDrama.
** The CosmicPlaything is someone in these situations who is aware of the fact that the gods/universe/writers have it in for them.

* '''CallBack vs. ContinuityNod vs. MythologyGag:'''
** A CallBack is a reference to the past of the characters in the scene that ''does'' influence their thoughts or actions in the current plot.
** A ContinuityNod is a reference to the past of the characters in the scene that ''doesn't'' affect the current plot.
** A MythologyGag is a reference to some aspect of the universe or an earlier adaptation, but isn't a part of the past of the characters in the scene.

* '''{{Calvinball}} vs. GretzkyHasTheBall vs. NewRulesAsThePlotDemands'''
** {{Calvinball}} is when a game doesn't ''have'' any rules or the rules are deliberately changed from session to session, except for maybe one or two consistant rules purely to identify the game as itself (for example, Calvinball's One Hard Rule is "Calvinball must never be played the same way twice")
** GretzkyHasTheBall is when the rules of real life sports or games are present erroneously (either by the character or just the work).
** NewRulesAsThePlotDemands is when a game that exists in-series operates in a non-nonsensical, impossible, or self-contradictory way. There are presumed to be rules, but what those might be is completely lost on the viewer.

* '''CampStraight vs. TheDandy'''
** A CampStraight has pretty much all of the traits of the CampGay except for the homosexuality.
** TheDandy is simply overly concerned with his/her appearance. This is usually what most people mean when they say "Metrosexual".

* '''CampbellCountry vs. LovecraftCountry'''
** CampbellCountry is a place where the [[CosmicHorrorStory dark secrets]] are well-hidden by the virtue of being very old (AncientRome or earlier old). And it is usually in the Old World.
** LovecraftCountry is a place where the [[CosmicHorrorStory dark secrets]] are well-hidden through vast spaces in-between and general isolation of towns. Also, it's normally NewEngland.

* '''CanonForeigner vs. CanonImmigrant'''
** CanonForeigner refers to a character exclusive to a certain adaptation of a previously-existing fictional universe.
** CanonImmigrant is when a character originally created in an adaptation is later introduced in the original source material.

* '''CanonSue vs. PossessionSue''': Characters A & B co-exist in a work. If...
** ...the author of that work writes Character A as a MarySue, you have a CanonSue.
** ...a ''FanFic'' writer writes Character B as a MarySue, you have a PossessionSue.

* '''CannonFodder vs. RedshirtArmy''':
** CannonFodder exist to emphasize the superiority of the elite by providing a baseline normal.
** A RedshirtArmy exists to emphasize the danger of a situation by taking casualties.
*** In other words, CannonFodder makes TheHero look powerful, while the RedshirtArmy makes the BigBad look powerful.

* '''CaptainErsatz vs. {{Expy}}''':
** A CaptainErsatz is a character created to stand in for one that the author is not able to use, usually due to legal issues.
** An {{Expy}} is a character that is suspiciously similar to another character in another work, but not obviously supposed to be that character. This often happens within works by the same author as the previous character, but it can also be a {{Homage}} or ShoutOut by another author.
*** A lot of the examples are [[TropeDecay on both pages when they should only be on one]].

* '''CartwrightCurse vs. FatalAttractor'''
** CartwrightCurse: A character's GirlOfTheWeek love interests are quickly killed off or otherwise swiftly - but intentionally - written out.
** FatalAttractor: A character's GirlOfTheWeek love interests are quickly revealed to be an AbhorrentAdmirer, AxCrazy, or a BrainwashedAndCrazy [[TheMole mole]].

* '''TheCassandra vs. CassandraTruth vs. TheJorEl''':
** TheCassandra is someone who is right about a great many things, verging on infallibility, yet those around her rarely listen to her warnings for no good reason.
** CassandraTruth is when a great secret or danger is discovered by someone, and their warnings are disbelieved because the person is considered unreliable. Often, but not always applied to children.
** TheJorEl is much like CassandraTruth, but rather than be a kid they tend to be scientists or other researcher who has discovered a danger or imminent disaster, he'll try to warn others and be disbelieved because he's just a lone scientist.
*** While CassandraTruth is disbelieved because the claim is ridiculous or the person is considered unreliable, TheJorEl isn't believed because the claim they make is unpopular or unpleasant.

* '''CassandraTruth vs. NotNowKiddo''':
** CassandraTruth: a character delivers important news, but is not believed.
** NotNowKiddo: a character is never given the chance to deliver the news.

* '''CassandraTruth vs. SarcasticConfession''':
** CassandraTruth is meant to be believed, but isn't; it's a subtrope of PoorCommunicationKills.
** SarcasticConfession is a truth delivered in such a way so as to be disbelieved (though it sometimes isn't).

* '''CasualKink vs. ConvenientlyCommonKink''':
** CasualKink: A character's kink is unique among the cast but nobody makes a big deal out of it.
** ConvenientlyCommonKink: A character's kink is shared by their love interest and possibly others.

* '''CerberusSyndrome vs. DarkerAndEdgier''':
** CerebusSyndrome is when a light series turns dark as it goes on.
** DarkerAndEdgier is a sequel/reboot/alternate continuity that's noticeably darker than its predecessor(s).

* '''TheChamberlain vs. TheQuisling''':
** TheChamberlain is named for NevilleChamberlain (who may not be an example of the trope) and is an authority figure that refuses to address an evil because they are being willfully blind.
** TheQuisling is named for Vidkun Quisling (who is definitely an example of the trope) and is an authority figure who aids the evil force in controlling his own side.

* '''CharacterDerailment vs. OutOfCharacter:'''
** CharacterDerailment takes place when a character's personality changes in canon without proper justification.
** OutOfCharacter is when the same thing happens in a FanFic or [[DerivativeWorks Derivative Work]].

* '''CharacterFilibuster vs. HoldingTheFloor:'''
** In a CharacterFilibuster the author lectures the reader on a particular point (often political) by using a character to give a long speech.
** In HoldingTheFloor the character must filibuster for an in-universe reason, usually to buy time or provide a distraction. The content of the speech itself doesn't matter.
** The same speech can serve both functions, with the latter justifying the former.

* '''CharacterMagneticTeam vs. HitchhikerHeroes vs. MagneticHero:'''
** MagneticHero is about the ''plot'' of group finding, using a hero's ability to persuade and attract others to his cause.
** HitchhikerHeroes is more about the group members.
** And CharacterMagneticTeam is a team where each member attracts more, snowballing into LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters.

* '''CharmPerson vs. CompellingVoice:'''
** CharmPerson can be disobeyed or resisted.
** CompellingVoice can't.
*** This means antagonists will generally have CharmPerson rather than CompellingVoice, because otherwise they could just command the hero to shoot himself.

* '''ChasteHero vs. CelibateHero vs. {{Asexuality}}'''
** A ChasteHero is ignorant of sex and oblivious to romance in general.
** A CelibateHero knows about them (in theory at the least) but eschews them as secondary to his goals.
** With {{Asexuality}}, the hero simply isn't interested in sex or romantic love, period.

* '''CheatersNeverProsper vs. DickDastardlyStopsToCheat'''
** CheatersNeverProsper is when anyone who cheats ends up losing.
** DickDastardlyStopsToCheat is when someone could win legitimately, but loses because they cheat.

* '''[=~Chekhov's Boomerang~=] vs. [=~Chekhov's Gun~=]:'''
** A [=~Chekhov's Gun~=] is an object that is set up as unimportant, then used as a plot device, surprising the audience with actual significance.
** A [=~Chekhov's Boomerang~=] is a Chekhov's Gun after it has been used, and the audience assumes it has no further importance, but is unexpectedly reused and surprises the audience with new actual significance.

* '''TheChessmaster vs. MagnificentBastard vs. ManipulativeBastard:''' Many debates have surrounded these tropes.

* '''ChewingTheScenery vs. LargeHam:'''
** ChewingTheScenery is when a character who is usually acted in a normal fashion suddenly starts acting like a LargeHam.
** A LargeHam is a character who is almost constantly overacting.

* '''ClarkKenting vs. PaperThinDisguise vs. WigDressAccent''':
** WigDressAccent is when a character physically disguises himself.
** ClarkKenting is how the character changes his behavior to compliment the physical disguise.
** PaperThinDisguise is when the audience isn't fooled by the disguise.

* '''CliffHanger vs. SequelHook:'''
** A CliffHanger is when the story is not concluded within the single movie or television show, which requires an additional movie or episode to finish the story. The worst case is LeftHanging, when that conclusion does not happen.
** A SequelHook is when the story is finished, whether it be a HappyEnding or a DownerEnding, but hints are given towards a new storyline in the sequel.

* '''ClosingCredits vs. CreativeClosingCredits vs. CreditsGag'''
** ClosingCredits are the credits that roll at the end of a show.
** CreativeClosingCredits are interesting variations on closing credits, as opposed to the classic "white text and black background."
** CreditsGag is a joke that appears during the end credits

* '''CoincidentalBroadcast vs. CrystalBallScheduling:'''
** A CoincidentalBroadcast is one that acts as a plot enabler - the characters act on the information that they have conveniently been given.
** CrystalBallScheduling acts as a metaphor for events on the show - it doesn't have any plot relevance, but allows the writer to comment on the storyline without breaking the FourthWall.

* '''ColdBloodedTorture vs. EnhancedInterrogationTechniques vs. JackBauerInterrogationTechnique vs. TortureAlwaysWorks:'''
** ColdBloodedTorture is exactly what it sounds like - torture performed by someone who has no compunctions about its use, and who may even enjoy the experience and/or the agony of the victim.
** EnhancedInterrogationTechniques are interrogation methods that (usually) rely on psychologically brutalizing the victim rather than physical violence.
** JackBauerInterrogationTechnique is when the hero (usually someone in law enforcement) uses physical torture against a villain/criminal/suspect/etc.
*** GeneHuntInterrogationTechnique is a subtrope in which the torture is played for comedic effect through RefugeInAudacity and/or CrossesTheLineTwice.
** TortureAlwaysWorks is the tendency for fictional torture to produce information useful to those doing the torture.

* '''ComicBookFantasyCasting vs. InkSuitActor vs. NoCelebritiesWereHarmed'''
** ComicBookFantasyCasting is where a character in a comic or animation looks like a real person (usually an actor, musician or model) but clearly isn't meant to actually "be" that person.
** InkSuitActor is where a character in an animated show or computer game is designed to look like the real-world performer who did their voice.
** NoCelebritiesWereHarmed is where a fictional character is clearly intended to be a fictionalised version or caricature of a celebrity, down to having a similar profession and/or a personality based on that person's public persona.

* '''ConceptAlbum vs. RockOpera:'''
** In a ConceptAlbum, all the songs relate to some theme or idea.
** A RockOpera is a Concept Album that tells a narrative story.
*** ''DarkSideOfTheMoon'' is a ConceptAlbum, but not a RockOpera. ''TheWall'' is a RockOpera, and also a ConceptAlbum. All {{Rock Opera}}s are {{Concept Album}}s, but not all Concept Albums are Rock Operas.

* '''ContinuityCreep''' vs. '''ContinuityDrift''' vs. '''EarthDrift'''
** ContinuityCreep is about a series that slowly uses continuity to a greater degree.
** ContinuityDrift is about the continuity itself slowly changing.
*** EarthDrift is a subtrope where the continuity changes to be less like the real world.

* '''ConvenientlyAnOrphan''' vs. '''[=~Orphan's Ordeal~=]''':
** ConvenientlyAnOrphan covers the common narrative device of making the hero an orphan to provide them a particular heroic motivation, or to unroot them so they can go on some unrelated adventure. Generally the parents died some time ago, and the hero may not angst about them very much on-screen.
** [=~Orphan's Ordeal~=] covers stories where the grief and other hardships associated with lost parents are a major focus of the plot. Generally the parents died more recently.

* '''ConvictionByContradiction vs. ConvictionByCounterfactualClue''':
** The solution to a ConvictionByContradiction is actually valid, but would hardly be substantial enough to prove guilt in a real world situation.
** ConvictionByCounterfactualClue happens when the solution to a mystery is based on a fundamentally incorrect fact.

* '''CordonBleughChef vs. LethalChef vs. OneNoteCook:'''
** A CordonBleughChef is an otherwise skilled cook who has an unfortunate habit of mixing ingredients that should not be mixed. The result of these "experiments" is usually indistinguishable from that of the LethalChef.
** A LethalChef is one who has absolutely no culinary skills. Their dishes go past merely bad and straight to "toxic"
** A OneNoteCook has one dish, or type of dish, at which they excel at making. Outside of that area of expertise, they're usually a LethalChef.

* '''CorruptChurch vs. PathOfInspiration vs. ReligionOfEvil:'''
** The CorruptChurch is an otherwise legitimate ("good") religion that has become rotten under the surface, usually by corrupt individuals in the church offices or evil forces.
** The PathOfInspiration is a church created for evil that disguises itself as a legitimate good faith, typically manipulating its followers into inobvious service of evil and setting itself up as a VillainWithGoodPublicity.
** The ReligionOfEvil was created for evil and does not hide the fact that it's evil (though it may make itself hard to find in the first place).

* '''CosmicHorrorStory vs. EldritchAbomination vs. LovecraftLite'''
** CosmicHorrorStory is the ''genre'' where the universe is a hopeless, horrific and meaningless place, often filled to the brim with [[EldritchAbomination obscenely powerful entities]] that could crush humanity like an ant and not notice, and it is only a matter of time before that happens.
** {{Eldritch Abomination}}s are strange otherworldly ''monstrosities'' from beyond; they do the crushing mentioned above.
** LovecraftLite is a ''genre'' that uses many of the trappings of a CosmicHorrorStory, but is not bleak, hopeless, or meaningless. The evil entities can be defeated permanently; the good guys can win decisively; the world, and humanity, can survive.

* '''CowboyBebopAtHisComputer vs. IAmNotShazam:'''
** CowboyBebopAtHisComputer is about a news article that presents erroneous information about a work, often to the point where it seems they didn't read/watch the thing.
** IAmNotShazam concerns confusion over the title of a work and what it is supposed to represent within the work.

* '''CreatorBacklash vs. OldShame''':
** CreatorBacklash is when a creator hates one of his works in spite of its sizeable fandom because of factors outside of its quality.
** OldShame is when a creator hates one of his works because of its low quality; said work has little to no fandom.

* '''CriticalResearchFailure vs. DanBrowned vs. DidNotDoTheResearch'''
** A CriticalResearchFailure is if the error is obvious to any viewer with even the smallest degree of knowledge of that field.
*** So if a character steals the Mona Lisa, Raphael's most famous painting, from the British Museum, it is a CriticalResearchFailure on the part of the author. [[hottip:* :Two of the most basic things almost anyone would know about the Mona Lisa are that it was painted by Leonardo Da Vinci and that it's in the Louvre.]]
** DanBrowned occurs when a work is noticeably or prominently proclaimed to be factual but is, in reality, inaccurate or wrong.
*** If the author makes notable claims regarding the accuracy of his facts and the diligence of his research, and then describes the methods Leonardo used to prepare the canvas for the Mona Lisa, the author has DanBrowned the audience. [[hottip:* :There was no canvas to prepare.]]
** DidNotDoTheResearch indicates that the could have been avoided by the most basic level of research.
*** If the character rolls the Mona Lisa up and puts it in a rucksack, it is a case of DidNotDoTheResearch on the part of the author.[[hottip:* :The MonaLisa is painted on a wooden panel and thus cannot be rolled up. Not commonly known, but fairly easily discovered.]]


* '''CrossOver vs. IntercontinuityCrossover vs. MassiveMultiplayerCrossover vs. MegaCrossover vs. FusionFic:'''
** CrossOver is appearance of a show's characters in another show that is set in the same universe as the former show.
** IntercontinuityCrossover is like CrossOver but the two shows present are not set in the same universe.
*** Note that this is the type often seen in webcomics (although it's generally referred to in those communities simply as a "crossover"), when two authors coordinate to create overlapping storylines -- they each tell one half in their own strip, and the reader must flip back and forth, interleaving them to see the full story.
** MassiveMultiplayerCrossover is like IntercontinuityCrossover but with three or more shows.
** MegaCrossover is the FanFic version of MassiveMultiplayerCrossover.
** A FusionFic is a FanFic in which the cast of one work is partly or completely replaced by the cast of another work, and the original work's plot plays out modified by the new characters' quirks.

* '''CurbStompBattle vs. NoHoldsBarredBeatDown vs. OneHitKO:'''
** CurbStompBattle: The fight is swift, decisive, and completely one-sided. Usually done ''by'' the good guys.
** NoHoldsBarredBeatDown: The fight is completely one-sided, brutal, and lasts as long as the victor wants it to. Usually done ''to'' the good guys.
** OneHitKO: ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin

* '''CuriousAsAMonkey vs. [=~Elephant's Child~=]'''
** CuriousAsAMonkey: A young child who tries to learn about the world around him by taking things apart and figuring out how they work.
** [=~Elephant's Child~=]: A young child who tries to learn about the world around him by constantly asking questions.

* '''DangerouslyGenreSavvy vs. FunctionalGenreSavvy vs. GenreSavvy vs. WrongGenreSavvy vs. MediumAwareness''':
** A GenreSavvy character notices story conventions but otherwise doesn't break the FourthWall.
** A FunctionalGenreSavvy character is just GenreSavvy enough to accept the story premise.
** A WrongGenreSavvy character accepts the ''wrong'' story premise and suffers for it.
** A DangerouslyGenreSavvy character "bends" the FourthWall slightly as they are able to anticipate story conventions to their advantage.
** MediumAwareness is when a character notices the mechanics of the medium the story is told in and can directly break the FourthWall.

* '''DeathbringerTheAdorable vs. FluffyTheTerrible''':
** DeathbringerTheAdorable: A creature has a name that makes it sound scary and / or dangerous, but it is actually very docile.
** FluffyTheTerrible: A creature has a cute / funny / nonsensical name but is actually very dangerous and / or sinister.
*** This can also apply to non-creature characters.

* '''DeathBySex vs. OutWithABang''':
** DeathBySex: A character participates in sexual intercourse and is subsequently shot to the top of the SortingAlgorithmOfMortality.
** OutWithABang: A character dies while participating in sexual intercourse, either because of a heart disorder, or because (s)he's killed by his/her partner.

* '''DeathSeeker vs. KillMeNowOrForeverStayYourHand vs. PleaseKillMeIfItSatisfiesYou:'''
** DeathSeeker: A character who wants to die in a fight.
** KillMeNowOrForeverStayYourHand: A character is put in a situation where he could easily kill a character he hates. Said other character doesn't want to be killed.
** PleaseKillMeIfItSatisfiesYou: Due to remorse, a character A offers another character B to kill him for something A did to B.

* '''{{Defictionalization}} vs. ProductPlacement vs. TheRedStapler:'''
** {{Defictionalization}} takes place when a fictional product in a media work is turned into a real product in the real world. It is generally pre-planned.
** TheRedStapler is when the use of a product in a work of fiction creates a demand for the product. The product may be real or fictional, but the effect is almost always unplanned.
** ProductPlacement involves real world products being inserted into a work of fiction with the specific purpose of creating a demand for them.

* '''DemonicSpiders vs. GoddamnedBats'''
** GoddamnedBats are creatures that delay the player by being ''hard to hit'' and/or ''hard to avoid''.
** DemonicSpiders are GoddamnedBats that also delay the player by being ''very deadly''.

* '''DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment vs. ShapedLikeItself''':
** ShapedLikeItself is an instance where someone expresses themself by using multiple words that mean the same thing.
** DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment is a subtrope in which the same words or phrases are repeated over and over (often for comedic effect).

* '''TheDeterminator vs. ImplacableMan'''
** TheDeterminator is a character who never stops pursuing his goal, no matter how much suffering or sacrifice they take along the way.
** ImplacableMan is a character who never stops pursuing his goal because he cannot be damaged.

* '''DeusExNukina vs. NukeEm:'''
** DeusExNukina is when a nuke is [[HollywoodScience scientifically]] used to avert a disaster or solve a problem.
** NukeEm is when a nuke is [[GeneralRipper impulsively and militarily]] used to destroy a target.

* '''DieForOurShip vs. ShipToShipCombat:'''
** DieForOurShip is when fans of a pair of characters twist one of their possible LoveInterests into something [[OutOfCharacter completely unlike their original character]] (either in FanFiction or just their general view of the character) to make way for their OneTruePairing.
** ShipToShipCombat is usually an attack on the [[{{Shipping}} shipper]] of a rival OTP.
*** In other words, DieForOurShip attacks a rival fictional character, while ShipToShipCombat attacks a rival real person. The end result, in either case, is [[FlameWar rarely pretty]].

* '''DieselPunk vs. RaygunGothic:'''
** RaygunGothic was the predominant aesthetic of science fiction from the RealLife 1920's through the 1950's; these days, it's mainly used for sci-fi that's deliberately trying to be retro. It's a relatively shiny and optimistic vision of the ([[HistoryMarchesOn then-]]) future.
** DieselPunk is PunkPunk fiction set in a fictionalized version of the 1920's to the 1950's. It basically bridges the gap between SteamPunk and CyberPunk. It's a relatively recent genre; the term "dieselpunk" was coined in 2001.

* '''DifficultButAwesome vs. LethalJokeCharacter:'''
** DifficultButAwesome: A character/faction has obvious potential, but has a steep learning curve.
** LethalJokeCharacter: A character/faction appears to be a JokeCharacter at first, but actually has some hidden tricks that can be exploited for victory.

* '''DiscreditedTrope vs. DeadHorseTrope vs. ForgottenTrope vs. UndeadHorseTrope vs. DeadUnicornTrope'''
** DiscreditedTrope: Parodies and subversions are at least as common as straight uses.
** DeadHorseTrope: Parodies and subversions are about all you ever see.
** ForgottenTrope: Even the parodies and subversions are gone.
** UndeadHorseTrope: A very high ratio of subversions and parodies.
** DeadUnicornTrope: A trope never was actually played straight in the first place, but is treated otherwise like a dead horse trope.

* '''DissonantSerenity vs. TheStoic vs. TranquilFury:'''
** DissonantSerenity is when a character is unnaturally, psychotically calm when being violent.
** TranquilFury implies that the character is angry within, but actively reining in this rage, rather than being outright collected.
*** Both of the above are distinct from TheStoic in that the characters using them will normally display emotions like regular people, but only become chill when a situation is serious. TheStoic is '''always''' emotionless.

* '''DolledUpInstallment vs. InNameOnly:'''
** A DolledUpInstallment is when a production begins as a stand-alone project, then someone makes mention that it has a resemblence to a prior story or franchise. So instead of starting from scratch, they buy the rights and change the current script using the names from the older work.
** InNameOnly is when a production is slated from the beginning to be an adaptation, but the resulting production has only a superficial resemblence to the source material, usually with cries of AdaptationDecay.

* '''DoWrongRight vs. EvenEvilHasStandards vs. PragmaticVillainy'''
** EvenEvilHasStandards is when a villain doesn't do something abhorrent because even he finds it too evil.
** PragmaticVillainy is when a villain doesn't do something abhorrent because he knows it's not practical.
** DoWrongRight is when, in the process of doing something abhorrent, someone points out how they're doing it wrong and then offer advice on how to do it properly.

* '''DumbIsGood vs. RedemptionDemotion'''
** DumbIsGood is about how dumber people are good to begin with.
** RedemptionDemotion is about someone becoming good and then becoming dumb or less useful.

* '''EarthShatteringKaboom vs. TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt'''
** TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt is any severe catastrophe that renders the world unfit for human habitation.
** EarthShatteringKaboom is a SubTrope of TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt in which the Earth is literally destroyed, as if the planet were shattered into a million little pieces.

* '''EasilyForgiven vs. GetOutOfJailFreeCard vs. KarmaHoudini:'''
** EasilyForgiven is when a character (usually but not always a villain) is explicitly forgiven by someone for [[KickTheDog misdeeds committed earlier in the series]].
** If an actual reason is given for the lack of punishment for said character, that's a GetOutOfJailFreeCard.
** If there's no explanation of any sort given, then the character becomes a KarmaHoudini.

* '''EigenPlot vs. ThisLooksLikeAJobForAquaman:'''
** An EigenPlot is when characters are faced with a task that requires everyone working together with their individual specialty, such as superpowers or the roles in a FiveManBand.
** ThisLooksLikeAJobForAquaman is when a plot seems written just to accomodate the [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway restrictive powers]] of an individual team member.

* '''EndOfAnAge vs. {{Gotterdammerung}} vs. HereThereWereDragons vs. TheMagicGoesAway'''
** The EndOfAnAge is a SuperTrope in which a more childlike golden age of sorts gives way to an age with less wonder and innocence in it. It is not necessarily magical, it can be [[LostTechnology technological]] or [[ComingOfAgeStory personal to one character]]
** In a {{Gotterdammerung}}, the plot centers on a remote, better past, usually but not necessarily magical.
** HereThereWereDragons is the idea that the past was an age of magic.
** A TheMagicGoesAway plot is set at the very end of the era of magic and concerns itself with the last of said magic and how it leaves the world.

* '''EnemyWithout vs. LiteralSplitPersonality:'''
** An EnemyWithout is a facet of a character's personality brought out into the physical world.
** A LiteralSplitPersonality is an entire character split in two.
*** Basic rule of thumb: if you can point to one of the instances of the character and say "that's the original one", it's a case of EnemyWithout; if all the copies have an equal claim on being the original, it's a LiteralSplitPersonality.

* '''EpilepticTrees vs. EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory vs. WildMassGuessing''': These all refer to speculation made by the audience about a show, the first two differ based on their subject.

* '''ErectionRejection vs. FanDisservice vs. FetishRetardant:'''
** ErectionRejection takes place when sex is the primary selling point of a work, and [[IncrediblyLamePun it flops]].
** FanDisservice is ''intentionally'' unsexy.
** FetishRetardant is intended to be sexy, but fails.

* '''EvenTheGirlsWantHer / EvenTheGuysWantHim vs. GayMoment vs. StupidSexyFlanders'''
** EvenTheGirlsWantHer / EvenTheGuysWantHim describes a character who comes across as ridiculously attractive to people usually attracted to his or her gender as well as a disproportionate amount of people who aren't.
** A GayMoment is when a straight character says or does something (such as complimenting a member of the same gender's appearance, or partaking in an AccidentalHug or AccidentalKiss with a member of the same gender) that, a second later, he realizes "sounds gay"; HaveIMentionedIAmHeterosexualToday ensues.
** StupidSexyFlanders is simply the phenomenon of someone experiencing unwarranted sexual attraction towards a member of a sex they usually aren't attracted to. Usually PlayedForLaughs. Different from the GayMoment in that its origins are sexual.

* '''EvilChancellor vs. TreacherousAdvisor'''
** An EvilChancellor is by definition an advisor to a ruler, as indicated by the fact that TheGrandVizier redirects there.
** A TreacherousAdvisor is anyone who seems to be an advisor or ally, often to TheHero, only to betray him.

* '''ExpositoryHairstyleChange vs. ImportantHaircut vs. GoodHairEvilHair'''
** ExpositoryHairstyleChange is when a character's hairstyle/-color or facial hair changes in order to show you (usually subtly) that something is different (usually their personality).
*** ImportantHaircut is often a subtype in which a character's hair is specifically cut, almost always as a symbolic or otherwise important act. This may or may not be expository.
*** GoodHairEvilHair is a subtype in which the change indicates a HeelFaceTurn or FaceHeelTurn.

* '''ExaltedTorturer vs. TortureTechnician vs. {{Yandere}}/{{Yangire}}'''
** An ExaltedTorturer is viewed as [[DesignatedHero heroic]] or as LawfulGood, when his actions are more in line with being a CompleteMonster acting as LawfulEvil or even ChaoticEvil or ForTheEvulz. He is AlwaysMale and the combination of the DesignatedHero with elements of the TortureTechnician, wrapped up in a TheHero KnightInShiningArmor package, and stuck on the "white" side of BlackAndWhiteMorality.
** The TortureTechnician is simply and only a professional torturer. He exists on the black side of BlackAndWhiteMorality, or in a universe of GreyAndGreyMorality, BlueAndOrangeMorality, or EvilVersusEvil, and is not specifically defined as someone the audience should be rooting for or supporting [[MisaimedFandom even if some do.]]
** The difference between these two is that heroism/being on the "side of good" defines the ExaltedTorturer, whereas "professionalism" and skill ''alone'' define the TortureTechnician. A heroic CowboyCop who rapes an accused pedophile as "punishment" with no real knowledge of having had anal sex before, for example, is an ExaltedTorturer, even if he has no idea of how to do what he's doing. Said CowboyCop would be a TortureTechnician, on the other hand, if he was portrayed as the story's antihero or villain or suspect, and he had studied for years on how to conduct the most painful castrations possible and set up a "castration lab" to which he lured his AssholeVictim s.
** The {{Yandere}} and {{Yangire}} tropes often collect female characters who would fall into either trope, because due to a DoubleStandard, female torturers are assumed to act out of relationship reasons or insanity or derangement 100 percent of the time as opposed to a simple desire to hurt other people. This should be a DiscreditedTrope, but it is played straight often enough that the ExaltedTorturer is AlwaysMale, whereas a female acting in the same way (a heroic torturer) will almost always be played for {{fanservice}} as a {{Yandere}}. A female TortureTechnician, on the other hand (a torture specialist who is not heroic), will be played for {{drama}} and often {{fetish}} as a [[TheMentallyDisturbed mentally disturbed]] {{Yangire}}.

* '''ExpospeakGag vs. [=~Layman's Terms~=]:'''
** An ExpospeakGag is about complex ways of expressing simple concepts.
** [=~Layman's Terms~=] is about attempts to simplify complex statements or concepts.

* '''FaceOfTheBand vs. IAmTheBand:'''
** FaceOfTheBand is when only one member of a particular band is sufficiently famous to be recognized individually by the general public, regardless of his or her role within the band.
** IAmTheBand takes place when one individual plays such a prominent role in a band's creative output and musical direction that the other members are largely irrelevant.

* '''FakeShemp vs. TheNthDoctor vs. TheOtherDarrin vs. ReplacementScrappy vs. SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute:'''
** When an actor is replaced by another actor playing the same character, with no explanation provided for the switch, it's TheOtherDarrin.
** When there is an attempt to conceal the switch (e.g. not showing the substitute's face, splicing in stock footage) it's a FakeShemp.
** When some sort of AppliedPhlebotinum is invoked in order to explain the character's change in appearance/voice, it's TheNthDoctor.
** If the replacement is technically a different character but is written pretty much with the same role, you have a SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute.
** A ReplacementScrappy involves any kind of switch which is unpopular with fans and is seen as bringing the franchise down.

* '''FakeUltimateHero vs. MilesGloriosus''':
** The FakeUltimateHero is anyone who gets credit for at least one heroic act which they did not do.
** The MilesGloriosus is a FakeUltimateHero who ''actively claims'' credit for lots of heroic behavior, but when put to the test is always a DirtyCoward.

* '''FallingForSomeoneNeverMet vs. LoveBeforeFirstSight'''
** In FallingForSomeoneNeverMet, person A finds some object connected to person B (a letter, song, picture, etc.) and falls in love with B because of that.
** In LoveBeforeFirstSight, A knows what B looks like (via dream, prophecy, picture, etc) and may have communicated with B enough to form some level of relationship, but hasn't actually met B.

* '''FamilyVersusCareer vs. FemaleSuccessIsFamily'''
** In FamilyVersusCareer, a woman with a family and a career is forced to choose between the two, usually in favor of the former and with the implication that that is what a woman should choose.
** In FemaleSuccessIsFamily, wether or not a woman gives up her career is unimportant. This trope is about female characters always being less important than their lovers, brothers and fathers, and how they function as devices to male character's development before gaining any of their own.

* '''FantasticAesop vs. SpaceWhaleAesop:'''
** The FantasticAesop suggests a fantastic course of action ("don't use black magic to try and resurrect the dead") which can't even be attempted in the real world.
** The SpaceWhaleAesop suggests a real, viable course of action ("don't perform nuclear tests") by presenting fantastic consequences ("radiation from the tests will awaken an army of zombies").

* '''FantasticDrug vs. GRatedDrug vs. [=~I Can't Believe It's Not Heroin~=]:'''
** If the drug doesn't exist, it's a FantasticDrug.
** If the drug exists, but is a replacement for a stronger drug, it's a GRatedDrug.
** If the drug exists, but isn't a drug at all, [=~I Can't Believe It's Not Heroin~=].

* '''FetishFuelStationAttendant vs. HelloNurse vs. MsFanservice:'''
** FetishFuelStationAttendant is the character considered attractive to the audience because he or she encompasses a large number of [[TurnOnTropes common, often fetishistic turn-ons]].
** HelloNurse is the character whose attractiveness is designed to [[MaleGaze distract]] other characters.
** MsFanservice is the character whose attractiveness is designed to appeal to the audience.
** Overlap between these three is unsurprisingly common.

* '''{{Filler}} vs. {{Padding}} vs. WackyWaysideTribe:'''
** {{Filler}} is taking a MythArc-based series and interweaving additional stories that ultimately do not influence the MythArc. Sometimes, no one ever references the filler material because it was ''that'' unimportant.
** {{Padding}} is when the normal story is slowed down to a crawl. No side stories are given but characters might just have a [[ContemplateOurNavels long coversation]] before they actually get anything accomplished.
** WackyWaysideTribe is when you are in the midst of the main story when troublesome, unfortunate and unrelated things happen just to give the characters a harder time.

* '''TheFilmOfTheBook vs. TheMovie:'''
** TheMovie is a film spun off from a TV series.
** TheFilmOfTheBook is, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin well,]] [[CaptainObvious guess.]]

* '''TheFilmOfTheSeries vs. TheMovie vs. NonSerialMovie:'''
** TheFilmOfTheSeries uses a different cast. (And is usually out of continuity, unless it's a years-later sequel.)
** TheMovie uses the series cast and is in continuity.
** A NonSerialMovie uses the series cast but is not in continuity.

* '''FiveBadBand vs. ThePsychoRangers vs. QuirkyMinibossSquad:'''
** The FiveBadBand is a team of bad guys who are carefully organized to compliment each others skills. They are most often the primary group of bad guys that the heroes have to defeat and they include specific tropes such as the BigBad and TheDragon.
** ThePsychoRangers are a collective EvilCounterpart to the heroes.
** A QuirkyMinibossSquad are a group of footsoldiers or Lieutenants to the BigBad who can include TheDragon as a leader, but in general are just a collection of skilled warriors to challenge the heroes. Their personality quirk don't necessarily dictate their defining role in the group.

* '''ForgottenPhlebotinum vs. HoldingBackThePhlebotinum vs. ItOnlyWorksOnce vs. PlotInducedStupidity'''
** ForgottenPhlebotinum: They introduced a gimmick in one story, and could have used it later, but they forgot to.
** HoldingBackThePhlebotinum: They introduced a gimmick in one story, and could have used it later, but there's some reason why they can't use it.
** ItOnlyWorksOnce: They introduced a gimmick in one story, and could have used it later, but they explained that it doesn't work any more.
** PlotInducedStupidity: A standard ability of the character could have been used, but they forgot to.

* '''ForHalloweenIAmGoingAsMyself vs. YourCostumeNeedsWork:'''
** ForHalloweenIAmGoingAsMyself is about Halloween, festival or some other occasion where the superhero or paranormal creature can act relatively normal in public.
** YourCostumeNeedsWork is when appearing as yourself fails, invoking the trope name as a phrase.

* '''FragileSpeedster vs. GlassCannon vs. SquishyWizard vs TheMedic:'''
** A FragileSpeedster can't take punishment, but is (supposed to be) fast enough to avoid it.
** A GlassCannon can't take punishment, but can dish it out.
** A SquishyWizard can't take punishment, but has supernatural powers that gives it attack power and/or utilitarian abilities to help it out.
** TheMedic can't take punishment, but can heal up the allies who can.
*** Usually there's overlap.

* ''' FunbagAirbag vs. MarshmallowHell:'''
** MarshmallowHell is when a well-endowed woman deliberately hugs another person, (un)intentionally smushing their head between her boobs.
** FunbagAirbag is an accidental collision between the two, which ends up with pretty much the same position (or a rebound effect).

* '''FunnyAneurysmMoment vs. HarsherInHindsight vs. HilariousInHindsight vs. {{Narm}}:'''
** A FunnyAneurysmMoment is when something originally intended as being funny (or lighthearted or heartwarming) makes people uncomfortable when seen in reruns or looked back upon, because of tragic later events in the series or in [[RealitySubtext real life]].
** HarsherInHindsight is when later events cause a scene that was already dark and disturbing to start with to be become even creepier.
** HilariousInHindsight is when later events (in the fiction or in real life) cause a scene to be even funnier than it previously was.
** A {{Narm}} is a scene that is not intended to be funny to begin with, but ends up being perceived that way for whatever reason.

* '''GameOver vs. KobayashiMario vs. {{Unwinnable}}:'''
** A GameOver is the game declaring ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: You died, ran out of lives, or failed a mission objective, so your game is over.
** A KobayashiMario is an EndlessGame -- you simply continue playing from level to level until you ultimately lose.
** An {{Unwinnable}} situation occurs when something makes it impossible to progress in a game but ''doesn't'' result in a GameOver, forcing you to start over yourself.

* '''GenderBender vs. EasySexChange vs. {{Transsexual}} vs. GenderFlip:'''
** {{Transsexual}} portrays the kind of "sex change" seen in real-life, technically referred to as [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_reassignment_therapy Sex Reassignment Therapy, or SRT]].
** EasySexChange has the trappings of the "realistic" sex change, but portrays it in a more simplified manner, often minimizing the physical, psychological, and/or social issues involved.
** GenderBender changes a character ''completely'' into the opposite sex (usually by magic or AppliedPhlebotinum), almost as if they were born that way to begin with. (A [[FirstLawOfGenderBending man turned into a woman]] would be able to get pregnant, etc.) Wholly impossible in RealLife (apart from a few oddities in the animal kingdom).
** GenderFlip doesn't involve an actual sex change: A character is re-designed, ''out-of-universe'', as the opposite gender of what the audience knew them to be. In-universe, the character actually ''was'' born that way to begin with.

* '''GenocideBackfire vs. NiceJobBreakingItHerod:'''
** GenocideBackfire occurs when a villain wipes out an entire people in order to prevent an uprising. An act which frequently ''causes'' the uprising he was trying to prevent. Can overlap with NiceJobBreakingItHerod if the genocide had a specific target.
** NiceJobBreakingItHerod occurs when a villain targets the person destined to defeat him while he is still too young to protect himself. Can overlap with GenocideBackfire if the villain wipes out the target's entire people to try and get to him.

* '''GoneHorriblyRight vs. GoneHorriblyWrong'''
** GoneHorriblyRight is when the product/experiment has a bad outcome from doing exactly what was intended, either from going further than the creator(s) thought it would, or because of unforeseen consequences of its purpose.
** GoneHorriblyWrong is when an unforeseen glitch causes the product/experiment to have a bad outcome.

* '''GuyInBack'''vs '''{{Wingman}}'''
** The GuyInBack is a member of the same aircraft crew as the main character, but isn't the pilot or co-pilot (where applicable). He isn't flying the plane.
** The {{Wingman}} is the pilot of another plane altogether.

* '''HandWave vs. JustifiedTrope vs. LampshadeHanging vs. VoodooShark''':
** A HandWave is an explanation given for a trope that, well, isn't actually an explanation; it's merely something that the writers tossed in to make it appear as if they had addressed the issue ("The car exploded because of the bullets hitting the fuel tank").
** A JustifiedTrope is when a logical explanation is given for a trope ([[EveryCarIsAPinto "The truck exploded because it was loaded with unspent ordnance"]]).
** A LampshadeHanging makes no attempt at an explanation, it just notes the improbability or impossibility of the trope, and moves on ("Cars don't just explode like that!").
** A VoodooShark is an explanation that actually makes things ''worse'' ("The car exploded because it was loaded with nitroglycerin" - [[FridgeLogic why was the car carrying nitroglycerin, exactly]]?).

* '''HannibalLecture vs. TheReasonYouSuckSpeech'''
** A HannibalLecture involves a lot of analysis deconstructing someone's motivations and is meant to break an opponent's will.
** A TheReasonYouSuckSpeech generally involves more of a reminder of everything that is out in the open, and does not necessarily have a tactical or strategic purpose. It can even be done between people that are supposed to be friends or allies.

* '''HaveANiceDeath vs. [=~It's A Wonderful Failure~=] vs. NonstandardGameOver:'''
** HaveANiceDeath is a regular game over which is mocked in some way by the game itself.
** [=~It's A Wonderful Failure~=] is a regular game over which is accompanied by a drawn-out DownerEnding.
** A NonstandardGameOver is a sudden, unexpected game over which deviates from the standard game mechanics in some way.

* '''HeroicFantasy vs. HighFantasy vs. LowFantasy vs. StandardFantasySetting''':
** HighFantasy features a DarkLord who must be beaten.
** LowFantasy may have a DarkLord, but he is not the BigBad.
** HeroicFantasy centers more around the hero than the DarkLord.
** The StandardFantasySetting is a ''possible'' setting for any of the above genres.

* '''HeterosexualLifePartners vs. HoYay vs. OddCouple:'''
** HeterosexualLifePartners are two people of the same gender who are inseparable, to the point there may be a "breakup episode" or even withdrawals when they are separated.
** HoYay is when interactions between characters of the same gender (usually male) have a homosexual subtext, sometimes (often) only seen by (some of) the fans.
** An OddCouple are two people who are friends but are in general complete opposites, for example a neat freak vs. a slob.

* '''HighOctaneNightmareFuel vs. NightmareFuel:'''
** NightmareFuel is (normally) unintentional things that cause massive amount of terror for children.
** HighOctaneNightmareFuel causes the terror in both children and adults, and often is intentional.

* '''{{Homage}} vs. ShoutOut:'''
** An {{Homage}} is an aspect of a production that directly references something else, whether it be in the designs, character names, or something else that is repeatedly shown.
** A ShoutOut is is a one-time reference that is not a major aspect of the production, just a quick nod.

* '''HonorBeforeReason vs. LawfulStupid:'''
** HonorBeforeReason is when a character does something detrimental to themselves because it's the right thing to do.
** LawfulStupid is when a character does something detrimental to themselves because the rules say they should.
*** Another way to put it is that someone who has Honor Before Reason would give the McGuffin to the Big Bad because he promised. A Lawful Stupid character would work for the Big Bad because said Big Bad managed to become his boss.

* '''HyperAwareness vs. SherlockScan:'''
** HyperAwareness is when a character is actively aware of their surroundings at almost all times, and will often point out events that occured even while they were occupied with something else. Most "Hyper Aware" characters are capable of performing a SherlockScan.
** A character who does a SherlockScan is capable of instantly observing minor details and expanding upon them to make broader and accurate [[strike:deductions]] inductions about a person or location.

* '''IGotBetter vs. ItGetsBetter'''
** IGotBetter is about ''characters'': a character who was at one point dead, mutilated, turned into a newt, etc., has a seemingly miraculous recovery. DisneyDeath meets HandWave.
** ItGetsBetter is about ''works'': A show starts out slow or confusing or otherwise "meh" and improves over time. Compare GrowingTheBeard.

* '''IdiotBall vs. IdiotPlot vs. PlotInducedStupidity:'''
** The IdiotBall is when a singular character behaves stupidly in order for the plot to go forward at all. The full term is "Who has the idiot ball this week?"
** An IdiotPlot is when multiple characters pass the ball between them. One character acts stupidly to another character's stupid act and that is what keeps the dramatic tension.
** PlotInducedStupidity is when the plot gets started just fine, but in order to keep dramatic tension a character or multiple characters miss an obvious clue, forget they have a [[ForgotICouldFly certain superpower]] or forget they actually had a plan for just [[CrazyPrepared such an emergency.]]

* '''IfJesusThenAliens''' vs. '''NoSuchThingAsSpaceJesus''' vs. '''NoSuchThingAsWizardJesus'''
** IfJesusThenAliens refers to the tendency of belief in Jesus to be associated with belief in aliens -- either both beliefs (to show that believers accept anything) or neither (to show that skeptics believe nothing).
** NoSuchThingAsSpaceJesus is when sci-fi beings with great power are treated as aliens, not as genuine gods.
** NoSuchThingAsWizardJesus is when the existence of beings as powerful as religious figures doesn't call into question the divine nature of those figures.
*** Basically, "Space Jesus" and "Wizard Jesus" mean different things -- "Space Jesus" means a being that's in space and divine, and "Wizard Jesus" means a being that's a wizard ''instead'' of being divine.

* '''IgnoreTheFanservice vs. NotDistractedByTheSexy'''
** IgnoreTheFanservice is about an individual character who is not distracted by sexually suggestive displays, especially when they are intentional.
** NotDistractedByTheSexy is when a character wears {{stripperiffic}} outfits in public but ''nobody'' makes any comment about them.

* '''{{Immortality}} vs. MadeOfIron vs. NighInvulnerability'''
** {{Immortality}} lists types; such as NighInvulnerability, [[WeAreAsMayflies Unlimited Longevity]], {{Regeneration}}, StayingAlive, etc.
** MadeOfIron is when the normal human body survives things it really, really shouldn't.
** NighInvulnerability is when this is a specified design, such as a special power, magic, or science. Someone who is ''literally'' made of iron is this.

* '''IncrediblyLamePun vs. StealthPun'''
** An IncrediblyLamePun is an explicitly stated pun, marked as lame in the series by character reaction, LampshadeHanging, context, delivery, or its history of use/overuse.
*** The title is also frequently used in trope descriptions on this site when a glaringly obvious and[=/=]or cheesy pun is made.
** A StealthPun isn't a pun until the association is drawn by the viewer, sometimes after a LateToThePunchline moment.

* '''IJustWantToBeBeautiful vs.BeautifulAllAlong vs. TheMakeover'''
** These tropes are about changing personal appereance.

* '''IncurableCoughOfDeath vs. SoapOperaDisease vs. TheDiseaseThatShallNotBeNamed vs. VictorianNovelDisease'''
** The IncurableCoughOfDeath is a vaguely defined illness with few apparent symptoms aside from coughing that will lead to a character's death.
** A SoapOperaDisease is a vague illness that allows a character to die over a long time and milk the situation for drama.
** TheDiseaseThatShallNotBeNamed is a known disease with known symptoms. However for reasons of social taboo it is never referred to directly.
** VictorianNovelDisease refers to the way that pure-hearted Victorian characters tend to be dying from tuberculosis as the symptoms tie into Victorian concepts of purity.

* '''{{Indexitis}} vs. IndexSyndrome:'''
** {{Indexitis}} covers pages that are actually about medical conditions.
** IndexSyndrome covers pages whose titles sound like the names of medical conditions.

* '''InsufferableGenius vs. TooCleverByHalf:'''
** An InsufferableGenius is a very smart character with a serious attitude problem who annoys the other characters.
** A TooCleverByHalf character is an InsufferableGenius who additionally feels the need to actively prove him/herself, and as a result tends to fail spectacularly.

* '''InstrumentOfMurder vs. MusicalAssassin vs. SenselessViolins''':
** InstrumentOfMurder is when a normal weapon is disguised to look like an instrument.
** MusicalAssassin is when the instrument itself can be used as a weapon, and/or the music it produces can be used to attack.
** SenselessViolins is when a normal weapon is concealed in an instrument case.

* '''InvisibleMainCharacter vs. {{Invisibility}}''':
** InvisibleMainCharacter: Invisibility as a one shot situation, often uncontrolled, and rarely ever mentioned again. Often used to give an actor a vacation.
** {{Invisibility}}: Invisibility as a mostly intentional, stable, reoccuring superpower, such as a magic ring or potion.

* '''IronicEcho vs. MeaningfulEcho:'''
** An IronicEcho occurs when a prominent line of dialogue is repeated in an ironic context -- sometimes changing the meaning to be something opposite, and sometimes showing a character's change of mind.
** A MeaningfulEcho occurs when a minor or easy-to-miss line of dialogue is repeated or alluded to in order to increase the emotional tension of the scene, in order to enhance the meaning the original line already had.

* '''IWantMyJetPack vs. MagicFloppyDisk vs. ScienceMarchesOn vs. TechMarchesOn vs. OurGraphicsWillSuckInTheFuture vs. {{Zeerust}} vs. ZeerustCanon:'''
** IWantMyJetPack is about how a person reacts to futuristic things becoming out of date in real life.
** MagicFloppyDisk is about inventions that are out of date when the work was made.
** ScienceMarchesOn is about science that was state of the art becoming out of date when a work is seen later.
** TechMarchesOn is about inventions that are state of the art becoming out of date when a work is seen later.
** OurGraphicsWillSuckInTheFuture is specifically about computer displays and graphics ''in story'' that are state of the art becoming out of date when a work is seen later.
** {{Zeerust}} is about something that was originally futuristic becoming out of date when the work is seen later.
*** ZeerustCanon is about something futuristic becoming out of date, as in Zeerust, and later prequels or sequels continuing to use it even though it's out of date.

* '''IWillFightSomeMoreForever vs. AttackAttackAttack'''
** IWillFightSomeMoreForever: A character continues to pursue his chosen conflict, be it war or checkers, long after it's clear that they can't win.
** AttackAttackAttack: A character continues to throw himself and/or his forces at an enemy, suffering heavy losses/damage, long after it's clear they can't win.

* '''JumpingTheShark vs. RuinedFOREVER''':
** JumpingTheShark is when fans look back over a series that has suffered a decline in quality and identify the turning point where things started to go downhill.
** RuinedFOREVER is when the latest installment of a series is released and the fans are so unhappy with some element that they issue a knee-jerk declaration that it's a shark jump before anyone can tell if the series is going downhill for sure.

* '''JustifiedTrope vs. TruthInTelevision:''' These may sound similar, but they're completely different.
** A JustifiedTrope is any time a trope is played with an explanation ("He got out of [[CardboardPrison prison]] with [[BatmanGambit his ingenious escape plan]]").
** TruthInTelevision is when a trope is based in some way on reality (for CardboardPrison, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joaquin_Guzman Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán Loera]], a Mexican drug lord, managed to escape a maximum security prison with very little actual effort, although [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney it did cost a whole lot of money]]).
*** ''Using'' TruthInTelevision to justify your trope is sometimes ButItReallyHappened.

* '''[[{{Kawaisa}} Kawaii]] vs. {{Moe}}:'''
** {{Kawaisa}}/Kawaii is anything that appeals to a broad (Japanese) audience thanks to its GenericCuteness.
** {{Moe}} caters to the audience's particular {{fetish}}es and is usually aimed at smaller groups (creating larger thematic diversity).

* '''KickTheDog vs. PokeThePoodle vs. MoralEventHorizon vs. JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope:'''
** KickTheDog is when an action reminds us who the villain is, and is otherwise pointless: evil for evil's sake.
** PokeThePoodle is kicking that's nowhere near extreme enough, so that the villain fails at seeming evil.
** The MoralEventHorizon may be crossed by an action that is or is not a Dog Kick; instead, it is about the sheer moral depravity of the act, to the point that the audience now wants the character who crossed it dead.
** JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope is when a previously-ambiguous character does something clearly villainous, so the hero is free to stop them [[DebateAndSwitch without debating the morality]] of the earlier, ambiguous behavior.

* '''KillEmAll vs. RocksFallEveryoneDies:'''
** KillEmAll occurs when cast members are bumped off regularly over the course of a series' storyline.
** RocksFallEveryoneDies happens when a high number of characters are abruptly killed off at once, usually to [[OffTheRails force an ending]].

* '''KillItWithFire vs. PlayingWithFire:'''
** KillItWithFire is about fire being able to permanently destroy otherwise NighInvulnerable foes.
** PlayingWithFire is about attacking with fire generally.

* '''KnightInSourArmor''' v '''[[TheSnarkKnight SnarkKnight, The]]'''
** A KnightInSourArmor, so to speak, will fight nobly for a world despite being very cynical about it.
** TheSnarkKnight as a trope is strongly identified with a [[{{Daria}} a high school character who was the trope namer]], but generally is a snide and sarcastic about everyone because they hold people, him or herself included, to such a high standard.

* '''KnightTemplar vs. TheKnightsTemplar:'''
** KnightTemplar is any villain (or sometimes a villainous organization) who believes himself to be completely in the right--usually former good guys who turn tyrannical in the pursuit of justice.
** TheKnightsTemplar were a RealLife religious order founded during the Crusades, accused of self-righteous villainy and turning tyrannical in the pursuit of justice.

* '''TheKobayashiMaru vs. TrainingAccident:'''
** TheKobayashiMaru is when the character knows it's a drill, but the audience doesn't.
** TrainingAccident is when the character think it's a drill, then that it isn't, then finds out it always was. The audience may or may not know; they might guess.

* '''{{Kuudere}} vs. {{Tsundere}} vs. {{Yandere}} vs. {{Yangire}}:'''
** A {{Kuudere}} appears cold at first, but is softer and more loving underneath.
** A {{Tsundere}} comes in two variants:
*** A Type A acts angry or aloof, but has a softer side that can (usually) be triggered by specific people.
*** A Type B is nice and affectionate by default, but can be aggressive on occasion. Note that the Type B {{Tsundere}} will be far more stable than the {{Yangire}} or {{Yandere}}.
** A {{Yandere}} is a character who may appear sweet on the surface, but underneath is obsessive or even psychotic over someone they love.
** A {{Yangire}} is a character whose sweetness hides a violent or psychotic side. Unlike the {{Yandere}}, the reason for this violent side does not have to be related to love.

* '''{{Kuudere}} vs. TinMan'''
** A {{Kuudere}} is a character, usually female, that comes off as unemotional at first, often with some elements of TheSpock, yet has a sweet, cute, and nurturing side that is there all along but that she rarely shows.
** A TinMan ''claims'' to have no emotions, yet their actions directly contradict this. It is clear to the audience that the character was [[TheMcCoy ruled by their emotions]] all along. Has a much higher chance of being male than the {{Kuudere}}.

* '''LeeroyJenkins vs. SpannerInTheWorks vs. SwissMessenger:'''
** The SpannerInTheWorks destroys the BigBad's evil plan by doing something [[DidntSeeThatComing he didn't expect]].
** The SwissMessenger destroys the protagonists' plans by doing ''one tiny thing'' that ruins everything.
** The LeeroyJenkins destroys the plan by charging in too early.

* '''IntoxicationEnsues vs. MushroomSamba:'''
** In a IntoxicationEnsues, a character (un)knowingly ingests drugs and begins ''acting strangely''.
** In a MushroomSamba, a character ingests drugs (unknowingly or otherwise) and begins ''hallucinating wildly''.
*** Overlap is common, but a character in a IntoxicationEnsues will often react strangely to real-world situations, while a character in a MushroomSamba may react perfectly rationally to nonexistent stimuli.

* '''LukeIAmYourFather vs. LukeYouAreMyFather'''
** LukeIAmYourFather: A character reveals that he/she is the parent of another character.
** LukeYouAreMyFather: A character reveals that he/she is the child of another character.

* '''MeanwhileInTheFuture vs. PortalToThePast vs. SanDimasTime'''
** PortalToThePast: There is a permanent portal linking two different times together. Most likely, one hour on one side of the portal equals one hour on the other side, but dilations are possible.
** SanDimasTime: The characters behave as if spending an hour in another time means that they will have to return to the point in time that is one hour after when they left. This is not explained or reflected upon, and is probably false.
** MeanwhileInTheFuture: The narrator treats two different plot threads in different times as if they were happening simultaneously, despite the fact that the plot thread in the past is going to be resolved long before the thread in the future starts (using chronological time).

* '''MightyWhitey vs. [=~White Man's Burden~=]'''
** MightyWhitey is when a Caucasian hero encounters a foreign culture, and soon becomes the most skilled member of the group.
** [=~White Man's Burden~=] is a plot where a Caucasian [[TheEveryman Everyman]] meets an underprivileged non-white character, then selflessly works to improve that person's lot in life.

* '''MoralDissonance vs. WhatTheHellHero vs. ValuesDissonance:'''
** MoralDissonance is when a hero acts immorally, [[JerkAss jerkishly]], or just plain against their character, but other characters don't notice or recognize it that way.
** WhatTheHellHero is when the action is not only noticed and recognized by all characters, but has fallout inside the show.
** ValuesDissonance is when the characters act normally for their culture of origin, but viewers outside the setting don't recognize that as "normal".

* '''MoralityChain vs. MoralityPet'''
** a MoralityChain is someone special to the BloodKnight whose strict moral creed is the ''only'' thing keeping them from being a CompleteMonster and slaughtering everybody.
** A MoralityPet is someone special to a Jerkass or BloodKnight who presents the opportunity to show some leeway towards heroism or at least peaceful co-existence with heros and neutrals. (and the audience may like the character more).

* '''MorphWeapon vs. ShapeshifterWeapon:'''
** A MorphWeapon is one that changes its shape at will.
** If the weapon is also a part of the user's body, then it's a ShapeshifterWeapon.

* '''MyNaymeIs vs. SpellMyNameWithAnS''':
** MyNaymeIs deals with names that are intentionally spelled in an unusual fashion.
** SpellMyNameWithAnS revolves around unusual name spellings or disagreements over name spelling resulting from translation issues.

* '''MySignificanceSenseIsTingling''' vs. '''SpiderSense''' vs. '''AStormIsComing''':
** MySignificanceSenseIsTingling indicates awareness that some event with major repercussions ''has'' happened.
** SpiderSense warns of danger that is ''about to'' strike.
** AStormIsComing is a sense that some major cataclysm is on the way, but not right here and now.

* '''NarrowParody vs. ShallowParody:'''
** NarrowParody parodies [[{{Nohamotyo}} really recent things]] (in extreme cases, the parody's target in question might not have been even ''released'' yet)
** ShallowParody is when the writers clearly DidNotDoTheResearch and wind up with the film equivalent of CowboyBebopAtHisComputer.

* '''NegativeContinuity vs. StatusQuoIsGod:'''
** With NegativeContinuity, the status quo ''does'' change quite a bit, but it has absolutely no effect on further stories.
** StatusQuoIsGod refers to the tendency of series to avoid doing anything that would cause the status quo to change, or if it does change, to undo those changes as quickly as possible.

* '''NietzscheWannabe vs. {{Ubermensch}}:'''
** An {{Ubermensch}} is someone who has discarded conventional moral and social restraints and often seeks to elevate himself over humanity or MakeABetterWorld. Nietzsche's actual philosophy.
** A NietzscheWannabe is someone who takes "life is meaningless" to its ultimate extreme, becoming nihilistic and/or hedonistic and often engaging in wanton destruction to prove his point. TheThemeParkVersion of Nietzsche's philosophy.

* '''NoOneCouldSurviveThat vs. NotQuiteDead vs. StayingAlive:'''
** NoOneCouldSurviveThat is when a character is assumed to be dead, but without adequate proof.
** NotQuiteDead is when that character is revealed to have survived the incident, often with a good explanation.
** StayingAlive is when the character ''dies'' beyond the shadow of a doubt, and simply returns later, often ''without'' a good explanation

* '''TheMario vs. MasterOfNone'''
** When a character's strength is that he has no weaknesses, he's TheMario.
** When a character's weakness is that he has no strengths, he's the MasterOfNone.

* '''NotDrawnToScale vs. YouFailEngineeringForever'''
** NotDrawnToScale has to do with inconsistent depictions of a character or structure's physical features relative to other characters or structures.
** YouFailEngineeringForever is when a structure is completely impossible and likely to collapse, unless it's being done [[{{Bizarrchitecture}} on purpose.]]

* '''OneMarioLimit vs. OneSteveLimit''':
** OneMarioLimit is when a name becomes so famous, any other characters with that same name will bring to mind that character.
** OneSteveLimit is when no two characters in a series have similar-sounding names.

* '''OneWingedAngel vs. SequentialBoss vs. TurnsRed:'''
** SequentialBoss is when a boss dramatically changes form, and can usually be regarded as a separate BossBattle.
** OneWingedAngel is a special type of SequentialBoss that takes a godlike form, usually reserved for the BigBad.
** TurnsRed is when a boss or enemy simply becomes more aggressive\difficult when it runs low on health or numbers.

* '''OnlyIdiotsMayPass vs. StupidityIsTheOnlyOption vs. ViolationOfCommonSense''':
** OnlyIdiotsMayPass is where the game requires the player to perform an erroneous or unnecessary action despite a better option that should be available, usually because the player isn't expected to use the better option yet.
** StupidityIsTheOnlyOption is where the game requires the player to perform a visibly stupid, immoral or illogical action, and then punishes the player for doing it.
** ViolationOfCommonSense is where the game requires the player to perform a visibly stupid, immoral or illogical action, and then rewards the player for doing it.

* '''OrgasmicCombat vs. SexIsViolence'''
** OrgasmicCombat is when a combat scene begins to ''sound'' [[IfYouKnowWhatIMean more like something else]].
** SexIsViolence is when one or more of the combatants is actually sexually aroused by the fight.

* '''ThePowerOfCheese vs. TooIncompetentToOperateABlanket:'''
** ThePowerOfCheese is the people in a commercial doing stupid, dangerous or crazy things because the product is ''just that good''.
** TooIncompetentToOperateABlanket is when the ad attempts to convince the audience that they need the product by showing people having severe difficulty doing the task "the old way". The Old Way usually involves something as simple as a colander, a pair of scissors, or a blanket.

* '''PsychoSupporter vs. {{Yandere}}''':
** The PsychoSupporter supports another character's opinions and goals because he or she is insane.
** The {{Yandere}} is someone who goes AxCrazy over someone they love, or loves because he or she is insane -- the [[ClingyJealousGirl clingy jealous person]] gone violent, if you will.
*** Note that the two tropes may not be mutually exclusive, unlike other cases of subtle trope distinctions.

* '''PsychoticSmirk vs. SlasherSmile''':
** A PsychoticSmirk is a small smile that usually doesn't show teeth and gives the character an air of smug superiority.
** A SlasherSmile shows teeth and gives the character an overtly malicious / insane appearance, or enhances what's already there.

* '''TheQuietOne vs. TheSpeechless vs. SilentBob vs. TheVoiceless''':
** TheQuietOne can talk but will only do so to deliver a WhoopiEpiphanySpeech or something equally profound.
** TheSpeechless is a character who ''never'' talks, '''ever'''. They might be mute, but normally aren't and simply choose never to talk. If TheSpeechless ever talks, he becomes TheQuietOne.
** SilentBob is also functionally the Speechless, but he communicates (often very "verbosely") through his body language, especially if it involves facial expressions.
** TheVoiceless is functionally TheSpeechless, except he talks plenty...only it's always offscreen. Usually done for laughs with characters commenting on how he's a chatterbox.

* '''ReignOfTerror vs. TheThermidor'''. Both deal with revolutions against an established government.