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1A list of tropes found within the GothicHorror genre. While you don't need all of them to write a gothic horror novel, the more you have the better. {{Horror}} has some things that are universal to all genres of horror but not everything on that page is used in gothic horror.
2
3Other genres that might employ heavy use of these tropes:
4
5+ CosmicHorrorStory
6+ DarkFantasy
7+ FairyTale
8+ GaslampFantasy
9+ GhostFiction
10+ MysteryFiction - depends on the subgenre
11+ PunkPunk
12++ GothicPunk
13++ MythPunk
14++ {{Steampunk}}
15+ [[RomanceNovel Romance]] - depends on the subgenre
16+ SouthernGothic
17+ SuburbanGothic
18+ SupernaturalFiction
19+ UrbanFantasy
20+ VampireFiction
21+ WeirdWest
22+ WerewolfWorks
23
24Note: [[OurZombiesAreDifferent Zombies]] didn't start appearing until the 1920s, but many older creatures were absorbed into the zombie mythos. So use caution when adding zombie examples. (Technically speaking, vampires are a kind of undead, so they can easily be swapped.)
25----
26[[index]]
27[[AC: Public Domain Characters]]
28* ArchangelGabriel
29* Literature/{{Carmilla}}
30* {{Dracula}}
31* DrFrankenstein
32* Myth/{{Faust}}
33* FrankensteinsMonster
34* TheGrimReaper
35* HeadlessHorseman
36* UsefulNotes/JackTheRipper
37* {{Mummy}}
38* {{Satan}}
39* Theatre/{{Sweeney Todd}}
40* WanderingJew
41* WolfMan
42
43[[AC: Characterization Tropes/Stock Characters]]
44* AloofDarkHairedGirl
45* BrotherSisterIncest
46* ByronicHero
47* CorruptChurch
48* CreepyHousekeeper
49* CrustyCaretaker
50* DamselInDistress
51* DeathGlare
52* {{Dhampyr}}
53* DirtyOldMonk
54* {{Doppelganger}}
55* EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette
56* EvilJesuit
57* EvilMentor
58* TheEvilPrince
59* EvilTwin
60* EvilSorcerer
61* FemmeFatale
62* FriendToAllLivingThings
63* GrandeDame
64* GreedyJew
65* TheGrotesque
66* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold
67* HerrDoktor
68* TheHighwayman
69* HunterOfMonsters
70** DemonSlaying
71** VampireHunter
72** TheWitchHunter
73* TheIgor
74* ImpoverishedPatrician
75* IncorruptiblePurePureness
76* TheIngenue
77* JackTheRipoff
78* JekyllAndHyde
79* LadyInRed
80* LesbianVampire
81* LightFeminineAndDarkFeminine
82* LooksLikeCesare
83* LooksLikeOrlok
84* LouisCypher
85* {{Lunacy}}
86* MadScientist
87* MadwomanInTheAttic
88* NaiveNewcomer
89* NunTooHoly
90* OccultDetective
91* TheOphelia
92* {{Pirate}}
93* PedophilePriest
94* Really700YearsOld
95* RagsToRiches
96* ReligionOfEvil
97* SerialKiller
98* {{Servile Snarker}}
99* {{Sexy Priest}}s and {{Naughty Nun}}s
100* SinisterMinister
101* SleepParalysisCreature
102* TheSociopath
103* SouthernGothicSatan
104* StalkerWithACrush
105* StringyHairedGhostGirl
106* TheSvengali
107* ThatManIsDead
108* TheatrePhantom
109* TheyLookJustLikeEveryoneElse
110* UndeathlyPallor
111* TheVamp
112* VirginInAWhiteDress
113* WickedWitch
114* WightInAWeddingDress
115* WomanScorned
116
117[[AC: Cultural Tropes]]
118* UsefulNotes/{{Alchemy}}
119* AllWomenArePrudes[=/=]AllWomenAreLustful
120* ArrangedMarriage
121* BrainFever
122* DeathByChildbirth
123* GorgeousPeriodDress
124* HighClassGlass
125* HystericalWoman
126* OfCorsetsSexy
127* ParasolOfPrettiness
128* ParentalMarriageVeto
129* ProperLady
130* PsychologicalHorror
131* ReligiousHorror
132* {{Romanticism}}
133* RomanticismVersusEnlightenment
134* RoyaltyAndNobilityTropes
135* VictorianNovelDisease
136
137[[AC: Fictional/Legendary Species]]
138* [[OurAngelsAreDifferent Angels]]
139* [[OurBansheesAreLouder Banshees]]
140* [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Demons]]
141* [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Dragons]]
142* {{Eldritch Abomination}}s
143* TheFairFolk
144* [[OurGargoylesRock Gargoyles]]
145* [[OurGhostsAreDifferent Ghosts]]
146* [[OurGhoulsAreCreepier Ghouls]]
147* [[OurGodsAreDifferent Gods]]
148* {{Hellhound}}s
149* [[OurHomunculiAreDifferent Homunculi]]
150* {{Necromancer}}s
151* [[RevenantZombie Revenants]]
152* [[DemBones Skeletons]]
153* SuccubiAndIncubi
154* TheUndead
155* [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Vampires]]
156* [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent Werewolves]]
157* [[WillOTheWisp Will-o'-the-Wisps ]]
158* [[OurWitchesAreDifferent Witches]]
159
160[[AC: Geography]]
161* CampbellCountry
162* GrimUpNorth
163* LovecraftCountry
164%%* MacabreMediterranean - Stealth Launched Trope; insufficient hats; remove once properly relaunched.
165* {{Ruritania}}
166* SceneryPorn: You can bet good money that a Gothic novel will describe the setting in painstaking detail.
167* {{Uberwald}}
168
169[[AC: Magic]]
170* AlchemyIsMagic
171* FauxFlame
172* HermeticMagic
173* MagicalIncantation
174* PsychicPowers
175
176[[AC: Settings]]
177* AfterlifeExpress
178* AlwaysNight
179* AncientTomb
180* BedlamHouse
181* BigFancyCastle
182* BigFancyHouse
183* BoardingSchoolOfHorrors
184* CreepyCathedral
185* CreepyCave
186* CreepyCemetery
187* CriminalConvention
188* DancesAndBalls
189* DontGoInTheWoods
190* EldritchLocation
191* EvilTowerOfOminousness
192* ExtranormalInstitute
193* GhostShip
194* GrayRainOfDepression
195* HauntedCastle
196* HauntedHouse
197* HealingSpring
198* ItWasADarkAndStormyNight
199* TheLostWoods
200* MadScientistLaboratory
201* OldDarkHouse
202* OrphanageOfFear
203* TownWithADarkSecret
204* YouAllMeetInAnInn
205
206[[AC: Plot Elements]]
207* AllGirlsWantBadBoys
208* AnachronicOrder
209* BasedOnADream
210* {{Bizarrchitecture}}
211* BloodBath
212* BookCasePassage (and variants)
213* BurnTheWitch
214* ChessWithDeath
215* CreepyCrows
216* TheDarkArts
217* DarkSecret
218* DealWithTheDevil
219* DemonicPossession
220* DramaticThunder
221* EmpathicEnvironment
222* FaintInShock
223* {{Flashback}}s
224* FreakLabAccident
225* {{Gaslighting}}
226* GhostStory
227* GhostlyChill
228* HauntedFetter
229* HauntingTheGuilty
230* HeelRealization
231* HollywoodExorcism
232* HowWeGotHere
233* IHaveYouNowMyPretty
234* IfICantHaveYou
235* InbredAndEvil
236* IncestIsRelative
237* IncurableCoughOfDeath
238* InMediasRes
239* IShouldWriteABookAboutThis
240* LetThePastBurn
241* LetsSplitUpGang
242* LoveAtFirstSight
243* LukeIAmYourFather
244* MalevolentArchitecture
245* MelancholyMoon
246* MundaneGhostStory
247* NotQuiteDead
248* OminousFog
249* PendulumOfDeath
250* PortraitPaintingPeephole
251* QuietingTheUnquietDead
252* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil
253* RealAfterAll
254* RedSkyTakeWarning
255* SanitySlippage
256* ScarpiaUltimatum
257* ScrapbookStory
258* SecretRoom
259* SecretUndergroundPassage
260* SpookySeance
261* SupernaturalAid
262* SurpriseIncest
263* AStormIsComing
264* StrappedToAnOperatingTable
265* TorchesAndPitchforks
266* TheTragicRose
267* VillainousCrush
268* VillainousIncest
269* WeirdMoon
270
271[[AC: Soundtrack/Music]]
272* ForDoomTheBellTolls
273* LonelyPianoPiece
274* OminousLatinChanting
275* OminousPipeOrgan
276* PsychoStrings
277* ScareChord
278
279[[AC: Themes]]
280* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor
281* DeathAndTheMaiden
282* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane
283* ThePowerOfLove
284* ScienceIsBad
285* SexIsEvil
286* SinsOfOurFathers - a lot of the time, the characters suffer because of something that their ancestors did long ago
287* TheseAreThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow
288
289[[AC: Time Period]]
290* TheCavalierYears - the first gothic horror story came out towards the end of this era
291* TheEdwardianEra - the genre was on its death bed by then but there were still authors willing to write in it
292* UsefulNotes/TheEnlightenment
293* TheGayNineties
294* GenteelInterbellumSetting - primarily for later, more [[ScoobyDooHoax rationalist]] takes on the genre, but also because this was the last era when BigFancyHouse settings were still commonly lived in in popular media. At least in developed countries it's also the last era when electric lighting was still generally unreliable, not too widespread, and prone enough to flickering out.
295* TheMiddleAges - used to be a popular setting for gothic fiction authors but nowadays is associated with [[StandardFantasySetting "Tolkienesque"]] [[MedievalEuropeanFantasy elements]].
296* RegencyEngland
297* UsefulNotes/TheRenaissance
298* UsefulNotes/TheSpanishInquisition
299* UsefulNotes/VictorianBritain
300* VictorianLondon
301
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