Line #92 Main/ExploitedTrope


1	Sometimes it's obvious a {{trope}} is going to happen. This is for when a character knows a trope is going to happen, or is happening already, but rather than trying to [[DefiedTrope deny]], change, or even [[InvokedTrope hasten]] the trope, this character instead decides to take advantage of it.
2
3	Perhaps a {{Mook}} knows they're turning good, but also realizes RedemptionEqualsDeath. So they use their upcoming death as a ThanatosGambit against the BigBad. Or a girl in a romantic comedy knows whom she will end up with, and knowing that the other guy feels that IJustWantMyBelovedToBeHappy, helps get another girl to be noticed by that guy. Whatever the case, doing so usually requires the character to be at least a little GenreSavvy; similarly, the mark of a WrongGenreSavvy character is often that they [[SubvertedTrope attempt to do this but fail]].
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5	Note that a clever character might also take into account the upcoming trope might be a trick, and this is a SubvertedTrope. Thus that character might [[XanatosGambit plan for either outcome]].
6
7	Compare InvokedTrope (which is deliberately trying to make a trope happen), FlawExploitation.
8
9	Contrast DefiedTrope.
10	----
11	!!Trope relationships:
12	* CareerBuildingBlunder exploits MyGreatestFailure and MyGreatestSecondChance.
13	* DeliberatelyDistressedDamsel and WoundedGazelleGambit exploit DamselInDistress.
14	* FlawExploitation (as the name implies) exploits the trope FatalFlaw.
15	* ParodyRetcon exploits PoesLaw.
16	* SummonBiggerFish exploits AlwaysABiggerFish.
17	!!Examples:
18	[[foldercontrol]]
19	[[folder:Advertising]]
20	* In recent years, Bud Light commercials adopted the formula that whenever the eponymous drink gets involved, someone says, [[PhraseCatcher "Here we go!"]] For UsefulNotes/SuperBowl XLVI, a Bud Light commercial is released involving a rescue dog named Weego who fetches Bud Light bottles and kegs whenever someone calls for him. ("Here, Weego!")
21	* On a similar note, a series of Discover Card commercials with the slogan "We treat you like you'd treat you" have featured someone phoning a Discover customer-service center, and speaking to a service person who's played by the same actor as themselves. Once this pattern became well-established, they released one in which the service person is ''not'' a metaphor for service-quality, but the caller's actual twin sister.
22	[[/folder]]
23	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
24	* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': [[TheChessmaster Aizen]] once exploited HiddenDisdainReveal. When he revealed he was EvilAllAlong, his Captain, Shinji, freely admits he always knew that Aizen was a bad guy and he never liked him, and had in fact only chosen Aizen as his lieutenant to keep an eye on him. In response, Aizen smugly reveals that that's exactly what he was counting on when he replaced himself with a doppelganger months ago; since Shinji never liked Aizen or got to know him, he was unable to [[SpottingTheThread notice any strange behavior after the switch]], so he never caught on to it.
25	* ''Anime/DigimonAdventure'': During the episode "The Arrival of Skullgreymon", Tai exploits DefenceMechanismSuperpower by [[WoundedGazelleWarcry deliberately putting himself in harm's way]], knowing that one of the requirements of Digivolution is that the Digimon's human partner has to be in danger. It [[GoneHorriblyRight works too well]]; Greymon [[SuperpoweredEvilSide dark digivolves]] into [[DemBones SkullGreymon]] and goes on a rampage.
26	* ''Manga/DragonBallZ'':
27	** During the Frieza Saga, Vegeta exploits CameBackStrong by having Krillin mortally wound him and then having Dende [[HealingHands heal]] him, knowing that Saiyans get power boosts upon recovering from near-fatal injuries. Unfortunately, while he ''does'' get much stronger, it's still not nearly enough to make a difference against Frieza.
28	** Cell exploits Vegeta's {{pride}} and BloodKnight attitude to convince him to help Cell absorb Android 18 and reach his perfect form, knowing that Vegeta can't resist the challenge. Vegeta does so, and Cell proceeds to kick his ass without even trying. While he does so, Cell even takes the time to rub it in Vegeta's face, [[LampshadeHanging remarking that he never would have been able to reach his perfect form were it not for Vegeta's arrogance and stupidity]].
29	** Android 16 exploits LogicalWeakness when fighting Cell. Since he's fully mechanical, Cell's [[TheAssimilator bio-extraction ability]] will not work on him; thus, Cell can't just [[CuttingTheKnot absorb him for an easy win]].
30	** Goku's entire plan to defeat Cell hinges on Gohan's PsychoactivePowers; he knows that Gohan is at his strongest when he's angry, and is counting on Cell to ''make'' Gohan angry.
31	** Cell himself exploits AndYourLittleDogToo for the purpose of angering Gohan and getting him to unleash his hidden power [[ChallengeSeeker for the sake of a challenge]]. Since Gohan refuses to get angry and unleash his power no matter what Cell does to ''him'', he decides to spawn seven Cell Jrs. and [[ForcedToWatch make Gohan watch]] as he sics them on the Z-Fighters, to see if ''that'' will make him angry. The final straw is when he crushes Android 16's head underfoot right in front of Gohan, and Cell [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor gets what he wanted]].
32	** In the Buu Saga, Piccolo, in a desperate attempt to stall for time while Goten and Trunks train, attempts to exploit DeathIsCheap by telling Buu that he can pass the time for his opponent to be ready by killing the remaining humans on Earth, knowing that the Dragon Balls can be used to bring everyone back; this backfires when Buu proceeds to use a BeamSpam attack, fittingly called the "[[KillAllHumans Human Extinction Attack]]", to kill every last human on Earth in less than two minutes, without even bothering to leave Kami's Lookout in the process.
33	** Piccolo successfully exploits YearInsideHourOutside shortly after this by having Trunks and Goten train in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber; though he can only stall Buu for a few minutes at most, those few minutes enable Trunks and Goten to get several hours worth of training.
34	* ''Manga/{{InuYasha}}'': During Sango's introductory arc, [[BigBad Naraku]] makes an effort to exploit ImmunityDisability and FeelNoPain. After manipulating Sango into believing that Inuyasha attacked her village and slaughtered everyone there for the [[MacGuffin Shikon Jewel shard]] Sango had found earlier (unsurprisingly, Naraku was the real culprit), he embeds another shard in her body that completely negates her ability to feel pain, intending that she'll fight Inuyasha to the death without ever realizing how badly she was hurt. Indeed, she doesn't even notice she's ''bleeding out'' until Inuyasha calls attention to her wounds.
35	* ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureBattleTendency'': As a CombatPragmatist through and through, Joseph Joestar has exploited a trope on more than one occasion.
36	** When fighting Straizo, a vampire, he swiftly hides behind him while facing a mirror. Because vampires have a MissingReflection, Straizo only sees Joseph in the mirror, and doesn't immediately realize that it's only his reflection, leaving him open to a sneak attack.
37	** Later, Joseph faces the Pillar Men, a type of [[OurVampiresAreDifferent super-vampire]] far above what Joseph can handle. However, during the battle, he recognizes that they're a ProudWarriorRace, so he buys himself some time by begging them for a chance to train so he can become a WorthyOpponent to them. They accept, giving him one month to master his [[SupernaturalMartialArts Hamon]].
38	* One case in ''Manga/TheKindaichiCaseFiles'' revolves on exploiting OrgyOfEvidence. The culprit not only creates two incidents with items related to them scattered around and spreads rumor of their familial connection to the crime scene building's dark history, they also lock themselves in one of the murder crime scene. Kindaichi, hired by the culprit themselves to investigate the first incident, automatically assumes that no one in their right mind will leave so much incriminating evidence against themselves and operates under the assumption that the culprit is innocent. This is done so that the culprit is arrested as prime suspect by police in order to give them alibi for the second murder and to make sure they're off the hook the moment a plausible explanation to why they're locked in the crime scene together with the first victim is made (by Kindaichi, of course). Sure enough, suspicion immediately falls off the culprit when the third victim is found with a suicide note detailing how the case is a mass-suicide staged by the victims to kill the culprit's reputation. However, Kindaichi discovering an accidental clue makes him reevaluate his deduction that ultimately ends with the culprit's arrest.
39	* ''Manga/OnePiece'': On one occasion, a DarkActionGirl exploited WouldntHitAGirl to delay Sanji from saving Robin, knowing that Sanji won't fight a girl [[HonorBeforeReason even to save his own life]].
40	* In ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'', each town [[InexplicablyIdenticalIndividuals inexplicably has an identical]] Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny, all from a common family. [[TheBarnum The Magikarp Salesman]], a recurring con-artist who tries to sell useless Pokémon to James, tries to pass himself off as a similar family to assure wary marks, but he's actually the same guy each time.
41	* ''Manga/SaintSeiya'': whenever he dies, Phoenix Ikki [[ResurrectiveImmortality comes back to life]] and [[CameBackStrong is twice as strong]], so when facing the next to invincible Shaka his plan hinged on making sure he got ''killed'', and not simply knocked out, enough times to become stronger than his opponent. Much to Ikki's horror, Shaka caught on this and decided to remove his senses.
42	* ''Literature/{{Shimoneta}}'': Ayame uses [[ModestyBedsheet a bedsheet]] as her 'Blue Snow' disguise, because she knows the Morals Decency Squad [[LoopholeAbuse can't touch her, without risk of exposing her body.]] Plus, they'd potentially implicate themselves with a minor (Ayame is 17), which allows her to run right by them without fear of being caught.
43	* ''Literature/SwordArtOnline'': At one point, a character named Grimlock exploits DeceasedFallGuyGambit by arranging for the Laughing Coffin guild to kill his wife, expecting that when the game ends, [[BigBad Akihiko Kayaba]] will be blamed for anyone who dies since ''he'' was the one who set up the death game in the first place.
44	[[/folder]]
45	[[folder:Comic Books]]
46	* Some incarnations of ComicBook/{{Batman}} actively cultivate and exploit the HeroWithBadPublicity trope because it lends credit to him being far more ruthless than he actually is, therefore [[TheDreaded scarier]] to criminals.
47	* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'':
48	** ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'': Sonic once ended up on the losing end of a CurbStompBattle when Eggman used a suit of PoweredArmor that was specifically designed to counter and defeat Sonic. The next time he tries, Sonic brings the other Freedom Fighters and Team Chaotix along. Eggman breaks the armor out again, but the suit was designed to outfight Sonic, ''and only Sonic''. Thus, Sonic exploits the CripplingOverspecialization of the armor in the second encounter, and it's Eggman that ends up on the end of a CurbStompBattle.
49	** ''ComicBook/SonicTheComic'': In one story, Sonic faces off against Predicto, a robot that Robotnik programmed to predict Sonic's every move and counter it. When faced with this, Sonic ultimately gives up. Having been programmed to believe that [[HeroicResolve Sonic would]] ''[[HeroicResolve never]]'' [[HeroicResolve give up]], Predicto suffers a LogicBomb and self-destructs... which is exactly what Sonic expected him to do.
50	* ''LeagueOfChampions'': Icestar is captured and tied up by the villain, who subjects the hero to several panels of EvilGloating. Once the villain has explained his plan, Icestar effortlessly breaks free.
51	[[/folder]]
52
53	[[folder:Fan Fiction]]
54	* ''Fanfic/TheAccidentalWarlordAndHisPack'': To give the husband hunters an unfriendly welcome to Kaer Morhen without causing a dipomatic incident Geralt and Eskel wear their spikiest black armor and light only half of the braziers and torches to ensure the hall is as ominous and unsettling as possible when the women first enter by exploiting SpikesOfVillainy and EvilIsNotWellLit.
55	* In the ''Manga/LoveHina'' fic ''FanFic/AnAlternateKeitaroUrashima'', Motoko's GirlPosse, after being rightfully told off by Keitaro, exploit PoorCommunicationKills by deliberately withholding the full story, knowing that Motoko will jump to conclusions and assume that Keitaro assaulted them. Unfortunately for them, it backfires, and Motoko is subsequently arrested and charged with attempted assault with a deadly weapon, with said GirlPosse being arrested as accessories; Motoko is genuinely shocked to subsequently discover that her posse lied and Keitaro never touched them.
56	* In one episode of ''Fanfic/CalvinAndHobbesTheSeries'', Calvin exploits Jack's ability to [[PullingThemselvesTogether pull himself together]] to fit him in his backpack.
57	* In ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' fanfic ''Fanfic/DirtySympathy'' Klavier uses his StrongFamilyResemblance to his brother, Kristoph by disguising himself as him to frame him for murder.
58	* ''FanFic/RosarioVampireBrightestDarkness Act III'' has the bullies at Yokai Academy exploit AdultsAreUseless and SelectiveEnforcement. Headmaster Mikogami repeatedly does next to nothing about the various bullies and {{Jerkass}}es who deliberately go out of their way to torment and harass Tsukune and his friends, but punishes Tsukune and co. for [[CrimeOfSelfDefense simply acting in legitimate self-defense]] against said bullies and Jerkasses, to the extent that he threatens to separate them if they get into another fight. Needless to say, the other students quickly find out and use it to their advantage to actively harass and taunt Tsukune's crew without fear of retribution, gloating they can't do anything or they'll dig themselves in deeper with the headmaster; this climaxes when [[CameraFiend Nagare Kano]] exploits it to blackmail the girls into letting him take dirty pictures of them and nearly rape them. After Kano is dealt with and he learns of all this, Mikogami thankfully wises up and reinstates their right to defend themselves so it doesn't happen again.
59	* In ''Fanfic/TotalDramaCodysRedemption'' Lindsay exploits the InnocentFanserviceGirl trope in order to get away with openly trying to seduce Cody into being her boyfriend. This lets her [[MarshmallowHell hug]] Cody into her chest as often as possible, perform a [[AllGuysWantCheerleaders cheer routine]] that shows off her hotness with lots of bouncing around, and all manner of arousing things to Cody without anyone figuring out that she's doing it on purpose, because they think she is too naive and air headed to realize what she is doing.
60	[[/folder]]
61
62	[[folder:Film (Animated)]]
63	* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Tangled}}'' Flynn and Rapunzel exploit the PowerGlows trope when they use her MagicHair to find a way out of a flooding cave.
64	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen\|2013}}'' had [[spoiler:Prince Hans]] exploit the trope of [[spoiler:LoveAtFirstSight]] in order to lure the target in and get exactly what they want: [[spoiler: to marry the naive Anna and depose her sister Queen Elsa to take over the kingdom.]]
65	* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'', Pumbaa and especially Timon exploit PredatorTurnedProtector when they raise the orphaned lion cub Simba. While Pumbaa feels sorry for the poor cub, Timon initially refuses to adopt him due to his fear of the young predator, and changes his mind only when he realizes Simba can defend them from other predators. Which he does when Pumbaa is attacked by the hungry lioness Nala.
66	* ''WesternAnimation/AladdinTheReturnOfJafar'': Throughout the movie, Jafar exploits MurderByInaction, knowing that while the [[OurGeniesAreDifferent genie]] rules [[ThouShaltNotKill prevent him from directly killing anyone]], there's [[LoopholeAbuse nothing stopping him from setting up proxies and indirect assassination attempts where he technically doesn't lay a finger on Aladdin]].
67	* Being a movie about the DeliveryStork who has instead decided to make ''package'' deliveries, ''WesternAnimation/{{Storks}}'' has the heroes make use of InstantHomeDelivery [[spoiler:at the end, when they need to rush to Cornerstore.com and catch up with Hunter, who has abducted the baby they were delivering.]]
68	* In ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', Mei's parents exploit the CutenessOverload of a box of kittens to test her emotional control.
69	[[/folder]]
70	[[folder:Film (Live-Action)]]
71	* In ''Film/TheDarkKnight'', Harvey Dent manages to take control of dramatic events at a trial and turn them to his advantage, effectively exploiting UnconventionalCourtroomTactics. An accused gangster tries to shoot him in the middle of the trial - Dent promptly punches and disarms him, stunning the entire court. When the judge calls for a recess, Dent hams it up: "Your honor, I'm not finished!"
72	* When Tom is [[EveryoneChasingYou chased by half the student body]] in ''{{Film/PCU}}'', he hides from them, and then realizes The Pit needs lots of people at their party, so they can raise money. He then gets the people to chase him to the party.
73	* ''Film/FreddyVsJason'': Lori and her friends make an effort to exploit HomeFieldAdvantage by moving both [[Franchise/ANightmareOnElmStreet Freddy]] and [[Franchise/FridayThe13th Jason]] to Camp Crystal Lake for their showdown; since no one knows the campgrounds better than Jason himself, the odds are in his favor.
74	* In ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit'', Roger, depressed after learning that his wife was cheating on him[[note]]she was actually forced to do it[[/note]], is offered a shot of whiskey to drown his sorrows. Problem is, he [[CantHoldHisLiquor Can't Hold His Liquor]], and a shot results in him [[ToonPhysics turning into a blaring steam whistle]] for several seconds, causing chaos in the room. After Roger gets caught by the villains in the bar and is about to get killed, Eddie Valiant exploits Roger's trait by suggesting the villains to allow Roger to have one last shot of bourbon, which once again resulted in a whistle and distracted everyone so Eddie and Roger could escape safely.
75	[[/folder]]
76	[[folder:Literature]]
77	* ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'': On several occasions, the Animorphs exploit [[BigBad Visser Three]]'s status as a BadBoss, knowing that his leadership makes the Yeerks less effective. Indeed, it works to their advantage on multiple occasions; more than once, some of the Visser's subordinates have found evidence that the Animorphs were in fact humans, due to such clues as a pair of jeans floating in the sea after a confrontation by a beach. However, due to their fear of the Visser's intolerance and possible wrath, they choose not to question his beliefs (Visser Three was firmly convinced that the Animorphs could ''only'' be Andalites due to his belief that the Andalites would ''never'' share their technology, especially the [[VoluntaryShapeshifting morphing technology]], with other species).
78	* In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows,'' the Death Eaters [[spoiler: exploit TheScottishTrope by enchanting Voldemort's name so that saying it summons their enforcers. This is because throughout most of the series, only Harry has been brave enough to say the name exclusively and without hesitation, and everyone else defaults to "You-Know-Who" or "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."]]
79	* In ''Literature/TheScumVillainsSelfSavingSystemRenZhaFanpaiZijiuXitong'', when he and his disciples were kidnapped by a [[MonsterOfTheWeek villain-of-the-week]]-esque demon, the transmigrated Shen Qingqiu has no qualms into exploiting the PlotArmor surrounding the original protagonist Luo Binghe by directing the demon to try and attack the poor boy. Said attempt ends in a roof support column inexplicably collapsing above the demon, which also frees Luo Binghe and distracts the demon long enough for the boy to free Shen Qingqiu.
80	[[/folder]]
81	[[folder:Live Action TV]]
82	* In ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia'': A character exploits HeIsAllGrownUp. He [[DisproportionateRetribution gets revenge]] on the girls who broke up with him on high school because of his acne problem by [[NewOldFlame going out with them again]], pretending to be in love with them, and planning a wedding with them only to [[RunawayGroom leave them right before]].
83	* ''Series/{{Angel}}'':
84	** In the ''After the Fall'' comics, Gunn ([[AndThenJohnWasAZombie who, by this time is a vampire]]) takes advantage of Connor's [[LikesOlderWomen liking for older women]] by sending in Gwen Raiden to [[HoneyTrap get close to him]] and act as the team's [[TheMole mole]].
85	** In the TV series' GrandFinale, Angel himself exploits EvilCannotComprehendGood by willingly signing away his right to the Shanshu Prophecy, as the Circle of the Black Thorn cannot understand that Angel would do good for [[ForGreatJustice its own sake]] rather than for the prospect of a divine reward.
86	** Near the end of the ''After the Fall'' comics, Angel exploits IWantThemAlive by provoking Gunn into killing him, knowing that the [[GreaterScopeVillain Senior Partners]]' entire EvilPlan hinges on corrupting him to their side. As a result, the Partners are forced to hit the ResetButton to undo all of the time that Los Angeles was in Hell, which is exactly what Angel expected them to do.
87	** In Dark Horse's ''Angel & Faith'' comics, Angel also exploits MoralityPet by having Faith around. As he explains, the main reason he keeps Faith around is so she can act as what he didn't have during his tenure as [[BigBad Twilight]] in ''Buffy'' Season Eight: a friend he trusted to stop him from JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope.
88	** Later in ''Angel & Faith'', Angel exploits KissOfTheVampire to stop a rampaging [[SuperpoweredEvilSide Dark Willow]]. As he explains, a vampire's bite stimulates the brain's pleasure centers, and the sensation was able to calm Willow down.
89	* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': In "[[SeriesFauxnale The Gift]]," Buffy and the Scoobies make an effort to exploit WhenThePlanetsAlign. The fifth season's BigBad, Glory, is a PhysicalGod who's nigh-impossible to kill outright. But since the ritual to use the Key can ''only'' be performed at a specific time and place, they just need to [[HoldTheLine keep Glory occupied with a series of improvised tactics and attacks until her window of opportunity passes]]. [[spoiler:Unfortunately, her minion Doc takes it upon himself to perform the ritual for her when she's running late]].
90	* Patrick Jane from ''Series/TheMentalist'' exploits two examples of the AttentionWhore against each other when he tricks The San Joaquin Killer into badmouthing Red John on TV. In the next scene, the San Joaquin Killer winds up gruesomely murdered, Red John-style.
91	[[/folder]]
92	[[folder:Music]]
93	* Music/WesleyWillis exploited EvenEvilHasStandards by writing songs about {{bestiality\|IsDepraved}}, which disgusted the demons that tormented him.
94	[[/folder]]
95	[[folder:Video Games]]
96	* ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'': A big part of the series is Yuki Terumi exploiting HateSink. Virtually everyone in-universe hates him, with several people in particular wanting him dead... and Terumi actually goes out of his way to ''cultivate'' others' hatred for him, because [[ThePowerOfHate he feeds on it to stay anchored to the world and power himself up]].
97	* ''VideoGame/EndlessSky'': [[spoiler:In the ScavengerWorld of the Ember Wastes, the Remnant exploit AlienInvasion by ''actually baiting'' the [[HigherTechSpecies higher-tech]] Korath Raiders to invade their space, since the tech salvaged from any Korath ships they manage to destroy is worth to them much more than the supplies they leave for Korath to plunder.]]
98	* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'': Throughout the game, Tidus exploits AmnesiacHero and LaserGuidedAmnesia, pretending to have lost his memories of everything in Spira to cover up the fact that he really ''doesn't'' know a thing about it.
99	* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'', you find out that [[spoiler:[[GodInHumanForm Zelda/Hylia]] herself]] exploited Link's series-common trait of TheDeterminator. [[spoiler:She knew that if it meant rescuing Zelda from danger, he would go to any lengths to ensure it, without any thought of his own safety. All of this was to ensure that he would be able to wield the Triforce in order to vanquish [[GodOfEvil Demise]]... [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone but this doesn't mean she didn't feel intense remorse for doing so]], and, as such, [[MustMakeAmends sealed herself in sleep for thousands of years]] to maintain the seal on Demise so that Link could have more time to permanently finish the job.]]
100	* GDI turns the tables on Nod in ''[[VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberianDawn Tiberian Dawn]]'' by exploiting Kane's HeroWithBadPublicity media manipulations -- they play up the effectiveness of the manipulation, making it appear as if the Security Council has suspended GDI's funding pending an investigation. The reality is that the Security Council held back the funding because GDI's commanding officer ''asked them'' to, baiting Nod into launching a full-scale offensive... just in time for the commanding officer to return with an ''enlarged'' budget for GDI.
101	* ''VideoGame/SlyCooper'': Both [[VideoGame/SlyCooperAndTheThieviusRaccoonus Clockwerk]] and [[VideoGame/SlyCooperThievesInTime Le Paradox]] have exploited AlwaysSaveTheGirl by holding [[LoveInterest Carmelita Fox]] hostage, knowing that Sly will run to her rescue no matter how obvious the trap is.
102	* Organization XIII's entire EvilPlan in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' hinged on using Sora's ChronicHeroSyndrome to their advantage; indeed, even when Sora is informed that slaying TheHeartless enables the Organization to collect the released hearts and he's [[NiceJobBreakingItHero helping their plan along by doing so]], he just can't sit back and let the creatures hurt innocent people. They also exploit AlwaysSaveTheGirl by kidnapping [[LoveInterest Kairi]], knowing that with Kairi's life in danger, Sora will be that much more motivated to fight Heartless.
103	* ''VideoGame/MadouMonogatari II'': [[ActionGirl Arle]] exploits DistractedByTheSexy in order to snag the key to her prison cell from some demonic guards and escape the dungeon she got thrown in at the start.
104	* ''VideoGame/Persona4Arena'': General Teddie exploits BigBrotherInstinct by claiming he has Nanako, Yu's cousin, captive, knowing that Nanako's safety is one of Yu's top priorities and will motivate him to participate in the P-1 Grand Prix.
105	* ''VideoGame/VegaStrike'' explored and exploited genre conventions for SomeKindOfForceField. Since DeflectorShields are mostly transparent, lasers are the least hindered by shields of all weapon types in VS 'verse. And if shields flash when hit, one of implications is... PESC (Photon Emission on Shield Collapse) warhead. A single shield emitter mounted on an autocannon shell or rocket is charged when shot and optimized to fail violently when it hits, converting much of its energy into a strong laser pulse. Of course, there's nothing to focus it, but it goes off right on the target's shield.
106	* In ''VideoGame/{{Marathon}}'', [[TheChessmaster Durandal]] is completely aware of the Security Officer's OneManArmy tendencies. And oh boy, does he plan on using that
107	* ''VideoGame/YandereSimulator'' allows the VillainProtagonist to exploit BarefootSuicide: when shoving a student from the school's rooftop, she'll slip their shoes off of their feet and lay them down near the edge of the roof, making it appear as if they took their own life and, so long as she wasn't seen by a witness and doesn't disturb the body afterwards, avoiding suspicion.
108	* ''VideoGame/ResonanceOfFate'': Leanne exploits YourMakeupIsRunning; as she puts it, she likes wearing makeup as a reminder to stay strong, because if she cries, she'll ruin it.
109	[[/folder]]
110	[[folder:Web Animation]]
111	* In ''WebAnimation/IfTheEmperorHadATextToSpeechDevice'', the GodEmperor of Mankind from ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' gets the titular Text-to-Speech Device installed and is SuddenlySpeaking, which immediately gets exploited by him complaining about the worrying state His Imperium is in and also exploited by everyone else since they can finally communicate with their Sovereign again and help Him create a good Imperium once again.
112	[[/folder]]
113	[[folder:Webcomics]]
114	* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0936.html In this strip]], Tarquin, who is hanging from the edge of the ''[[CoolAirship Mechane]]'' attempts to exploit EvilCannotComprehendGood, thinking that Elan will save his life to prove the hero is better than the villain. [[spoiler:Elan refuses and abandons his father, turning this trope into Evil Cannot Comprehend GoodIsNotDumb.]]
115	** Tarquin in general, thanks to his GenreSavvy nature, is a master of invoking, exploiting, and otherwise profiting from tropes. In particular, knowing that there is always a hero who defeats the evil empire, he accepts it and tries to set up his own future downfall to go spectacularly, ensuring that he will be remembered as a legend; a legendary EvilOverlord, but evil nonetheless.
116	** {{Red Shirt}}s Kazumi and Daigo exploit NominalImportance by declaring their names to survive their YouShallNotPass moment [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0472.html in this strip]]. Daigo in particular intentionally doesn't reveal his family name (even when he gets married) in case he needs it later, attempting to exploit ChekhovsGun, but when the time is right for him to reveal it, [[SubvertedTrope he gets interrupted by a door to the face instead]].
117	[[/folder]]
118	[[folder:Web Original]]
119	* When WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic reviewed the ''{{Film/Casper}}'' movie, the actual Casper showed up and anticipated it to be SuckinessIsPainful, so that he could finally scare people for real. It didn't actually turn out that way though, with the Critic eventually declaring the film SoOkayItsAverage.
120	** [[spoiler:Creator/MaraWilson]] successfully exploited OldShame on Critic by showing the stuff he made as a kid, to retaliate for him mocking her work.
121	* The episode "Exploiting Television Tropes for Financial and Personal Gain?" of ''Podcast/PlumbingTheDeathStar'' is all about how the Duscher, Zammit, Jackson, and their two guests would abuse the conventions of television to make their lives easier. Jackson chooses to exploit CoincidentalBroadcast, Duscher chooses Soapland Christmas (since merged into TwistedChristmas), Adam chooses TreasureMap, and Michael Williams chooses SpecialGuest, which ends up being the best suggestion.
122	* LetsPlay/{{Pokecapn}} exploited LeftTheBackgroundMusicOn during [[LetsPlay/SonicTheHedgehog2006 the Sonic 06 LP]] to censor the group's address and Kung-Fu Jesus's phone number.
123	* Adam from ''WebVideo/YourMovieSucksDotOrg'' exploits SimilarlyNamedWorks with his BaitAndSwitch review for ''Frozen'', [[spoiler:which is based not on the [[WesternAnimation/Frozen2013 Disney animated feature]], but the more obscure [[Film/Frozen2010 2010 horror film]] of the same name]].
124	[[/folder]]
125	[[folder:Western Animation]]
126	* ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman'': Hugo Strange was fully aware that D.A.V.E., the A.I. he created [[MindHive using the personalities and brainwaves of Gotham's criminals]], would create a body for itself and challenge Batman, and used it as an opportunity to test Bats, effectively exploiting GoneHorriblyRight.
127	* When Robert Mandell was creating ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfTheGalaxyRangers'', he had three animation teams; a high-quality and expensive "A" team; a "B" team that split the difference between quality and price, and the "C" team that was cheap and fast at the expense of quality. He cleverly exploited the AnimationBump effect by making sure the DramaBomb and MythArc episodes were farmed out to the higher-end teams and saved the "C" team for stand-alone episodes of dubious quality. As a result, the quality of the animation in a given episode will often match the quality of the writing.
128	* Another case of trope exploitation by show creators. In ''WesternAnimation/DungeonsAndDragons1983'', ExecutiveMeddling made Eric the Cavalier the show's ButtMonkey via [[EnforcedTrope enforcing]] TheComplainerIsAlwaysWrong. The writers, including Gygax, didn't like that much, so they got sneaky. Clever fans, particularly ones familiar with the tabletop game, will notice quickly that while Eric is treated as wrong ''in-universe'', his concerns and complaints are spot on due to the writers exploiting StrawmanHasAPoint.
129	* ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'' exploited TheScapegoat. In "Bobby On Track", Hank makes Bobby complete the 5K run at the school track as punishment for not completing the Fun Run charity race. The track and field coach turns up and wants Bobby on his team, puzzling Hank. It turns out that the coach is using Bobby's lack of ability to motivate the rest of the team. The coach has Bobby substitute for a player that misbehaved to embarrass them so they try harder so they won't be humiliated by being replaced by Bobby. At first it works, to Hank's disappointment, with Bobby seeing himself as a motivator. But when the team gets to the final it works a little too well when a player hyper-extended because he saw the coach talking to Bobby and was afraid he was going to get replaced. The coach has no one to replace him to run the relay, until Hank suggests using Bobby. The coach is unhappy because this was a situation where losing would hurt the team this time. The coach tries to motivate Bobby by telling him to imagine himself as a different person, Bobby 2.0; Hank tells Bobby to forget that nonsense, just to try. Bobby understands, and joins the race. At first he loses the lead, but the other runners trip, allowing Bobby to catch up and run past them. When the other runners catch up to Bobby, he still runs as fast as he can and wins the race.
130	* In the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode "A Dog and Pony Show", [[GirlyGirl Rarity]], discovers that the Diamond Dogs who kidnapped her find her complaining to be really irritating. So she purposefully takes it even further in order to [[InvokedTrope invoke]] PityTheKidnapper on them.
131	* In ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerbTheMovieAcrossThe2ndDimension'', Candace exploited her [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption inability to bust her brothers]] to make sure Doof-2 didn't take over the Tri-state area.
132	* In the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' episode [[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE25TheClockKing "The Clock King"]], Temple Fugate is TheSociopath without any emotion, whose only interest in the world as a ScheduleFanatic are ''clocks and time'': he timed a TimeBomb with [[ConspicuousConsumption a very expensive]] ''watch'', has an AbandonedWarehouse with a RoomFullOfCrazy ''Clocks'', and tries a BankRobbery with a ''time lock''. [[spoiler:All those tropes were exploited to get Batman LuredIntoATrap: Fugate knows about his obsession, instead of trying to stop it he uses it against his enemies. The real]] EvilPlan is to use the ''clock hands'' of a ClockTower to crush someone to death.
133	* In the ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' episode "Petarded", Peter, upon discovering that he's legally mentally retarded, exploits DisabilityAsAnExcuseForJerkassery to do whatever he wants without punishment, doing such things as kicking open woman's bathroom stalls. This lasts until his attempt to steal a deep-fryer drenches Lois in boiling oil and lands her in the hospital, [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome upon which Child Services deems Peter mentally unfit to be a parent and takes the kids away]].
134	* ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'': A recurring theme in the shorts featuring Spike is that Jerry repeatedly exploits SelectiveEnforcement, knowing that even if Spike sees Jerry causing trouble with his own eyes, he will ''always'' single Tom out for the duo's antics.
135	* ''WesternAnimation/InfinityTrain'' exploited MutuallyUnequalRelation. In the first episode of Season 3 [[Recap/InfinityTrainS3E1TheMusicalCar The Musical Car]], after raiding a musical cart, many of the young Apex kids offer items they took from the cart to their leaders Grace and Simon. Grace, who knows the children by name, acts like she has a special relationship with all of them, promising to cherish each item they bought her and store them in her special collection, while telling the child to keep it a secret from the other children that she's doing that. This is an act to make the children loyal to her, as once they leave, she discards the items without a care.
136	* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'': Timmy ''tries'' to exploit TheyKilledKennyAgain in "[[Recap/SouthParkS5E2CrippleFight Cripple Fight]]". Timmy gets jealous of the new handicapped kid Jimmy and tries to have him killed. He does this by giving Jimmy [[IconicOutfit Kenny's Signature Orange Parka Jacket]], apparently aware that Kenny dies in every episode and hoping the same will happen to Jimmy. Jimmy accepts the jacket and puts it on, thanking Timmy. As Jimmy walks away, he [[BornLucky narrowly & unknowingly avoids incidents]] that ''would'' have killed Kenny in any other episode, which include: a falling safe, a truck collision, a giant predatory falcon, getting shot at by Jimbo, a gas-line fire, a herd of stampeding cows, and the ''Space Shuttle falling from orbit'', all in rapid order. Timmy is utterly frustrated that his ploy failed.
137	* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'': Squidward exploits UnsatisfiableCustomer in "Krusty Towers". After Mr. Krabs turns the Krusty Krab into a luxury hotel, he forces Squidward to cater to Patrick's every whim, as their policy is "We shall never deny a guest even the most ridiculous request." Squidward eventually gets fed up and quits, only to immediately return as a guest and milk the policy for all it's worth to torment and spite Krabs.
138	* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheBadBatch'': Captain Bragg exploits LovedByAll by having the beloved Raxus senator Avi Singh endorse the imperial occupation of the planet. Unfortunately for her, after some indecision, Singh refuses to do so and instead riles up the populace more, but there's every indication the Empire's plan would've worked if he had cooperated.
139	[[/folder]]
140	[[folder:Other/Multiple Media]]
141	* In ''{{Toys/Bionicle}}'', BigBad Makuta put the PhysicalGod Mata Nui into an endless sleep, but he knows that heroes will wake him up again BecauseDestinySaysSo. Rather than waste a ton of resources trying to stop the heroes, he arranges things so that [[spoiler:''he's'' in control of Mata Nui's body when it wakes.]]
142	* PinkMeansFeminine was exploited by making it the color for breast cancer awareness.
143	** Of course, men get breast cancer too (and masculine women, and gender-nonbinary people) -- the tissue's there for everyone in varying amounts. But because Administrivia/TropesAreFlexible, the symbol can effect public awareness of the disease more generally (although some advocates call for a dot of blue in the pink, or a half of the ribbon -- though the latter is used for [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_and_blue_ribbon awareness of other medical and social issues]] too).
144	** As a counter by [[https://powerfulpatients.org/2020/10/21/breast-cancer-awareness-month-and-its-many-shades-of-pink-and-blue Sióbhan Freeney]]:
145	--> "When I see pink I’m reminded of all things feminine...My delayed breast cancer diagnosis resulted in a mastectomy. There’s nothing feminine or pink about that."
146	[[/folder]]

Context Main / ExploitedTrope