Line #15 Main/InUniverse


1	In their original form, tropes are storytelling devices meant to convey a concept to an audience. The overwhelming majority of tropes on this site are specifically that: devices that can be recreated by an aspiring author who visits this wiki. Other tropes are about identifying how the [[AudienceReaction audience reacts]] to an event, and are often an unintended side-effect of the use of a trope. If common enough, there are separate tropes for the same thing from two points of view. Some tropes tend to blur that line where both the characters within the story and the audience react the same way to the use of the trope, which sometimes involves a LampshadeHanging.
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3	In this wiki you will find the use of the comment "in-universe" by someone saying "This trope was used in-universe when..." and that is where a trope more often thought of as an ''audience reaction'' is used within the story, i.e. its fictional universe. One such use is the InvokedTrope, where the characters actively set up the trope in advance, though that happens more often with ''storytelling tropes''.
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5	For an example, ReplacementScrappy is a fan reaction to a replacement character. The reaction is often "You're mostly the same as the previous character, but you're not the one I remember and love." The series ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' has an episode where [=R2D2=] is lost in battle and Anakin is given a new (virtually identical) droid. He ends up having the same reaction and attitude as most fans have with a replacement character.
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7	And there is also a distinction between what is used in the story and the reasons it was used in the story, called WatsonianVersusDoylist. For example, Elliot was [[GenderBender transformed]] with long hair during [[ExpositionParty Grace's birthday party]] in ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive''. The in-universe reason was to get [[StraightGay Justin]], who likes playing with hair, to agree to come. The practical storytelling reason was because he would [[OnlySixFaces look just like]] [[OppositeSexClone Ellen]] otherwise.
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9	Word of advice to prospective writers. Despite what may be often believed, even without a {{lampshade}}, writers should be aware of the tropes they are using and how people will react to it. What separates Good Writing and Bad Writing is how much effort there is put into cleaning up the way tropes are used. Do not neglect the In-universe reasons. Give them a HandWave at least. Your readers will not forgive you if you don't.
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11	It's also known under a variety of other names, such as In-Story, In-Series, and In-Fiction.
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13	And here are some tropes that are separated by In-universe and Audience Reaction -- RealLife (In that order):
14	* ActorRoleConfusion -- ButIPlayOneOnTV
15	* ActuallyPrettyFunny -- MexicansLoveSpeedyGonzales
16	* AdaptationPersonalityChange -- MemeticPersonalityChange
17	* AllOfTheOtherReindeer[=/=]TheFriendNobodyLikes[=/=]HatedByAll[=/=]HateSink -- TheScrappy
18	* AlasPoorVillain[=/=]AntagonistInMourning -- AlasPoorScrappy
19	* AmbiguouslyEvil -- DesignatedEvil
20	* AntiVillain[=/=]VillainyFreeVillain -- DesignatedVillain
21	* AscendedFanboy -- PromotedFanboy
22	* AssholeVictim[=/=]OffingTheAnnoyance -- TakeThatScrappy
23	* BeautifulAllAlong -- UnnecessaryMakeover
24	* BeyondRedemption[=/=]JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope[=/=]ThisIsUnforgivable -- MoralEventHorizon
25	* BlackComedyRape[=/=]LovableSexManiac -- MemeticMolester
26	* BrainBleach[=/=]ScreamingAtSquick -- {{Squick}}
27	* BreakTheCutie[=/=]BrokenBird -- TheWoobie
28	* BrokenPedestal -- DarthWiki/FallenCreator
29	* ButtMonkey[=/=]TheChewToy -- MemeticLoser
30	* ButterflyOfDoom[=/=]ProtocolPeril -- MST3KMantra
31	* CanonDiscontinuity[=/=]SelectiveObliviousness[=/=]TheoryTunnelvision -- FanonDiscontinuity
32	* CantTakeCriticism -- ProtectionFromEditors
33	* CerebusRetcon -- HarsherInHindsight
34	* CharacterFlawIndex -- WritingPitfallIndex
35	* CheatersNeverProsper -- NoFairCheating
36	* ComicallyInvincibleHero -- MemeticBadass
37	* TheComplainerIsAlwaysWrong -- FandomHeresy
38	* CosmicRetcon -- {{Retcon}}[=/=]ContinuityReboot
39	* CultureClash[=/=]DeliberateValuesDissonance -- ValuesDissonance
40	* DeadArtistsAreBetter -- PosthumousPopularityPotential
41	* DependingOnTheWriter -- AlternativeCharacterInterpretation
42	* DisappointedByTheMotive[=/=]FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse -- UnintentionallyUnsympathetic
43	* DisproportionateRetribution -- KarmicOverkill
44	%%* Driven By A LoveInterest -- SatelliteLoveInterest
45	* DudeLooksLikeALady and LadyLooksLikeADude -- ViewerGenderConfusion
46	* DudeNotFunny -- HumourDissonance
47	* DumbassHasAPoint[=/=]HypocriteHasAPoint[=/=]JerkassHasAPoint[=/=]VillainHasAPoint -- StrawmanHasAPoint
48	* EffectiveKnockoff -- NotSoCheapImitation
49	* EndearinglyDorky -- {{Adorkable}}
50	* EskimosArentReal -- AluminumChristmasTrees
51	* EverybodyKnewAlready -- CaptainObviousReveal
52	* ExplainExplainOhCrap -- FridgeHorror
53	* FailedAttemptAtDrama -- {{Narm}}
54	* FanDisservice -- FetishRetardant
55	* FelonyMisdemeanor -- InformedWrongness
56	* FromBadToWorse -- HarsherInHindsight
57	* GodGuise -- MisaimedFandom
58	* GoodIsNotNice[=/=]RightlySelfRighteous -- JerkSue
59	* HandWave -- RuleOfCool
60	* HateSink[=/=]HatedByAll -- LoveToHate
61	* HatredTropes -- ScrappyIndex
62	* HeadTurningBeauty -- MsFanservice
63	* HehHehYouSaidX[=/=]InnocentInnuendo -- AccidentalInnuendo
64	* HerCodeNameWasMarySue -- MarySue
65	* HeroicComedicSociopath -- MemeticPsychopath[=/=]MemeticTroll
66	* HilariousInFlashback -- HilariousInHindsight
67	* HowIsThatEvenPossible -- FridgeLogic
68	* IDoNotLikeGreenEggsAndHam -- TaintedByThePreview
69	* IconOfRebellion -- MovementMascot
70	* ImpossiblyTackyClothes -- WTHCostumingDepartment
71	* InnocentlyInsensitive -- UnfortunateImplications
72	* InternalRetcon -- OrwellianRetcon
73	* InvincibleHero -- GodModeSue
74	* InvincibleVillain -- VillainSue
75	* InvokedTrope -- IntendedAudienceReaction
76	* ItsAllAboutMe -- ProtagonistCenteredMorality
77	* JustJokingJustification -- ParodyRetcon
78	* KnewItAllAlong -- IKnewIt
79	* MadeOutToBeAJerkass -- UnintentionallySympathetic
80	* MonsterFangirl -- DracoInLeatherPants
81	* NeverAcceptedInHisHometown -- GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff
82	* NiceJobBreakingItHero[=/=]ShootTheDog -- WhyFandomCantHaveNiceThings
83	* NominalHero -- DesignatedHero
84	* OldShame -- CreatorBacklash[=/=]BuryYourArt
85	* OnceDoneNeverForgotten -- NeverLiveItDown
86	* PassingTheTorch[=/=]TakeUpMySword (depending on whether the character lives) -- ChangingOfTheGuard
87	* ReplacementGoldfish -- SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute
88	* ScullySyndrome -- EpilepticTrees
89	* ShipperOnDeck -- {{Shipping}}
90	* ShroudedInMyth -- MemeticBadass
91	* SickeninglySweet -- SweetnessAversion
92	* StylisticSuck -- SoBadItsGood[=/=]DarthWiki/SoBadItsHorrible
93	* {{Sucksessor}} -- ReplacementScrappy
94	* SympathyForTheDevil -- CryForTheDevil
95	* ThisExplainsSoMuch -- FridgeBrilliance
96	* UncannyValley -- UnintentionalUncannyValley
97	* UnexpectedlyObscureAnswer -- MoonLogicPuzzle
98	* UnwantedAssistance -- AnnoyingVideoGameHelper
99	* WhyWeCantHaveNiceThings -- WhyFandomCantHaveNiceThings
100	* YouMonster -- CompleteMonster
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102	See also InUniverseMarketing (a closely related phenomenon), Administrivia/InUniverseExamplesOnly (when tropes can only have examples and wicks in-universe).
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104	On the wiki "In-universe" (or In Universe) is also a "magic word" you can you use to mark cases of in-story use of AudienceReactions, that don't have genuine trope equivalents. Typing this (or better yet, using it as a {{pothole}}, since the phrase usually sounds out of place, especially when dropped in a pre-written example) will disable the in-page [[YMMV.HomePage YMMV]] notification for that bullet and its lower level bullets.[[note]]Adding [=[[invoked]]=] to the line (square brackets included) performs the same function, but doesn't show in the regular page display.[[/note]] ''Do not abuse'' this feature, or we'll be forced to do terrible things to you, whatever universe you're in.

Context Main / InUniverse