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1[[quoteright:315:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pandorahearts.png]]
2
3->"''Someone once said it was a dark place that swallowed everything up. Even if that were true, an enveloping darkness like that also contains the light of hope.''"
4-->--'''Gilbert Nightray'''
5
6You know that manga based on ''Literature/AlicesAdventuresInWonderland'' in which a virtuous and curious Alice wanders into the enchanting but odd realm of Wonderland, making new friends and finding love along the way?
7
8[[DarkerAndEdgier This is not]] [[WellThisIsNotThatTrope that manga.]]
9
10[[StepfordSmiler Oz]] [[GuileHero Vessalius]] is a teenage boy with [[ParentalNeglect daddy]] [[AbusiveParents issues]] who is about to come of age and be recognized as the heir to his family, which is one of the Four Great Dukedoms.
11
12Unfortunately, things don't quite go as planned, as Oz is attacked by the mysterious [[BadassFamily Baskervilles]] and sent to [[TheUnderworld the Abyss]] for the crime of "existing." There he meets an amnesiac being named [[BrattyHalfPint Alice]]/[[KillerRabbit B-Rabbit]]--a monster called a [[OurMonstersAreDifferent "Chain"]] who cannot leave the Abyss without making a [[DealWithTheDevil contract]] with a human. Together, Oz and Alice make it out of the Abyss only to be met in the real world by three agents of [[ResearchInc Pandora]] who inform Oz that he has been missing for ten years instead of just a single day.
13
14Now a part of Pandora, Oz works to find illegal contractors, [[AmnesiacHero recover Alice's lost memories,]] figure out why the Baskervilles sent him to the Abyss in the first place, and [[CataclysmBackstory unravel the mystery of a tragedy that occurred a century prior.]]
15
16The answer... [[JigsawPuzzlePlot might be]] [[DysfunctionJunction more complicated]] [[MoralityKitchenSink than you]] [[MindScrew expect.]]
17
18''[=PandoraHearts=]'' is a DarkFantasy manga by Creator/JunMochizuki [[GenreMashup (although it is considered an amalgamation of many, many different genres)]], which was serialized in Creator/SquareEnix's ''Monthly G Fantasy'' magazine from 2006 to 2015. It was made into an anime series airing in 2009. Yen Press has published the English-language version of the manga for North America, and [[Creator/NipponIchi NIS America]] has announced their intent to localize the anime in a bid for new ground.
19
20'''WARNING:''' To repeat a point mentioned previously, this manga is based (extremely loosely) on ''Literature/AlicesAdventuresInWonderland''. And it's filled with allusions to other children's tales. Ye with sanity be warned.
21
22----
23!!Provides examples of:
24
25[[foldercontrol]]
26
27[[folder:Tropes A-C]]
28* AbusiveParents:
29** Xai Vessalius never acknowledged Oz as his son, or even as a human being. He turns out to be the one who [[spoiler:sent him to the Abyss in the beginning of the manga]].
30** [[spoiler:Gilbert and Vincent]]'s mother sold them to a freak show. It's not clear how their father felt about this, but he clearly did not intervene. After they escaped, they were forced to live on the streets, where they were abused and mistreated until [[spoiler:Jack found them]].
31** [[spoiler:Duke Nightray]] was like this as well, at least to the point of pretty much [[spoiler:allowing his son to die]], even though he could have easily prevented this.
32** [[spoiler:Jack]]'s mother became increasingly physically and emotionally abusive as he got older. Eventually, this caused him to run away from home.
33* AdaptationDistillation: Some important elements in the manga are left out from the anime adaptation, presumably to make the story more understandable to the audiences. Unfortunately, this leaves more plot threads hanging and takes away heavily from the appropriate vibe.
34* AffectionateGestureToTheHead: Gilbert has once given Alice one. An omake shows that she liked it so much that she did things like stealing some candy from [[SweetTooth Break]] just so he'd give her more.
35* AlasPoorYorick:
36** Retrace LXX has a moment with [[spoiler:Gilbert]] cradling [[spoiler:Oswald/Glen]]'s head in his arms.
37** In Retrace LXXVIII, a flashback to the Tragedy of Sablier shows [[spoiler:Jack]] holding [[spoiler:Oswald]]'s head to his chest
38* AliceAllusion: A list of references and similarities between the two can be found [[http://pandorahearts.wikia.com/wiki/Similarities_%28Pandora_Hearts-Alice_in_Wonderland%29 here]].
39* AllLovingHero: Played with ruthlessly in the case of [[spoiler:Oscar Vessalius. Because of the death of his wife and child, he always harbored a darkness in his heart towards Oz, who he saw almost as a replacement for his own dead son. This causes him to question his relationship with Oz and almost provokes him into ''killing'' him. However, by Retrace LXXXII, Oscar is finally able to come to terms with the death of his family as well as his love for Oz, and the chapter ends with him [[HeroicSacrifice dying]] without regrets and the words, "To Oscar Vessalius, the man who loved and forgave everything, farewell." Oscar ''does'' end up becoming an AllLovingHero but not without a bitter struggle to justify his doing so]].
40* AlternateTimeline: In the final volume, Oz [[spoiler:[[HopeSpot has a dream about hosting a tea party where everybody is happy and everyone who died throughout the course of the manga is alive]]]]. When he [[spoiler:wakes up]], the Intention of the Abyss suggests that it may have been a glimpse into one of these, rather than just a simple [[spoiler:dream]].
41* AlwaysIdenticalTwins: Alice and [[spoiler:the Intention of Abyss, which makes the latter's white hair all the more striking]].
42* AmnesiacHero: Oz, Alice and Gilbert were at the Tragedy of Sablier, but they lost their memories of their identities for different reasons. The first half of the series is mostly about them looking for clues of what happened at Sablier. Ironically, if they had remembered their past from the start, they would have known Jack was the last person they should have gone to for answers.
43* AmnesiaDanger: If they haven't lost their memories from one hundred years ago, Oz, Alice and Gilbert wouldn't have spent the majority of the series being manipulated by Jack so he could almost destroy the world again. They also could have avoided the conflict with the Baskervilles for the most part.
44* AnAesop:
45** Everyone has the right to exist. Everyone has value and meaning and is deserving of love, regardless of how accidental or ill-fated their existences are, or whether the world would be easier off without them.
46** Obsessing over mistakes and what-ifs will only make you repeat your past. To move on, you must learn from what has happened and let go of your regrets.
47* AnArmAndALeg:
48** Early on in the anime, a chain lops off both Alice's arms after trapping her in web-like substance.
49** Jack had his body dismembered (arms, legs, and head) in order to create a seal that would restrain Glen Baskerville's soul. [[spoiler:Retrace LXV reveals that it was ''Glen's'' body, not Jack's, that was split into five pieces, as it is his head that falls out of the broken sealing stone.]]
50** In Retrace LXXVIII, [[spoiler:Gil severs his left arm in order to free himself from Glen's control and protect Oz, who is about to be executed]].
51** Retrace XCII has [[spoiler:Break cutting off Glen!Leo's hand]].
52* AnimalisticAbomination : Most Chains but especially the Cheshire Cat in his monster form and [[spoiler:Oz]] The B-Rabbit given that they used to be a cat and a sentient stuffed rabbit.
53* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: Vincent to Gil. Though there is a reason for Vincent's clinginess.
54* AnyoneCanDie: [[spoiler:And almost everyone does by the end of the manga]].
55* ApocalypseMaiden: Superstition holds that the [[RedEyesTakeWarning Children of Ill Omen]] are this, due to [[spoiler: a natural ability to influence the core of the Abyss]]. The Baskervilles [[spoiler: considered it one of Glen's duties to make them DeaderthanDead to protect the world]]. [[spoiler: Lacie]] seems to exemplify this trope.[[spoiler:It becomes a subversion when it's revealed to have all been a lie by the Jurors: Red-Eyed Children are the only beings that cannot be predicted by their near-omniscient MediumAwareness (and thus, cannot be predictably manipulated to guarantee a story the Jury will like), so the Jury wanted them dead.]]
56* ArrangedMarriage: As revealed in Caucus Race, Gilbert actually had 13 planned marriages after he joined the Nightray Family but was able to escape it thanks to Break. His last one with Dahlia Garland [[spoiler: was actually a plan by a cult for him to be sacrificed to an evil god.]]
57* ArcWords: When you hear the phrase "A darkness that swallows up everything", you know something crucial to the plot is going on. It's been used to describe the Abyss, [[spoiler:Leo's eyes]], and [[spoiler:Jack's view of the world.]]. There is also the use of the word "sin" when talking about Oz, which is first mentioned ''in the very first panel of the manga'' [[spoiler:and is finally explained in Retrace 70: Oz.]] Finally, whenever "one hundred years ago"/"the Tragedy of Sablier" is mentioned, expect things to get serious.
58* ArtEvolution: The art goes from decent to gorgeous. It also makes characters like Alice look a little older even though only a few months have passed in universe.
59* ArtifactTitle: The series is named after the pilot chapter, Jun Mochizuki's [[OldShame debut manga]], in which contractors had boxes called "Pandoras" in their chests where their hearts should be. These boxes were, quite literally, "Pandora hearts."
60* TheAtoner: [[spoiler:Glen/Oswald]] tries to atone for [[spoiler:killing his sister Lacie]] by taking care of [[spoiler:her daughter, Alice.]]
61** [[spoiler: Xerxes Break]], as much as he claims otherwise. He even states that he considers [[spoiler: going blind]] to be part of his atonement for his past crimes.
62* AttractiveBentGender:
63** When Gilbert has to crossdress to help solve the mystery in one of the [[AudioAdaptation drama CD]] stories.
64** In Chapter 48, Oz turns up in a maid outfit. Despite the fact that its not nearly as revealing as Gil's was in the first anime omake, it's certainly nosebleed-inducing.
65** Break appears in a fine ladies' outfit for a promo card from Animate.
66** And then there's the whole "''Maid-ora Hearts''" omake thing, in which everyone wears a maid outfit. Young Gil also does in at least one anime omake.
67* AuthorAvatar: In the form of a black cat with a mustache.
68* AxCrazy: Most chains that have not been legally contracted.
69* BadassBookworm: Leo, especially after [[spoiler:contracting Jabberwock]].
70* BadassFamily: The Baskervilles.
71** There's also the FamilyBusiness, which is equally as badass as the family itself.
72* BadassLongcoat: Quite a few examples. It helps that it's the official Pandora uniform.
73* BastardBastard: [[spoiler:Jack.]]
74* BatmanGambit: [[spoiler: Jack's plan on sinking the world to the Abyss consist of him using Xai Vessalius in order to raise B-Rabbit's consciousness as his own son, while leaving enough clues for him to learn the true events that happened at Sablier. He also spread the rumor of B-Rabbit being a vicious chain in order for no one to contract it until Oz is ready. He also [[Scapegoat set up the Nightrays and Baskervilles as the instigator of the tragedy so that they could take action against the Vessalius Family.]] And he pushed Oz into finding Alice's memories so he can get some shards of his soul back and planned to take over Oz once B-Rabbit's powers matured. His plan would have gone through if it weren't for the Baskervilles shattering the five sealing stones, setting Oswald's consciousness free and creating a wrench in his plans.
75* BattleButler: Gilbert, Break, and Echo so far.
76** Also, Glen's servants, the Baskervilles.
77* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: One illegal contractor ''did'' manage to get Intention of the Abyss to change the past. [[spoiler:Break asked her to prevent the betrayal of the family he was serving, as all but one of whom were killed by a rival family. She did. Instead, they were betrayed again a few years later, and ''no one'' got out alive.]]
78* BeautyBrainsAndBrawn: Our primary trio of Oz, Gilbert, and Alice, as well as our secondary trio of Sharon, Reim, and Break, all initially appear to fill this dynamic in their respective orders. However, these roles are frequently subverted down the line:
79** Initially, Oz is considered very attractive and acts carefree, ditzy, and highly flirtatious; Gilbert, though considered equally attractive, is first presented as knowledgeable, serious, and solemn; and Alice is always raring for a fight. But as soon as these roles are established, they start subverting them all over the place. For instance, Oz is ''way'' [[XanatosSpeedChess smarter]] [[SmarterThanYouLook than he seems]], Gilbert [[CowardlyLion can actually put up a fight]], and Alice [[DeclarationOfProtection isn't as randomly violent as her rough 'n tough demeanor makes her seem]], nor [[FauxActionGirl as physically powerful.]] In short, Oz, Gilbert, and Alice initially appeared to be Beauty, Brains, and Brawn respectively, but Oz slowly revealed himself to be the Brains of the group, Gilbert's combat skill leans him towards Brawn, with Alice being positioned more as a very boisterous Beauty.
80** For the secondary trio it's equally complicated considering Break's favorite hobby is XanatosSpeedChess ''and'' he's the only member who can fight, but since Reim is characterized as far more studious and Sharon is an {{Ojou}}, ultimately we're forced to put their positions as Break being brawn, Reim being brains, and Sharon being beauty.
81** This also applies to the [[spoiler:past trio]]. Although this could probably be mixed up a bit depending on your perspective, [[spoiler:Lacie]] is beauty, [[spoiler:Jack]] is brains as a ManipulativeBastard [[TheChessmaster chessmaster]], and [[spoiler:Oswald]] is brawn as the most skilled fighter.
82* TheBeautifulElite:
83** Oz, Alice, Gilbert, Break, Sharon, Jack, Vincent, Elliot... it'd be easier to name the people who don't fall under this.
84** As of Retrace LXI, [[spoiler:after his ImportantHaircut, even ''[[OpaqueNerdGlasses Leo]]'' has joined the ranks when he's shown to have [[WhatBeautifulEyes very pretty eyes]] after all.]]
85* BestBeerEver: Best ''wine'' ever. Sharon, Alice, and Gil all get completely sloshed on one glass.
86* BetterToDieThanBeKilled: [[spoiler:Elliot in Retrace 59.]]
87* BewareTheNiceOnes:
88** Oz is much smarter than he seems and ''will'' be able to outwit/manipulate you if he needs to. He's also the [[spoiler:most powerful Chain to ever exist, as he was literally created to destroy the world.]]
89*** Also, his ''[[TranquilFury fury]]'' is something not lightly trifled with: usually the brash and bold [[HairTriggerTemper Elliot]] is the one startling the much more calm Oz with his temper, but during the Second Coming of Age ceremony, Oz's quiet, calm declaration that he would destroy all that [[spoiler:Isla Yura]] had done scared ''Elliot'' instead. During the event, Oz actually flips between this TranquilFury and loud, aggressive anger; the first scares Elliot, the second spooks Vincent.
90** [[spoiler:Jack.]] Doesn't he seem like the sweetest, kindest, gentlest, most generous soul you could ever hope to meet?
91** Sharon is the nicest girl you can meet. Just don't get her mad. Those paper fans HURT. A LOT.
92** And then there's Ada and her... [[NightmareFetishist hobbies]].
93** Leo [[BewareTheQuietOnes actually has a terrible temper]], it's just that Elliot usually loses his before him. [[spoiler:He's also ''very close'' to turning {{Yandere}} on behalf of Elliot. It doesn't help that he's next in line to inherit the name of Glen Baskerville and has thus come to possess quite a bit of power]].
94** Beneath his {{Jerkass}} facade, Gilbert is an adorably emotional crybaby and a huge wimp... unless you hurt his master Oz in front of him.
95** [[TokenMiniMoe Lily]] is [[CheerfulChild adorable]]. [[LittleMissBadass She's also one of the Baskervilles.]]
96* BigBad: [[spoiler:Jack Vessalius]] who wants to sent the world into the abyss for his insane love for Lacie. Although Glen/[[spoiler:Oswald]] seems to be competing with him in later chapters.
97* {{BFS}}: Fang's improbably large sword.
98* BigEater: Alice, particularly when meat is involved.
99* BigOlEyebrows: Oscar.
100* BigScrewedUpFamily: Pretty much every family in the manga has some element of this, apart from (perhaps) the Rainsworths.
101* BilingualBonus:
102** Alice's battle theme, "Bloody Rabbit" is sung in Kajiura Yuki's own personal language, a mix of Spanish, Latin, Japanese, Italian, and whatnot. People refer to it as Kajiurian or Kajiurago.
103** In French, "Sablier" means "hourglass," "Ébauche" ([[spoiler:Lily's hometown]]) means "rough/first draft," "Reveil" means "alarm clock," and "Lunettes" (Reim's last name) means "glasses." Break lampshades the latter in Retrace XLIX while attempting to change the subject.
104-->'''Break:''' "Did you know? 'Lunettes' means 'glasses' in another language~"
105* BirthDeathJuxtaposition: When [[spoiler:Lacie]] dies, [[spoiler:Alice]] is born. Though not in the way you'd expect.
106* {{Bishie Sparkle}}s:
107** Sharon. One even hits Break in the head.
108** Oz is rather fond of throwing them around when he meets a pretty girl.
109* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: The main cast manage to prevent Jack from ending the world and Oswald from rewriting it, but returning stability to the Abyss and world costs most of the main cast their lives. And it can be deduced that every person Gilbert knows has already died by the time of the epilogue chapter. It's kept from being a DownerEnding by implying that all except Jack eventually get reincarnated, with Oz and Alice's reincarnations keeping at least some of their memories and reuniting with Gilbert in a modern-looking era.]]
110* BloodSplatteredInnocents:
111** [[spoiler:Vincent at the Tragedy of Sablier]].
112** [[spoiler:Retrace LXX contains a rather disturbing panel of Oz covered in blood from memories brought on by his traumatic revelation as the true B-Rabbit]].
113* BlueBlood: The four Duke Houses.
114* BodyHorror:
115** People who get lost in the illusions in that hole in Sablier for too long tend to have this happen to them because of the power of the Abyss.
116** The ultimate fate of those chosen to become [[spoiler:the new Glen Baskerville]] entails this; when [[spoiler:the soul of Glen Baskerville leaves]], the body slowly begins rot away until it [[spoiler:turns into a Chain]] (note that the individual is ''still alive'' throughout this). [[spoiler:Levi, the Glen before Oswald, is [[http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120123183613/pandorahearts/images/thumb/0/03/CallmeLevy.png/567px-CallmeLevy.png shown covered in the bloody bandages]] that are holding his body together just before his transformation into Humpty Dumpty.]]
117* BodyguardBetrayal: In Retrace LXXIX, [[spoiler:Gilbert betrays Glen by choosing Oz over the Baskervilles. [[YouHaveFailedMe Glen does not take this second betrayal well at all.]]]]
118* BokeAndTsukkomiRoutine: Break and Sharon.
119* BookEnds: The narration in the [[spoiler:first chapter is partially repeated in the final pages of the epilogue]], also implying that [[spoiler:the "retraces" might have been Gilbert recalling the events of the story]].
120* BoundAndGagged:
121** Oz has had this done to him on [[DistressedDude more than one occasion]]:
122*** At Lutwidge Academy, he has his hands tied behind his back when he's kidnapped by the Baskervilles.
123*** When he's captured by [[spoiler:Isla Yura at his second Coming-of-Age Ceremony]], his hands are bound in front of him.
124*** He's tied up and locked in a cell after [[spoiler:he's taken prisoner by the Baskervilles]] in Retrace LXXV.
125*** In the anime, when he returns from the Abyss, Break arrests him and ties him up in order to try and coax Alice out.
126** Alice is bound in chains in two similar situations: The first time is when she's being tormented by the Intention of the Abyss, and the second time is when she has become trapped in Cheshire's dimension.
127** In Retrace LXXVIII, [[spoiler:Break has been chained to a wall]].
128** In the anime, Ada receives the same treatment as her brother at Lutwidge.
129** The cover pictures for the volumes depict each character surrounded - and commonly bound - by any number of chains. The most conspicuous in this regard are Echo's, Elliot's, and Lacie's covers. [[http://twilightvisions.com/PH/VolumeCovers.html This]] site explores the chain symbolism.
130* BoyfriendBlockingDad: Oscar, who may not be Ada's real father but treats Ada like his own daughter. In Retrace 24, he is outraged that Ada is "in love with someone," and drags Oz, Gilbert, and Alice to help look for Ada in her school in Lutwidge and find out just ''who'' she has a crush on. Though [[RedHerring hints]] point to either Gil (treasuring the hat that Ada gave him) or Elliot (as she was disappointed that she couldn't return his school bag to him), it later turns out to be [[spoiler:Vincent]].
131* BrainwashedAndCrazy: Gilbert, with respect to [[spoiler:the enemies of his master (both Oz and Jack).]] In Chapter 38, a flashback to [[spoiler:100 years ago when Jack rescued him and Vincent off the streets shows a mysterious old woman implanting various compulsions in Gilbert's mind, including an intense need to kill his master's enemies.]] In chapter 33, Vincent [[MoreThanMindControl happily exploits the hell out of the brainwashing]] in order to manipulate his dear brother into trying to [[spoiler:kill Alice]]. Gilbert is also driven to [[spoiler:attack Oz's father, who was responsible for sending Oz into the Abyss in the first place]], but Break manages to snap Gilbert out of it.
132* BrattyHalfPint: Alice.
133* BreakTheCutie: Happens ([[DarkAndTroubledPast or has happened]]) to most of the cast. Much to the point that the housecat and his killer are not spared.
134* BreakThemByTalking: By the end of Retrace LXXIV, [[spoiler:Jack]] has succeeded in doing this to [[spoiler:Oz]].
135* BreakingTheFourthWall: All the anime omake start off with the characters thanking the viewer for buying the DVD, [[HilarityEnsues usually with funny results]], and eventually cut to where the film crew is standing nearby.
136** [[spoiler: somewhat with Retrace 91]]
137* BreatherEpisode:
138** The chapters where Oz, Alice, Gil and Oscar sneak into [[ElaborateUniversityHigh Lutwidge]] to visit Ada, Oz's sister. {{Subverted}}, as Oscar states that it was exactly his intention to let the gang have some silly fun for once, and some of the Baskervilles show up to cause trouble halfway through.
139** Episode 20 (Retrace XXVIII in the manga), right after Lutwidge, plays this straight.
140** Also played straight in Retrace XLVII: Unbirthday.
141** Retrace LXII: [[MeaningfulName Repose]] played this straight until [[spoiler:[[{{Cliffhanger}} Leo shows up]]]].
142* BreathWeapon: in the Anime.
143* BrokenHero: [[StepfordSmiler Oz]], [[BreakTheCutie on]] [[AbusiveParents so]] [[DarkAndTroubledPast many]] [[LossOfIdentity levels]].
144* BrutalHonesty: The manga towards the readers in Retrace 60. [[spoiler:Instead of a recap page, there was a black page with one simple statement written in white: "Elliot... he died."]]
145* BunnyEarsLawyer: Break.
146* ButtMonkey: Gilbert. He is often the target of Oz's bullying, Alice's eccentricities, Break's... sadism, and even Sharon has had a few notable moments. And this is just from the core group. Even the mangaka has her own potshots at him, often describing him as "useless" or "seaweed head".
147* CallingTheOldManOut:
148** [[spoiler:Gil tried to do this for Oz, but it doesn't work at all. At the end of the anime, Oz finally does it himself by giving Alice enough power to one-shot Gryphon.]]
149** [[spoiler:Vincent]] did this to Duke Nightray [[spoiler:after Elliot's death.]]
150* CantHoldHisLiquor: Almost everyone gets sloshed (apparently on one bottle of wine) in Episode 20, but Gilbert runs the gamut from misaimed belligerence to sloppy begging to a cute but slightly disturbing reversion to childhood. Then he passes out.
151* CastFullOfCrazy: Oh yes. If you want a cast of emotionally stable characters, [[DysfunctionJunction you won't find it here]].
152* CastFullOfPrettyBoys: The manga is a textbook example of this.
153* CastFullOfRichPeople: The majority of the characters are [[TheBeautifulElite aristocrats]].
154* CataclysmBackstory: Most of the story revolves around understanding and dealing with the repercussions of the Tragedy of Sablier, even if it doesn't appear to at first.
155* CategoryTraitor: As of Retrace LXXIX, [[spoiler:Glen]] considers [[spoiler:Gilbert]] to be this to the Baskervilles after the latter [[spoiler:burns off his arm with the seal that controls him and declares his loyalty to Oz before escaping with him]].
156* CharacterDevelopment: All over the place. The cast of [[RoundedCharacter diverse]] and [[CharacterDepth profound]] characters is one of the things this series is known for.
157* CharacterizationMarchesOn: Compare the main characters from the first volume to the succeeding chapters.
158* CentralTheme: A couple. Identity, memory, judgment, the value of life, and the relationship between past and present are some of the major ones.
159* CessationOfExistence: A bit of a complicated version. In the world of the manga, the soul of someone who has died is [[spoiler:accepted by the Abyss, goes through the Hundred Cycles, and is reincarnated after about one hundred years]]. [[spoiler:Jack]] is technically already dead, but his soul was [[spoiler:rejected by the Abyss]], leaving him in a perpetual and completely unnatural state of [[spoiler:aging and de-aging]] where his soul becomes increasingly damaged. When his soul is damaged to the point of no return, he will cease to exist entirely, something that does not usually happen.
160* TheCharmer: Vincent is quite charismatic, especially toward women.
161--> '''Vincent''': "All I have to do is utter a few soft words and [[SexGod share their bed]] to have them wound around my little finger."
162* ChekhovsGunman:
163** According to WordOfGod in [[spoiler:Levi]]'s character profile for Volume 18.5, [[spoiler:Levi]] was the one who was cross-legged and sitting behind Leo in Chapter 58.
164** In the manga, Rufus Barma [[spoiler:in his true form]] can be seen pushing Duchess Rainsworth's wheelchair at Pandora's headquarters right after Oz and Alice are dropped there from Cheshire's dimension, even though his official debut isn't until some time later.
165* CheshireCatGrin:
166** Literally in episode 12 of the anime (Or the end of Retrace XIV of the manga). It would be ironic for it to not be in ''this'' show.
167** Also, Duke Barma's initial illusion wears this almost permanently.
168* TheChessmaster:
169** Vincent. Incidentally, literally as well.
170** There's also [[spoiler:Glen Baskerville]], by whom it's not certain how much is still being controlled, and to some extent [[spoiler:Xai Vessalius.]]
171*** [[spoiler:Except, both Glen and Xai have been manipulated by Jack and Glen's solutions tend to rely more on force than manipulation]]
172** Jack Vessalius can be considered one, of the benevolent MysteriousProtector variety. [[spoiler:Except he's not at all benevolent.]]
173* ChickMagnet: We've got quite a few of these to go around...
174** Gilbert is swarmed by smitten noblewomen drooling over his TallDarkAndHandsome look and bitter exterior [[AllGirlsWantBadBoys (which makes them think he's a bad boy)]] at every social event he attends. [[SingleTargetSexuality And he]] [[AmbiguouslyGay hates it.]]
175** Additionally, noblewomen swoon over Gilbert's brother Vincent, who they interpret to be the gentle, kind brother from his warm smile and more friendly reactions to his fangirls. Needless to say, [[SoftSpokenSadist this interpretation]] [[PsychopathicManchild is incredibly wrong.]]
176** According to the Caucus Race side novels, Elliot--yet another Nightray son with the two already mentioned above--has a rather large amount of girls at Lutwidge Academy who are interested in him. He acts extremely tsundere towards his fangirls and refuses to indulge them, though, which makes it seem like he really doesn't want this much attention.
177** Downplayed, but Oswald is implied to have his fair share of female admirers. [[CaptainOblivious Somehow, he remains completely oblivious to all of them.]]
178** In a drama CD, Levi and Jack discuss the latter's past relationships. Jack is implied to be a ChickMagnet here, as he seems to have had quite a few girlfriends. Jack mentions that all of his girlfriends have met unfortunate ends, such as death due to illness or suicide, but Levi seems to think [[spoiler:Jack actually murdered all of them.]] Unfortunately, with what we know, he's probably right.
179* ChildhoodFriends: Oz and Gilbert have been best friends since they were kids, although Gilbert thought he shouldn't get so familiar with his master.
180* TheChosenOne: Oz is said to be the key to obtaining the Intention of the Abyss, which explains why so many people are interested in him. [[spoiler:He also has part of the soul of the country's "hero" inside of him.]]
181** TheChosenMany: Chapter LI reveals that [[spoiler:the reason why the Baskervilles are Baskervilles in the first place is because they were chosen by the golden lights of the Abyss.Or rather because of the Jurors as they were nothing more than tools for their stories.]]
182* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: [[spoiler:Jack]] makes tons of friends, many of which aren't even from the same generations of people. He [[spoiler:manipulates and betrays every single one of them.]]
183* ChronicHeroSyndrome[=/=]MartyrWithoutACause: Oz, which is viciously and awesomely deconstructed in Elliot's TheReasonYouSuckSpeech after he tries to make a StupidSacrifice.
184* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: Baskervilles wear blood red cloaks, Pandora wears black uniforms with insignias, and people associated with Jack wear green and white. With color associations so firmly established, changes in who wears what colors later in the series often is reflective of changes in the characters themselves.
185* CollectorOfTheStrange: [[spoiler:Miranda Barma and her collection of skulls, to which she wishes to add Oswald-Glen's head.]]
186* ComedicSociopathy: Poor Gilbert.
187* ComesGreatInsanity:
188** Alice in B-rabbit form. [[spoiler:Or Oz when he's playing with that scythe.]]
189** Or Gil, if it has something to do with Oz, like when he tried to [[spoiler:kill Alice in Retrace 35 since Alice was "snatching away his beloved master"]], or in Retrace XIX when he pointed his gun at Jack for sending Oz to look for Alice.
190* ConditionedToAcceptHorror: Oz becomes this after hearing [[spoiler:his father basically refer to him as trash]]. He declares to Gil that this is his life philosophy. Alice is surprised by the cheerful attitude he has, even when flung into the dark and watery abyss. This is probably a contributing cause to his position as MartyrWithoutACause: which Elliot chews him out for.
191* CooldownHug: Alice does this to Oz in Retrace 44.
192* CosmicKeystone: [[spoiler:The literal, invisible chains that hold the world from falling into the Abyss. Remarkably solid for such, as only one Chain in existence possess the power to break them.]]
193* CoversAlwaysLie: In a minor, subtle way. The cover of the first volume is Oz posing heroically, giving off the distinct impression that ''Pandora Hearts'' is an action manga or...literally every other shonen manga. Which is...[[DysfunctionJunction not]] [[CastFullOfCrazy exactly]] [[MoralityKitchenSink accurate,]] [[JigsawPuzzlePlot to]] [[PsychologicalThriller say]] [[PsychologicalHorror the]] [[MindScrew least.]]
194* CrashIntoHello: [[spoiler: Charlotte Baskerville]] first met [[spoiler: Oswald-Glen]] by crashing into him, and immediately responded with a LuminescentBlush.
195* CrazyConsumption: Xerxes Break with his candy and cake.
196* CreepyChild: Vincent in flashbacks. Oz when "gathering information." The children of the House of Fianna, who have been [[spoiler:simultaneously brainwashed into forgetting their DarkAndTroubledPast '''and''' made into the contractors of Humpty Dumpty by having them '''drink his blood'''.]] Duke Nightray has a lot to answer for...
197* CuteAndPsycho: Many characters, even without being {{Yandere}}, can still manage to be rather frightening. Notable examples are Lily and [[spoiler:Lacie.]]
198* CuteLittleFangs: Elliot. Oh, Elliot.
199[[/folder]]
200
201[[folder:Tropes D-F]]
202* DancesAndBalls: Oz's Second Coming of Age ceremony. [[spoiler:Turns out, it was a ploy to get several people in one place for a plot to repeat the Tragedy of Sablier. The plot failed, but that doesn't stop it from [[BreakTheCutie not ending well]].]]
203* DarkAndTroubledPast: Nearly the [[DysfunctionJunction entire]] [[CataclysmBackstory cast.]]
204* DarkerAndEdgier: ''Manga/PandoraHearts'' is based on ''Literature/AlicesAdventuresInWonderland''. Since the latter's intended audience is children, the former is naturally more serious and disturbing. [[WordOfGod Jun Mochizuki]] stated that ''Manga/PandoraHearts'' came from her evolved impression of ''Literature/AlicesAdventuresInWonderland''--from "cute and interesting" to "angsty and intimidating."
205* DarkestHour: Oz finds out that [[spoiler:[[TomatoInTheMirror he is not a human being]]]], is [[spoiler:shot by Gilbert]], [[spoiler:rejects Alice's existence]], and succumbs to the idea that [[spoiler:the world would be better off without him]]. As he is about to be [[spoiler:executed]], he looks on with DullEyesOfUnhappiness and accepts his fate...
206* DarkIsNotEvil:
207** Alice, the Bloody Black Rabbit (who wears all black in her human form during flashbacks), is the heroine of the story.
208** [[spoiler:Oz turns out to be the real Bloody Black Rabbit]]. He is the [[spoiler:protagonist]] of the story and a MessianicArchetype.
209* DealWithTheDevil: Making an illegal contract with a Chain will end up with the contractor eventually being sucked into the Abyss.
210* DeathWail:
211** [[spoiler:Leo]] unleashes several of these at random intervals for days after [[spoiler:Elliot]]'s death.
212** When [[spoiler:Break]] dies, [[spoiler:Sharon]] lets out an anguished scream. All the more heartbreaking due to how calm, composed and [[{{Ojou}} ladylike]] she [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness generally is]].
213* DeflectorShields: At least one of the Sealing Stones had magic protections around it that suppressed abyssal power and worked to prevent the summoning of Chains. [[{{Foreshadowing}} Being within the boundaries of this protection caused Oz significant pain.]]
214* DemonicDummy: The Intention of the Abyss' [[RoomFullOfCrazy room]] is filled with these.
215* DemonicPossession: Played with throughout the series.
216** It's zig-zagged with [[spoiler:the Core and the Alice Twins, who act as its host (one more than the other) but usually are more in control than the Core, and the Core is perfectly fine with this--until they try to separate from it.]]
217** It's zig-zagged again with [[spoiler:the Duldee, Duldum and Zwei situation. To clarify: Noise made a Contract with the Puppeteer Chain, Duldee, which has the power to turn people into living puppets and also had the unfortunate tendency to damage its Contractor's psyche. To avert these affects, Duldee used its own abilities to create a false, disposable personality in Noise called Duldum, which would take the damage in her place. The two personalities, Noise and Duldum, were together called Zwei. But Noise ended up going insane anyways, Duldee was revealed to be taking advantage of this to control its Contractor, and one of the later incarnations of Duldum gained real independent feelings and became Echo, resulting in three entities fighting for control of Noise's body by the story's climax.]]
218** It's then inverted [[spoiler:by Oz and Jack. Despite Oz being the [[PersonOfMassDestruction most destructive and powerful]] [[OurMonstersAreDifferent Chain]] in existence, it's Jack, the man he's technically possessing, who is the malicious one of the duo and who gains the ability to usurp the other from control (though Oz later learns to [[FightingFromTheInside fight him over this]].]]
219** Played straight relatively early on in the manga before any of the above examples. [[spoiler:Elliot's Contract with the copycat Chain Humpty Dumpty allowed Humpty Dumpty to mentally control him whenever it felt such tactics were necessary, and it usually used this to murder people it felt were a threat to Glen Baskerville. To prevent the Chain from using him any more, Elliot rejected it entirely, which ended up killing him]].
220*** The [[CreepyChild orphaned children]] under contract with Humpty Dumpty also qualify.
221* DespairEventHorizon: [[spoiler:Jack]] has crossed the line twice, with the first one being undone when [[spoiler:he meets Lacie]] and the second one happening because of [[spoiler:Lacie's death]].
222** [[spoiler:Leo]] crosses this after [[spoiler:Elliot's death]], causing him to perform a FaceHeelTurn, and it [[BreakTheCutie gets worse to the point]] that [[spoiler:he doesn't even have the strength to fight against Glen's [[GrandTheftMe take-over]]]].
223* {{Determinator}}: Elliot [[spoiler:throwing off the influence of Humpty Dumpty to find out his true memories. [[BreaktheCutie Pity that they're of him murdering his family.]] Possibly a deconstruction.]]
224* DevotedToYou: So much.
225** Gilbert towards Oz. [[spoiler:This seems to reach its pinnacle in Retrace LXXVIII.]]
226** [[{{Yandere}} Oz]] and [[MysteriousProtector Jack]] towards [[BrattyHalfPint Alice]]. [[spoiler:Except [[CharacterDevelopment Oz later grows out of his Yandere tendencies]] and [[EvilAllAlong Jack was faking.]]]]
227** Glen to Lacie, which essentially fuels the plot. [[spoiler:Subverted. All the words of obsession said by "Glen" were actually ''Jack's'' words.]]
228** The entire Baskerville faction to Glen.
229** [[BewareTheQuietOnes Leo]] towards [[{{Tsundere}} Elliot]], though [[VitriolicBestBuds it's not very obvious at first sight.]]
230** [[CheshireCatGrin Break]] towards [[{{Ojou}} Sharon]] and her family.
231** Vincent towards Gilbert.
232* DisappearedDad: What happened to Sharon's father?
233* DissonantSerenity: Even after slashing his best friend, being sent into the Abyss, and being attacked by Chains, Oz is able to joke around and happily eat cookies. [[spoiler:It turns out that Oz's attitude is because [[BreaktheCutie he'd already been traumatized to the point of not caring about his life anymore.]] [[StoppedCaring The Abyss inspires no fear in someone who doesn't care if they die.]]]]
234* DistantFinale: The epilogue in the final volume takes place approximately [[spoiler:one hundred years]] after the main plot concludes.
235* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Once you know the true events of Sablier, Oz's psychotic [[FreakOut Freak Outs]] in the first half of the manga begin to look a lot like [=PTSD=].
236* DreamMelody: If someone's playing "Lacie", it's a cue to pay attention to them. [[spoiler:Just make sure you're looking at the right person.]]
237* DressCodedForYourConvenience: Red cloaks for the Baskervilles, black uniform and insignia for Pandora. While the Baskervilles never lose their cloaks nor Pandora their uniform, the color schemes in general become less restrictive as the story goes on, reflecting melding and shifting allegiances and moral themes.
238* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:Alice killed herself, despite prior speculation that she was murdered. Also counts as a DyingMomentOfAwesome and HeroicSacrifice, considering she killed herself in defiance of Jack's wish to communicate with the Intention of the Abyss.]]
239* DullEyesOfUnhappiness: Oz, after finding out [[spoiler:[[TomatoInTheMirror the truth about his existence]]]].
240* DysfunctionJunction: In a manga thematically based [[Literature/AlicesAdventuresInWonderland off a book that coined the phrase "We're all mad here,"]] this should ''not'' be a surprise. The protagonist, Oz, [[ParentalAbandonment went for years at a time without seeing his father]] [[spoiler:who convinced him that his life didn't matter and then threw Oz into [[TheUnderworld the Abyss.]]]] His best friend Gil is a FailureKnight trying to make up for the fact that he was mind-controlled into attacking his best friend [[spoiler:and who lived through the Tragedy of Sablier.]] His deutragonist, Alice, [[spoiler: is an amnesiac with an apparently EvilTwin who wants her dead.]] The cast's mentor archetype, Break, [[spoiler:signed an illegal contract to try to change the fact that the family he was bound to protect was massacred, dragged into the Abyss and [[EyeScream had his eye torn out]], only to have the family die off anyway.]] This is only touching the main cast ''in the first half of the manga.'' It gets ''[[CataclysmBackstory so]]'' ''[[LossOfIdentity much]]'' '''[[TomatoInTheMirror worse]]''' [[LivingWeapon by]] [[BreakTheCutie the]] [[ApocalypseHow end]].
241* EarAche:
242** In Retrace LIV, Vincent (who is already feeling stressed due to having just suffered a {{Flashback}} of [[DarkAndTroubledPast Sablier]]) cuts off a BrainwashedAndCrazy cult member's ear ''with his scissors'' with the aim of interrogating him.
243-->'''Vincent:''' "Well... I have so many question to ask you. Oh, but you don't have to answer them right away... [[{{Sadist}} Because right now, I really need to torture someone...]]"
244** In Retrace LXXXI, [[spoiler:Oscar]] gets part of his ear shot off while [[spoiler:redirecting the bullet that a [[GrandTheftMe Jack-controlled Oz]] aimed at him]].
245* EarlyBirdCameo: Young Elliot and Leo appear in episode 11, where they both see Gilbert first entering the Nightray mansion. The latter also counts as an AdaptationInducedPlotHole due to their meeting actually taking place far later than that.
246* EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette: [[LittleMissBadass Alice]], [[TroubledButCute Gilbert]], [[BadassLongrobe Glen]] [[spoiler:(Or more specifically, [[TheStoic Oswald]] and [[SanitySlippage Leo]])]] and [[spoiler:Lacie.]]
247* EldritchAbomination: Chains.
248* EldritchLocation: The Abyss. [[spoiler:Apparently, it used to be a paradise of golden light, albeit with some patch of darkness somewhere on it.]]
249** InfernalParadise: [[spoiler:Isla Yura tries to create one by bringing the world into the Abyss.]]
250* EmotionlessGirl: Echo initially appears like this.
251* EtTuBrute: Glen's betrayal of Jack's friendship at the Tragedy of Sablier, which [[spoiler:is actually revealed to be ''Jack's'' betrayal of Glen, as Jack deliberately opened the doors to the Abyss and tried to bring the entire world into it just so that he could meet Lacie again.]]
252** Anyone who was betrayed by [[spoiler:Jack, after the revelation in Retrace LXV]] also applies, including [[spoiler: Oz, who learned that he was just being used by Jack like he was one hundred years ago as the B-rabbit]] and [[spoiler:Arthur Barma, who was befriended by Jack for the sole purpose of writing a false account of the events that played out at Sablier that made Jack look like the hero]].
253* EvenTheGuysWantHim: Both Oz and Gil apply.
254* EvilAllAlong: [[spoiler:[[ManipulativeBastard Jack]], [[UnreliableExpositor Jack]], and [[LoveMakesYouEvil Jack]].]]
255* EvilTwin: Intention of the Abyss. [[spoiler:Or so it seemed.]]
256* EvilVersusEvil: [[spoiler: Jack vs. Oswald. Jack's a sociopathic ManipulativeBastard who wants to send everyone to the abyss (partly so that he can see Lacie again, partly because he thinks the abyss is beautiful). Oswald is a sociopathic nerd who wants to stop this by going back in time and erasing his sister from existence, as well as most of the main cast and some bystanders. It would be grey and grey morality if they cared about the lives of innocents, but they don't.]]
257* ExtraEyes: [[spoiler:Humpty Dumpty.]]
258* ExtremeMeleeRevenge: Done by [[spoiler:Vincent]] to [[spoiler:Break]] in Retrace LXXXI, where the former blames the latter for [[spoiler:[[MisplacedRetribution Gil's betrayal of the Baskervilles]]]].
259* EyeColorChange: Oz's eyes change from green to [[RedEyesTakeWarning red]] when he [[spoiler:uses the powers of the B-Rabbit]].
260* EyeScream:
261** Break is missing his left eye [[spoiler:because the Intention of the Abyss ripped it out.]]
262** Vincent also has a tendency to take scissors to eyeballs. [[spoiler:Like that one time with pre-Chain Cheshire.]]
263* FaceFramedInShadow: [[spoiler:Oswald/]]Glen Baskerville for the first half of the series.
264* TheFaceless: Xai Vessalius ([[spoiler:until Retrace XCII]]), Jack (at first), [[spoiler:the Headhunter, until Retrace 61]], the Chain "Raven", of which we only get to see feathers [[spoiler:until Retrace 55]], and Lacie [[spoiler:until Retrace 65]].
265* FaceHeelTurn: [[spoiler:Leo pulls one after Elliot's death, once he becomes the new Glen Baskerville]].
266* FailureKnight: Gil and Break.
267* FalseFriend: [[spoiler:Jack to Arthur Barma, only using the latter to conceal the truth about the Tragedy of Sablier.]]
268* {{Fanservice}}:
269** Episode 20, the first and second omakes, the Doki Doki Pandora Gakuen omakes, the Maid-ora Hearts omakes, and the Gil in Wonderland manga omake.
270** The kiss Oz had with Alice at the start of the series.
271** The Oz and Gil fanservice in episode 15.
272* FateWorseThanDeath: Getting thrown into the Abyss is not a pleasant experience. Oz just handled it really, really well.
273* FeteWorseThanDeath: [[spoiler:Oz's second Coming-of-Age celebration]] turns out this way.
274* FeudingFamilies: The Nightrays have for a very long time, since even before the occurrence of the Tragedy, been close allies with the Baskerville Clan. It is for this reason that, after the Baskervilles and their master Glen attempted to cast the world into the Abyss, that the Nightrays were suspected of similar treachery for no reason other than their association. The Nightrays' situation regarding their Black Winged Chain exemplifies the significant disadvantage they have to their peers, with Raven unable to Contract with anyone for the entire century until Gilbert was adopted into the family. The Nightray's less-than-desired position is what fuels the rivalry between them and the Vessalius Dukedom, who is by far the most influential even among the other Great Dukedoms. The resentment runs deep and strong, to the point of fostering outright hostility between the Nightray heirs and the Vessalius heirs.
275* FiveManBand: The main five cast members all appear to start out as clear cut examples of this, but eventually start playing with most of the archetypes.
276** Oz--TheLeader and GuileHero, type Charismatic with shades of Levelheaded. He leads the group's investigations and makes most of their major decisions.
277** Gilbert--TheLancer. He backs up Oz in all situations, but contrasts heavily with him in personality and outlook.
278** Break--TheSmartGuy, type Trickster. He starts out knowing more than anyone else about the situation and easily manipulating both friends and enemies.
279** Alice--TheBigGuy, Class 4. She's the quickest to jump to intimidation and often eager to battle.
280** Sharon--TheHeart. She's the peacekeeper and emotional support of the group.
281* FireForgedFriends: Oz and Elliot, and the main five characters in general.
282* FireworksOfLove: In Retrace XXXIII, Oz and Echo watch fireworks together during their NotADate at a festival. Oz then gives Echo a hair brooch, something Echo knows is supposed to be a romantic gesture even if Oz doesn't get it.
283* FirstTimeInTheSun: Oz and Alice after a stint in the Abyss.
284* FishOutOfTemporalWater: Oz learned he was sent ten years to the future after he was sent to the abyss.[[spoiler: The Baskervilles had it worse, the reason they were silent before the start of the story is because they were sent nearly one hundred years to the future after the tragedy of Sablier. Gil and Vincent are actually from one hundred years in the past, but Gil doesn't remember it. Break too was from the past, sent 30 years to the future after killing 116 people and meeting the Intention of the Abyss himself.]]
285* FluffyTheTerrible: Some of the Chains have pretty ridiculous names. Example: [[spoiler:Humpty Dumpty]].
286* FoodSlap: At their first meeting, [[spoiler:Jack]] splashes a glass of water all over [[spoiler:Oswald]] when the latter accuses the former of appearing deceptive and untrustworthy.
287* {{Foreshadowing}}: The manga has tons of it:
288** During one of the earlier volumes, [[ObfuscatingInsanity Break]] warns [[ObfuscatingStupidity Oz]] that "what's left in the end isn't always what you wish for." At the time, one of the few things known about Break was that he said [[FridgeBrilliance random things of no importance to unnerve people.]] Except... [[spoiler: by the end of the manga, [[AnyoneCanDie almost everyone is dead.]]]]
289*** Break also highlights that neither he nor Oz have long to live, and wonders which of them (between him and Oz) will out-live the other. [[spoiler:They end up dying on the same day, although Oz outlives Break by a couple of hours]].
290** In the official art, Oz is frequently wearing rabbit motifs: rabbit-eared hats, rabbit-eared pajamas, rabbit badges on his band lapels, winter clothes with rabbit patterns on the sweater and black and red rabbit faces on the gloves. Similarly, the Black Rabbit plush is often dressed in Oz's signature red tie. [[spoiler: This foreshadows that Oz is the actual B-Rabbit.]]
291*** The first volume has a picture of Oz with red eyes sitting in front of a wall with "'''B-Rabbit'''" labeled above him in spray paint, complete with a small doodle of the creepy rabbit itself. Oh, [[TrollingCreator Mochijun...]]
292*** The same volume contains this scene before the plot really gets rolling: Oz picks up the infamous pocket watch and finds himself in Alice's room from the past. Though it's difficult to realize on the first read-through, because you're looking at Oz from an odd perspective, reading in hindsight and paying attention to where Oz is actually looking makes it clear that the first thing Oz saw in his vision was [[spoiler:himself--the Black Rabbit, in his original form.]]
293** [[spoiler:That official picture of Jack, dressed in black and kissing the hand of an unknown person, has gained LAYERS of meaning since the traumatic revelations of Retrace 65. [[LyingCreator The mangaka, when asked, stated that who the hand belongs to "is of no consequence"]]. ]] Similarly, images with Jack posed possessively with Oz gained an entirely new meaning after Retrace 70 was released. Also, [[spoiler: the official art of Gilbert obsessively cradling a skull has become a lot more sinister in light of recent chapters.]]
294** There happens to be a [[http://twilightvisions.com/pandora.html website]] dedicated to the foreshadowing symbolism in the official pictures.
295** In Chapter 97, [[spoiler:Glen being uncapable of killing Alice because of her resemblance with Lacie foreshadows that, even if he gets to a time before Lacie met Jack in order to kill her, he won't be able to pull it off.]]
296** Elliot's choice at the end of the Isla Yura arc [[spoiler:to die as himself with his painful memories rather than letting Oz kill him or Humpty Dumpty alter his memories again to give him peace]] foreshadows the eventual conclusion of the conflict between [[spoiler:Jack's efforts to end the world, Oswald's desire to erase the painful events of Sablier, and Oz's TakeAThirdOption.]]
297* ForgottenFirstMeeting: The main trio had already met at different points before the Tragedy of Sablier, but they all got cases of amnesia and only discovered how they were associated until much later.
298* ForWantOfANail: [[spoiler:Oswald]] thinks that if [[spoiler:Jack]] had never met [[spoiler:Lacie]], the balance between the surface world and the Abyss would have remained completely intact. However, several other characters suspect he is wrong. See InSpiteOfANail.
299* FourthWallObserver: [[spoiler: The Jury]] are well aware of the fact that the events transpiring is nothing but a story being recorded into a book.
300* FreudianTrio:
301** Id: Alice -- Hotheaded, emotional, [[LargeHam loud]], and [[LittleMissBadass somewhat aggressive]]. Acts mainly based on instinct.
302** Superego: Gilbert -- Stoic [[NotSoStoic (most of the time)]], ethical, and concerned with how others see him.
303** Ego: Oz -- Can be as emotional as Alice or as logical as Gilbert, depending on the situation. Often acts as the mediator when they fight.
304* FriendshipMoment: Gilbert, Oz and Break after visiting the Barma mansion.
305* FutureBadass: Gilbert.
306** Slightly subverted, as he is usually just good at putting up a tough front, while his real personality is basically the opposite of that.
307[[/folder]]
308
309[[folder:Tropes G-I]]
310%%* GaslampFantasy
311* GeckoEnding: The anime diverged from the manga after the visit to Rufus Barma's mansion and ended before the main trio visited Sablier, where the main plot really kicks in.
312* GenerationXerox:
313** Oz will probably look ''exactly'' like [[spoiler: Jack]] in a few years. [[spoiler:Justified in Oz's case in that his body ''is'' Jack's body. The existence known as "Oz" is actually the chain B-Rabbit]].
314** Sharon looks like a shrunken version of her mother.
315** Alice resembles [[spoiler:Lacie, who turns out to be her mother.]]
316** [[spoiler:Those who receive the soul of Glen Baskerville also inherit the duties that come with being Glen, along with memories and such.]]
317*** [[spoiler:It is also worth noting that, while Levi and Oswald look ''nothing'' like each other, Oswald and Leo seem to resemble each other heavily.]]
318** If you consider Oz to look like [[spoiler: Jack,]] Gilbert to look like [[spoiler: Oswald,]] and Alice to look like [[spoiler: Lacie,]] this trope was probably included on purpose. There are a ton of parallels between the main/present trio and the past trio, and by parallels we mean that there are multiple similarities...and a ''ton'' of differences that pretty much seem like intentional opposites.
319%% * Getting Crap Past The Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.
320* GirlInTheTower: Alice, 100 years ago. Before her was [[spoiler:Lacie, though this GirlInTheTower was able to slip out from time to time on a whim]].
321* TheGlassesComeOff: [[spoiler:Leo's. Probably for the rest of eternity, considering he never actually needed them]].
322* GothicHorror: The series has a good many tropes representative of the genre, including [[BigFancyHouse old castles and mansions]], [[MadwomanInTheAttic crazy ladies in towers]] ([[spoiler:Lacie and later Alice/the Intention of the Abyss initially appear to play this straight before subverting it, as none of them are actually crazy and are only locked up because of their connection with the Abyss]]), [[GirlInTheTower confinement]] and [[LockedInTheDungeon imprisonment]], {{Evil Twin}}s and [[EvilDoppelganger doubles]] ([[spoiler:Alice and the Intention and Jack and Oz, respectively, play with these concepts]]), [[MalevolentMutilation mutilation]] and torture of [[ColdBloodedTorture multiple]] [[MindRape varieties]], otherworldly [[EldritchLocation places]] (the Abyss) and [[EldritchAbomination creatures]] (chains), and [[MadnessTropes insanity]], among others.
323* GrandTheftMe: Retrace XXXIX shows that [[spoiler:Glen has no permanent body of his own and must possess others to continue ruling the Baskerville household. Gilbert was lucky enough to evade this fate 100 years ago.]]
324** [[spoiler:Subverted in Retrace LXVIII. Turns out that "Glen" is merely a title given to the leader of the Baskerville family, contracted to all the necessary Chains, and thus has the authority and power to meet with the Intention of the Abyss personally. Potential "Glens" are determined by an unknown set of criteria, but it appears that there's a direct correlation between being related to a potential "Glen" by blood and being a "Child of Ill Omen".]]
325** [[spoiler:As of chapter 65, Jack has taken complete control of Oz's body and used it to stab Leo with one of B-Rabbit's chains.]]
326*** [[spoiler:Also strangely inverted in chapter 70 and chapter 77 in that, apparently, it was Jack's body all along before Oz took over.]]
327** [[spoiler:Retraces 74 and 78 show that Glen, specifically Oswald, has taken over Leo - and [[HeroicBSOD Leo won't do a thing about it]].]]
328* GreyAndGrayMorality: One of the main themes of the series, especially with the [[spoiler:WellIntentionedExtremist methods Pandora and the Baskervilles are willing to go through to learn about and protect the Abyss, respectively]].
329* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: Ada. Despite her [[spoiler:''[[NightmareFetishist collection]]'']], she is still an exceptionally kind and forgiving person, so the trope fits.
330* HairRaisingHare: The Bloody Black Rabbit will mess you up. The White Rabbit too.
331* HandicappedBadass: [[spoiler:Xerxes Break after he goes blind.]]
332** And [[spoiler: Gilbert]] after he [[spoiler: cuts off his own left arm]]. Cue BigDamnHeroes moment.
333* HappinessInSlavery: Echo. [[spoiler:Subverted once you get her talking about her "beloved master."]] Gilbert's devotion to his master Oz approaches this as well, as it reaches the point where he wishes to ''stay Oz's servant'' even when he becomes a noble with complete freedom.
334* HarmfulHealing: Played with, in a way. [[spoiler:The reason why Elliot is a Humpty Dumpty contractor is that Leo made him drink its blood to 'forget' (read: erase) the mortal wounds Elliot received while they were looking for the children in Sablier. When Elliot remembered those forgotten memories, the wounds came back.]]
335* HartmanHips: [[{{Squick}} Disturbingly enough]], [[ComicBook/TheCreeper Isla Yura]].
336* HealingPotion: Vincent bribes Break with an antidote after he poisons both Sharon and Echo... and then, to prove the antidote works, Vincent gives Echo said potion by [[{{Squick}} frenching her.]]
337* HearingVoices:
338** [[spoiler:Leo]] can hear the voices of [[spoiler:the past Glens]] speaking to him and spent sixteen years of his life trying to ignore them [[spoiler:until finally giving in and accepting his role as the new Glen]].
339** [[spoiler:Noise]] hears a cacophony of voices so intensely that [[spoiler:her chain creates a SplitPersonality for her in an attempt to keep her from insanity; it doesn't work]].
340** Oz hears some pretty plot-important ones during his [[spoiler:"]]first[[spoiler:"]] visit to the Hole at Sablier. As illusions of the Tragedy begin to form around him, Oz hears horrible, tortured, pleading ''screams'' from a single voice, and then promptly has a major FreakOut. These screams are made distinct from the speech of those in the illusion and are given no clear source. [[spoiler:They turn out to be Oz's own from 100 years past, pointing to this being something of a setting-induced PTSD episode]].
341* HellishPupils:
342** Lottie's pupils make it easy to tell that she's creepy.
343** Zwei seems to have similar pupils. As does [[spoiler:Leo.]]
344** [[spoiler:Levi]] seems to have a different variation, but still creepy nonetheless.
345* HeWhoMustNotBeSeen:
346** [[spoiler:Jack]] right about up until the end of the Cheshire Arc. Had heavy elements of FaceFramedInShadow.
347** Also, [[spoiler:[[AbusiveParents Xai Vessalius]], Oz's father]]. We don't get a good look at his face until Retrace 92, [[spoiler:when Oz finally overcomes his fear of Xai's rejection and realizes that Xai's opinions of him do not determine the value of Oz's existence. Up until that point, Oz couldn't look bring himself to look him in the face, so we couldn't either.]]
348* HeroesGoneFishing: The Unbirthday chapter, [[BreatherEpisode where everyone(including Elliot and Leo) spend one day having a tea party hosted by Oscar.]]
349* HeroAntagonist: [[spoiler:Oswald/Glen Baskerville]], in the past. [[spoiler:In the present, while he tries to pretend even to himself that his goals are noble, the point is made that he's ''far'' from heroic and is now motivated largely by revenge]].
350* HeroesPreferSwords: Though he is not the protagonist, Elliot is the most traditionally heroic character, believing passionately in justice. His weapon of choice is a sword.
351* HeroicSacrifice:
352** [[spoiler:Jack went through a particularly horrifying sacrifice to seal away Glen in order to keep the peace, which involved Jack being physically ''separated'' into five pieces. At the end of Retrace XLII, one of Jack's [[NightmareFuel dismembered arms]] is shown.]] Retrace LXV [[spoiler:reveals that it's not Jack's, but ''Glen's body'' that got split (his head was in one of the Sealing Stones)]].
353** [[spoiler:Elliot rejecting Humpty Dumpty despite his Incuse being one quarter from completion]] comes to mind, as well.
354** There's also [[spoiler:Alice killing herself with a pair of shears to prevent Jack from using Oz and cutting off any further contact between him and her twin. After that, she also became a chain just so Alyss wouldn't have to go through the trouble of making an anguished B-Rabbit!Oz destroy her memories.]]
355** ''Another'' instance occurs heartbreakingly [[spoiler:in Retrace LXXXII, where Uncle Oscar pushes Gil, Alice, and Oz through the gate so that they can escape their pursuers. He himself stays behind, and... [[DownerEnding well]]...]]
356** [[spoiler:Given the choice between allowing Jack to end the world or allowing Oswald to retcon him and everyone he loves out of existence, Oz chooses to die separating the Intention of the Abyss and the Core so that stability to the Abyss will return and reality won't collapse. In doing so he both saves the world and overcomes his lack of self-worth, because Oz's [[TakeAThirdOption alternative]] to Jack's and Oswald's plans ensures that their story has an ending ''Oz'' chooses, and that the impact of his life and those of the people he loved cannot be erased from the world. Still, Oz breaks down in tears mourning the life he'll never get to lead from here on out--culmination of his character arc or not, it's still every bit the sacrifice. And though technically already dead, helping Oz to separate the Intention from the Core means that both Alice twins actively sacrificed themselves here as well.]]
357* HeroicSafeMode: In Retrace LXXV, [[spoiler:Oz, having [[TomatoInTheMirror discovered]] that he is B-rabbit and that he's killed many innocent people,]] boots up in safe mode after [[spoiler:being totally [[BreakThemByTalking destroyed]] by Jack]]. He becomes indifferent to his fate, convinced that [[spoiler:Glen executing him is for the best since he isn't "real," only a chain inhabiting Jack's [[MerlinSickness cursed]] body]].
358* HiddenWeapons: Break's cane is a concealed sword. Echo and Lottie both have hidden knives up their sleeves.
359* HidingBehindYourBangs: Break's bangs cover the left side of his face [[spoiler:because his left eye socket is empty]]. Cheshire's bangs cover the right side of his face. [[spoiler:This is not a coincidence. He has Break's left eye]].
360* HitlersTimeTravelExemptionAct: [[spoiler: The last arc of the series revolves around this conundrum. Oswald wants to go back in time and prevent the Tragedy of Sablier, however, the Tragedy was driven by the underlying issues with how the Baskervilles managed the Abyss, the Core, and the Children of Misfortune, issues that had gone unaddressed until the Tragedy, meaning that erasing the Tragedy wouldn't remove the problems that actually caused it, only the specific happenstance triggers that Oswald knows of from this particular timeline--and even if Oswald does succeed, he will be destroying the existence of every person who lived after the moment that he changed. The progagonists find this last part unacceptable, positioning that a solution for those in the present and the future is the only way to actually move forward in regards to these underlying problems--however difficult it is to live with, leaving the past to the past and dealing with the consequences in the present is the only way to actually move on from them.]]
361* HopeSpot: Used throughout the series, the most brutal one being the first thirty or so pages of Retrace 104. [[spoiler:After [[PlanningForTheFutureBeforeTheEnd planning to have a tea party with everyone]] after the GrandFinale is over, Oz enacts his plan to [[SaveTheWorldClimax stop the end of the world]] by contracting with the Intention of the Abyss herself. The final chapter opens with Oz's tea party, but what seems like a happy ending grows into a suspicious TearJerker as more and more deceased characters appear. Finally Oz is led from the tea party by the Alice twins, who pull him out of the illusion and reveal it to have been a dream--or perhaps a glimpse at another reality. Either way, neither is real or accessible to Oz.]]
362* HopeSpringsEternal: The manga has a reputation for being tragic, but this is the [[CentralTheme major underlying theme]], and perhaps even the overarching [[AnAesop aesop]]. The characters certainly suffer, but as they [[CharacterDevelopment become stronger people with a better understanding of themselves and others]], they find meaning in their suffering and realize there is hope after all.
363* HotForStudent: Heavily implied throughout the Pandora Academy [[{{Omake}} Omakes]].
364* HowWeGotHere: Episode 12 explains to us how Oz, Gil and Alice ended up in line for a three-round arm-wrestling match for Gil's hat. Of course, since it's Oz talking, we learn that Gil is a useless moron and Oz is TheHero. It's true.
365* HumanoidAbomination: Cheshire Cat and [[spoiler:Oz]] The B-Rabbit unlike most chains they gain human forms when they become chains while some barely had some human parts.
366* HumansAreFlawed: One of the [[CentralTheme Central Themes]]. People can be selfish and cruel, but they can also be loving and kind.
367* IDidntMeanToTurnYouOn: Oz does this to Gil in the first Caucus Race light novel by wearing an apron and asking if he would make a pretty wife.
368* IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming: Each chapter name is preceded by "Retrace:" and the chapter number in Roman numerals. (For example, the first chapter of the manga, Retrace I: Innocent Calm.)
369* IdiotHair: Rufus Barma.
370* IfWeGetThroughThis: Near the end of the manga, Oz declares that if everyone survives, he wants them to get together for another tea party. It's revealed later that [[spoiler:Oz said this only to lighten the mood, as he was aware several of them would die, including himself]].
371* IJustWantToBeNormal:
372** Retrace LXIII reveals that [[spoiler:the Intention of the Abyss doesn't want to be the Intention of the Abyss anymore]]. This is justified, considering that [[spoiler:pretty much everybody wants to use or destroy her and that she's been confined to a horrific EldritchLocation for [[YearOutsideHourInside who knows how long]]]].
373** [[spoiler:Vincent]] has never felt "normal" because of [[spoiler:his one red eye]], and so he finds a kindred spirit in [[spoiler:Noise]], who is also an "aberration" because [[spoiler:she is neither fully human nor fully Baskerville and must be confined due to her chain possessing her and driving her into madness]].
374-->'''[[spoiler:Vincent]]:''' “If all the people break, and all the world breaks, and everyone and everything goes mad, then I can be normal, just like everyone else, right?”
375* IJustWantToBeSpecial: Vaguely implied with [[spoiler:Gilbert]], whose ultimate desire--at least for a while--is to be needed by someone.
376* IJustWantToHaveFriends: [[spoiler:Arthur Barma]].
377* ILetGwenStacyDie: [[spoiler:Break]]'s reason for becoming an illegal contractor is a desire to undo this.
378* ImAHumanitarian: Most Chains, if you consider what they used to be. Subverted in Alice's case.
379* ImmuneToFate: [[spoiler:The true reason the Children of Ill Omen are looked upon as "sins": They are utterly unpredictable to the otherwise omnipotent Jury and are constantly in the way of the Jury's job, so the Jury created the Baskervilles to eliminate them.]]
380* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: [[spoiler:Jack, through Oz, stabs Leo with one of B-Rabbit's chains in Retrace LXV]].
381* ImportantHaircut: [[spoiler:Leo]] gets one in Retrace LXI.
382* ImpossiblyCoolClothes:
383** Alice's dress/coat/''thing'' comes to mind. Also, obviously, all the noble suits and dresses.
384** The Lutwidge school uniforms are nice enough to make ''James Bond'' jealous.
385* ImprovisedWeapon: Alice uses some utensils to good advantage when possessing Oz in the beginning.
386* InnocentFlowerGirl: Oz meets one. It doesn't end well.
387* InSpiteOfANail:
388** Break, when he was still [[spoiler:Kevin Regnard]], asked the [[spoiler:Intention of the Abyss to prevent the massacre that killed the family he was protecting]]. However, they [[spoiler:still die later on due to his absence]].
389** A hypothetical version. [[spoiler:Oswald]] believes that if [[spoiler:Jack]] and [[spoiler:Lacie]] had never met, [[ForWantOfANail the surface world and the Abyss would have remained balanced]]. However, conclusions drawn by several characters and statements about the stability of the [[spoiler:Core of the Abyss]] at the end of the manga suggest that he is incorrect, and that even if he ''were'' correct about preventing this specific sequence of events, something else with equal (or worse) consequences would have happened anyway.
390* {{Irony}}: When Oz finds out [[spoiler:he's a Chain and not a human,]] he has one of the most human reactions possible. And while [[spoiler:Jack]] is [[BreakThemByTalking breaking him by talking,]] it's clear that [[spoiler:Jack, the human, is the demonic one of this duo.]]
391** In the beginning of the manga it's made clear that the Chain B-Rabbit is infamous because it supposedly causes the death of every person who's ever made a Contract with it. This turns out to be [[spoiler:a lie concocted by Jack Vessalius to scare people away from contracting with Alice until he's ready to reunite the powers she stole with the real B-Rabbit.]] However, it ''still proves true'' by the end of the story, because [[spoiler:Oz ends up being a direct or indirect cause of death for every person he's made a Contract with.]]
392* InstantRunes: Instant transport for every Illegal Contractor who needs to be offed to the Abyss.
393* IntimateHealing: In order to prove to Break that [[spoiler:the antidote for Sharon really works]], Vincent administers the antidote to [[spoiler:a poisoned Echo by kissing her]]. Lottie pulls the same trick on [[spoiler:Ada Vessalius]] in the anime, except with poison instead of an antidote.
394%%* IntrinsicVow: [[BatmanGambit Invoked]].
395* ItsAllMyFault:
396** Gil blames himself for his inability to protect Oz when the latter is condemned to the Abyss at the start of the series.
397** [[spoiler:Leo]] seems to feel this way about [[spoiler:Elliot's death]], among other things.
398** Retrace LXXVIII reveals that [[spoiler:Oswald]] feels this way about [[spoiler:the Tragedy of Sablier]] and blames himself for his naivety in [[spoiler:trusting Jack]].
399* IWillFindYou: [[spoiler:Jack spends eight years trying to find Lacie before he finally reunites with her]].
400** [[DistantFinale In the last few pages]] of Retrace CIV, [[spoiler:Gilbert steadfastly holds on to his promise of seeing Oz and Alice when they are reincarnated in 100 years. However, Vincent ends up being the one who tracks down Oz and Alice, both as one last sign of love for his brother and another attempt at self-redemption.]]
401* IWorkAlone: Sharon calls Break "Mr. One-Man-Show" because of this.
402[[/folder]]
403
404[[folder:Tropes J-L]]
405* {{Jerkass}}: Xai Vessalius at his best. [[spoiler:Bernard Nightray - totally.]] Also, Rufus Barma (though not as bad as the other two.)
406* JerkWithAHeartOfGold:
407** Elliot. Some might say he's just a {{tsundere}} though. By Retrace XL or so it's fair to say that Elliot is a much nicer guy than he wants to show.
408** Break. It's not always obvious that he does have a heart, but he's got his moments.
409** Oz himself, particularly in that scene where he made Gil sign a contract making him officially his servant for life... the purpose of which was to cement the fact that Oz must always protect him, since a master's task is to take care of his servants. Oz was still a jerk about it.
410* JigsawPuzzlePlot: You could rename the manga MindScrew and no one would notice. Played very straight in the beginning when the group is searching for fragments of Alice's memory. The whole story (all 104 chapters of it) just centers around how and why the Tragedy of Sablier happened and what the Intention of the Abyss wants by constantly revisiting these two things.
411* KickTheDog: [[spoiler:Pretty much everything [[BreakThemByTalking Jack says to Oz]] in Retrace LXXIV]].
412-->[[spoiler:'''Jack''': You are a chain... B-rabbit, the destroyer... The people you love, and the people you wish to protect... All that you've achieved... They're fake. Don't forget that..."]]
413* KidAnova: Oz ''really'' likes younger girls.
414* KidDetective / AmateurSleuth: Oz, Alice, Elliot and Leo, all of whom are trying to decipher some mystery, usually having something to do with the Tragedy of Sablier.
415* KidWithTheLeash: Several contractors, including Oz and [[spoiler:the flower girl]] they meet early on.
416* KillerRabbit: Most notably literal rabbits, and in black and white varieties. One is a main character. [[spoiler:Though not the one you think...]]
417* LargeHam: Alice is {{Chewing the Scenery}} like it's going out of style.
418* LaserGuidedAmnesia: Conversely, TraumaInducedAmnesia.
419* LaughingMad: The Head Hunter, after killing [[WeHardlyKnewYe Rytas, Marie and Glooner]].
420* LecherousLicking: Several examples; see the trope page for details.
421* LeonineContract: [[DealWithTheDevil Alice's contract with Oz]] can be considered this, as it was the only way for Oz to escape the Abyss and Oz agreed to it without being completely aware of the consequences.
422* LetsGetDangerous: Break. He even says "time to get serious" at one point in the anime, [[spoiler:which Alice takes as her cue to GTFO without needing further instruction.]] Every time he puts on his game face (usually by whipping out the MadHatter, though revealing the concealed sword does the trick too), everyone craps their pants, but the sudden air of panic is no damper whatsoever to his flamboyant attitude. He still snarfs candy and talks with hearts in his speech bubbles as he watches his opponents slowly bleed to death.
423* LightIsNotGood:
424** The [[spoiler:Intention of the Abyss]], who wears all white and sometimes manifests as a white rabbit, isn't someone you want to stumble upon...[[EyeScream seriously]]. Eventually [[spoiler:subverted, as the Intention of the Abyss turns out not to be so bad]].
425** [[spoiler: Jack]] is often accompanied by bright colors and occasionally wears white in official art. He [[spoiler:caused the Tragedy of Sablier]].
426* LikeBrotherAndSister: [[PlatonicLifePartners Oz and Alice]]. While their relationship is generally treated more like best friends than siblings, they are unusually close, and Oz states in one of the Caucus Race side stories that he loves Alice like she's his sister.
427* LikeFatherLikeSon: [[spoiler:Alice (physical appearance, being locked in a tower) and the Intention of the Abyss (physical appearance, psychotic tendencies) to their mother Lacie]].
428* LimitedWardrobe: Save for a few special circumstances.
429* LittleMissBadass: Alice, Echo, the Intention of Abyss, Sharon (biologically 23, but physically 13), Lily...
430* LonelyRichKid: The whole story pretty much starts as Oz being this.
431* LongHairedPrettyBoy: Quite a few, most noticeably Vincent and [[spoiler:Jack, with his braid.]] Leo and Rufus Barma also count, along with [[spoiler:Break, who had a ponytail right after being spit out of the Abyss]], and Gilbert, whose hair is at least long enough to tie back.
432* LossOfIdentity: By the end of Retrace LXXIV, [[spoiler:Oz himself]] appears to have lost all sense of identity thanks to [[spoiler:Jack's [[BreakThemByTalking manipulation]]]].
433* LoveMakesYouCrazy / LoveMakesYouEvil:
434** The ongoing list of {{Yandere}} characters in this manga fit this trope, although many of them outgrow it due to CharacterDevelopment.
435* LoveTriangle: Multiple.
436** Ada and [[spoiler:Noise]] both love [[spoiler:Vincent]], who never had any feelings for the latter and (eventually) returns the feelings of the former.
437** Lottie and [[spoiler:Miranda]] both love [[spoiler:Oswald]], who is completely unaware of both of their affections. This is a bit of a strange variation because Lottie and [[spoiler:Miranda]] never meet or become aware of one another. Oh, and [[spoiler:Miranda]] is a psycho.
438** Rufus Barma is completely in love with Sheryl Rainsworth, but she has a husband and never returns his feelings, although she does seem to adore him platonically. Also a bit of a strange variation because 1) it's unclear if Duke Barma actually ''knows'' Sheryl's husband, and 2) the ''readers'' don't meet Sheryl's husband or even learn his name.
439* LoverTugOfWar:
440** Episode 17. "My master!" "No, my servant!"
441** And then again in Episode 20, this time with all parties involved drunk out of their minds.
442[[/folder]]
443
444[[folder:Tropes M-O]]
445%%* TheMadHatter
446* MagicPants: When Alice turns into her rabbit form, not only do her clothes grow with her, but her miniskirt turns into a pair of pants! (Probably [[JustifiedTrope justified]] by magic.)
447** [[spoiler:Possibly could be considered {{Foreshadowing}}, as Alice stole that animalistic form and her powers from the ''true'' B-Rabbit, who identifies as male. When she took control of the powers, she altered the form and B-Rabbit outfit to resemble her human appearance; it makes a kind of sense that when she takes the Chain's prior form, the more masculine aspects of the outfit return]].
448* ManipulativeBastard:
449** Rufus Barma, Vincent, and Break.
450** Oz (most notably in Retrace XLVIII), although it's worth mentioning that he only is this when absolutely necessary.
451** Retrace LXV: [[spoiler:Jack.]]
452* MarshmallowHell: Done to Oz by Lottie, notably.
453* MasculineGirlFeminineBoy: Alice is the masculine girl to Gilbert's feminine boy, although they're the variation of this trope in which the girl and boy are not romantically affiliated with one another but have some other type of relationship (in this case, friendship/rivalry/sibling-like, etc.). Alice enjoys combat, voracious and carnivorous eating habits, and holds spite for things such as fashion/romance/refinement. In addition, she is incredibly blunt and literal and appears to have a significantly difficult time understanding anything psychological. It's also worth noting that although she isn't a {{Bokukko}}, her speech patterns in Japanese are apparently masculine. Contrasting Alice's masculinity, Gilbert enjoys sewing, cooking, cleaning, household chores in general, and handicrafts. Besides this, he is also sensitive and emotional.
454** This trope has gone far enough that Oz's voice actress, Junko Minagawa, joked in an interview with [[WordOfGod Jun Mochizuki]] that Alice is the manliest member of the trio (which includes her and two guys), as well as that Gilbert is the ''true'' heroine of the manga. Jun Mochizuki seemed to agree.
455* MaskOfSanity: The vast majority of the time, [[spoiler:Jack]] appears to be nothing more than a friendly, unassuming, and charismatic man. In reality, he is [[spoiler:extremely dangerous]].
456* MeaningfulEcho: From the beginning and end of Retrace LXXX:
457-->'''Oscar''': [thinking] "Oz, you have no idea what it meant to me to be held by that small hand of yours... [[spoiler:[[WhamLine What torture it was."]]]]
458* MeaningfulName: Oz [[spoiler:was named after Oswald]] and 'Oz' as in the [[Film/TheWizardOfOz WONDERful LAND]]. 'Rufus' means 'red'. Lacie is an anagram of Alice, [[spoiler:appropriate, as Lacie was Alice's mother]].
459** On a meta-level, many of the Retrace names and subtitles double as this, sometimes factoring in [[MeaningfulEcho Meaningful Echos]]. Good example of this are Retraces 3 and 76, "Prisoner and Alichino" and "Alice and Oz," which share the subtitle "Lost Child and Black Rabbit," and Retraces 10 and 82, "Malediction" and "Wish," which share the subtitle "Curse." The first two focus on Oz and Alice and the juxtapositioning of their realities, while the latter two focus on the burdens, or "curses," that Xai and Oscar have put on Oz respectively.
460** The name "Vessalius" isn't just a possible reference to an anatomist who saw his job as dispelling myths and revealing the truth of his field, it's also a StealthPun on the word ''vessal,'' a hollow container used to hold or carry something. Oz is thought to be the Vessal of Jack Vessalius and Jack reinforces this belief [[spoiler:when trying to convince Oz he is nothing]]; [[spoiler: in reality, [[DemonicPossession Jack is the vessal of Oz]], and Jack fears that he himself is empty]].
461** Jack's name is doubly ironic, because "Jack" has been, throughout the years, a generic slang term for "man" and also for "criminal." [[spoiler:Obviously, he's a criminal, but the irony comes from the generic "man" part of the meaning. Jack is the most human main character of the cast from 100 years ago, but emotionally proves himself less human than Oz (who likewise proves himself one of the ''most'' human characters emotionally, despite being perhaps the most literally inhuman entity sans the Core), and even inverts their DemonicPossession relationship by being the demonic one of the two despite his humanity.]]
462*** Additionally, Jack's character is based on the [[Literature/AlicesAdventuresInWonderland Knave of Hearts.]] The word "knave" is another term for "jack" in cards, but even more significant is the other definition of "knave": [[spoiler:A [[UnreliableExpositor dishonest]] or [[TheSociopath unscrupulous]] man]].
463* {{Meido}}: The Maidora Hearts omake. Young Gilbert also wore a maid outfit in the first anime omake.
464* MerlinSickness: [[spoiler:Because his corrupted soul was rejected by the Abyss, Jack was excluded from the hundred-year cycle of rebirth. As a result, his body repeatedly matures to the age he was at during the Tragedy of Sablier (twenty-four) before reversing back to infancy. Each time he completes this cycle, another piece of his soul is destroyed.]]
465* MindRape:
466** When Alice is in Cheshire's dimension, she confronts horrible, nightmarish visions of herself. A notable one is when a ghoulish version of herself is bleeding at the eyes.
467** [[spoiler:Oz himself]] gets this treatment from [[spoiler:Jack]] after it's revealed that the latter [[spoiler:was EvilAllAlong.]] It is intensified by [[spoiler: the extensive physical contact, including Jack holding Oz down on the metaphorical ground of their shared mind, or gripping his shoulders to force him to watch memories of Sablier. It ends with Oz suffering an [[LossOfIdentity identity crisis]] and having a HeroicBSOD]].
468* MindScrew: The manga as a whole. [[spoiler:Characters thought to be the epitome of truth were lying, and everything that kept the characters sane and/or defined their identity gets destroyed.]] With ''Literature/AliceInWonderland'' as its template, this aspect of the series isn't too surprising.
469* MiseryBuildsCharacter: Every character integral to the plot has suffered through horrible, traumatic experiences and has come out badass, twisted, sadistic, or a mix of them all. On the bright side, they're interesting people!
470* MisplacedRetribution: In Retrace LXXXI, [[spoiler:Vincent]] beats up [[spoiler:Break]] and blames him for [[spoiler:Gil's betrayal of the Baskervilles, despite the fact that Break wasn't even directly responsible for Gil's decision]].
471* MistakenForGay: This exchange from Retrace LXVII:
472-->'''[[spoiler:Levi]]:''' (referring to [[spoiler:Oswald]]'s research into [[spoiler:Jack]]'s history) "Still, it's pretty unusual for you to show interest in someone."
473-->'''[[spoiler:Oswald]]:''' "You're right. I couldn't help but be interested in him."
474-->'''[[spoiler:Levi]]:''' "Uh... what? I didn't know you swung that way."
475-->'''[[spoiler:Oswlad]]:''' [[CaptainOblivious "I'm not sure what you mean..."]]
476* MoodWhiplash: There's quite a lot in this manga.
477** Retrace XLVI: Vincent having sinister thoughts about tainting Ada, whom he hates for her purity. Cue [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments Ada showing off]] [[NightmareFetishist her collection]] to him.
478** Oz reaching out to [[spoiler:Leo]] ends with [[spoiler:the latter being impaled by the former (or, to be specific, Jack) with B-Rabbit's chain]].
479** Retrace LXXXII contains some of the happiest, most beautiful moments in the series. [[spoiler:And then Uncle Oscar dies]].
480* MistressAndServantBoy:
481** Alice completely dominates Oz and calls him her property. Oz does next to nothing to combat this and only wants to keep Alice pleased. This is an extension of their original relationship in which Oz was Alice's stuffed rabbit and the wish that gave him a consciousness was to make Alice happy.
482** Oz and Gilbert are a same-sex version. Gilbert was made into Oz's manservant at a young age and he sworn unquestionable loyalty to Oz. Even though Gilbert got himself adopted into the Nightray Dukedom, Oz stills asks Gilbert to serve him and Gilbert faithfully does so.
483* MoralityKitchenSink: Morality is a big subject in this series, so it's only natural that the characters are all over the spectrum.
484* MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily: [[spoiler:Humpty Dumpty]].
485* MoreThanMindControl: [[spoiler:What Vincent pulled off with Gilbert]] in Retrace XXXIII has elements of this.
486* MrFanservice: Gilbert is the very obvious Mr. Fanservice. He's had a shirtless scene or two in the manga, and Jun Mochizuki enjoys drawing him in ridiculous and semi-provocative situations and outfits (and has basically outright stated this).
487* MultipleDemographicAppeal: The fandom has both female and male readers of varying ages.
488* MustHaveNicotine: Gilbert has tried to quit smoking ''eight times'' but to no avail. A special manga omake even chronicled [[HilarityEnsues his ninth time trying to quit.]]
489* MyDeathIsJustTheBeginning: With both Jack Vessalius and Glen Baskerville.
490* MyGreatestFailure: Both Break and Gil's backstories. Gilbert failed to save Oz from getting dragged into the Abyss, while Break [[spoiler:failed to save the lives of all but one little girl in the family he used to serve. There's more, but it's...complicated.]]
491* MyGreatestSecondChance: Break and Gil again, the former in terms of protecting Sharon and the latter in terms of protecting Oz.
492* MyMasterRightOrWrong:
493** Echo. It is revealed that she thinks Vincent is annoying, but (usually) obediently follows his orders.
494** The Baskervilles, who slaughtered nearly an entire city without knowing the reason why.
495* MySisterIsOffLimits: Ada sends her uncle Oscar a letter saying she's in love with someone, and he, being extremely overprotective, drags the main cast (including her brother Oz) to her school in order to find out who it is. Her interactions with Gilbert show that they've gotten close, and both Oz and Oscar end up mistakenly thinking Gilbert is the guy she's dating. Oz gets [[BigBrotherInstinct pretty damn pissed]] at Gilbert until it's all sorted out.
496** It's interesting to note that when Oz finds out the man Ada's in love with is [[spoiler:Vincent]], the main body of the manga does not show him reacting whatsoever. Additionally, in the omake featuring his and Gilbert's reactions to their [[spoiler:siblings']] relationship, Oz only acts mildly perturbed. It's possible this trope was actually subverted and that Oz's aggressive, overprotective reaction had more to do with the idea of ''Gilbert'' dating Ada than Ada having a boyfriend in the first place.
497--> '''Oz:''' "Ah, so this is how it is. But [[spoiler: Vincent, Vincent]]...Why'd she have to choose him of all people?"
498* MysticalWhiteHair: The Intention of the Abyss, who is [[spoiler:Alice's identical twin sister]] and whose white hair is the result of [[spoiler:her being born in the Abyss and merging with its Core]].
499* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast:
500** Demios, which means "Executioner." Its nickname, The Queen of Hearts (or Queen of Hurts), [[OffWithHisHead doesn't make anyone feel any better.]]
501** The most obvious example, the "Bloody Black Rabbit" (or ''B-Rabbit'') is something of a zigzag. [[spoiler:Jack]] had spent years spreading B-Rabbit's reputation for violence to the point where the chain gained the moniker "Bloody." However, the series defines the "B" differently via subscript as the chapters progress and more is learned, moving from "Bloody" to "Broken" and eventually to "Beloved" (the latter coming from the Alice twins).
502* {{Necromantic}}: The goal of some [[DealWithTheDevil illegal contracts]], which usually fail to work and backfire horribly on the contractor.
503* NeverTrustATitle: Retrace I (the first chapter of the manga) is called Innocent Calm. The course this series takes is...neither of those two things.
504* NiceMeanAndInbetween: Oz is nice, as he believes everyone deserves to be respected and treated with kindness, and he tries to resolve problems without hurting anybody. Alice is mean, as she can be rather arrogant, rude, and self-absorbed, and her instinct is often to fight her way through until she gets what she wants. Gilbert is in-between, as he cares deeply for others but can also be coldly brutal and logical if he believes it to be necessary. This is especially present near the beginning of the manga. However, it levels out somewhat over time with CharacterDevelopment, the most noticeable example of this being how Alice gradually chills out.
505* NighInvulnerability: The [[spoiler:Baskervilles]] heal unnaturally fast, and as such they will not die from physical injuries. However, they do die from natural causes--they may have unusually long life spans, but once they reach a certain age and their body reaches its limit, their time is up.
506* NoSenseOfHumour: Reim, to contrast Break. Also, Rufus Barma. Also, Glen[[spoiler:/Oswald]], who keeps the record for longest held poker face. Not that we don't love them all anyway (see: TheComicallySerious).
507** Subverted in Rufus' case. In a bizarre twist, 18.5 Evidence reveals that he actually enjoys teasing other characters.
508* NobleFugitive: Both [[spoiler:Oz and Gil]] have become these by Retrace LXXXIII, as the former [[spoiler:was raised as the heir to one of the duke houses and the latter was adopted into one]].
509* NoodleIncident: An omake asks the question of why Gilbert is so scared of cats. Instead of answering, Gilbert goes to cry in a corner and the author's note states that the reason behind his fear is so serious and traumatic that no one would make fun of Gilbert's cat phobia if they knew.
510* NostalgicMusicBox: "Lacie," the song played by the watch Oz finds at the beginning of the series.
511* NotADate: In Retrace XXXIII, Oz makes Echo go to a festival with him, even getting her dressed up for the occasion. Although it wasn't neither's intention to have a date, it sure ends up feeling like it to Echo after a while.
512* NotEvilJustMisunderstood: The point is made for every antagonistic character, but in no way does it attempt to justify their actions. Most will have tragic backstories [[spoiler:(Jack, Vincent)]]. Some, though, are just plain nuts [[spoiler:(Isla Yura)]]. The manga overall makes the point that people cannot be colored black and white. However, unlike what this trope may imply, it's still made clear this does not actually excuse or justify the characters' actions.
513* NotSoStoic:
514** Happens with Vincent in Retrace LXI. He even comments that "It's not like me... to get carried away like this."
515** And ''[[RuleOfThree yet again]]'' in Retrace LXXXI, where he calmly walks into [[spoiler:Break]]'s cell (after blowing a hole in it, of course) and proceeds to [[ExtremeMeleeRevenge beat the hell out of him]], blaming him for [[spoiler:[[MisplacedRetribution Gil's betrayal of the Baskervilles]] or, in other words, chosing Oz over him]].
516** Leo reveals to Oz that he has quite the temper himself, he just rarely loses it because Elliot usually loses his first. This becomes especially evident after [[spoiler:Elliot's death, which proves to be Leo's [[BreakTheCutie breaking point]]]].
517* NothingIsTheSameAnymore: Retrace 65 and the following chapters. They take everything you knew about the main cast, stomp it into the ground, set it on fire, and laugh. And laugh, and laugh, and laugh.
518* NumberOneDime: Gilbert treasures his hat. When it gets lost in an early chapter, Gilbert forces Oz and Alice to help him and is desperate to find it. In Retrace 24, it's revealed Ada gave it to him.
519* ObfuscatingInsanity: Break, who generally acts "insane" to unnerve others and catch them off-guard.
520* ObfuscatingStupidity: Oz acts goofy and charming, full with a devil-may-care attitude and a [[StepfordSmiler never-wavering smile.]] It gives off the impression that he's just a reckless teenage boy without a care in the world. The truth is that he's [[{{Understatement}} incredibly intelligent.]]
521* OffWithHisHead: Humpty Dumpty and Demios can do this respectively
522* {{Ojou}}: Sharon is a prime example of this, along with her mother and grandmother.
523* OlderThanTheyLook:
524** Break and Sharon don't age during the ten year timeskip.
525** Rufus Barma is a man in his seventies, but you wouldn't know by looking at him.
526** Lottie and the rest of the Baskervilles seemed to apply, but [[spoiler:Chapter LXI clarified that the Baskervilles fell into the Abyss 100 years ago and popped out in the present time - making them a normal age after all... unless they have been affected by the age-stopping effect of their Contracts long enough.]]
527*** Something like this also happened to [[spoiler:Vincent and Gil, who were around eight and nine years old at the time of the Tragedy of Sablier.]]
528** [[spoiler:This seems to apply to [[SplitPersonality Zwei/Echo]] as well. She also didn't age at all in the ten year TimeSkip before Oz escaped the Abyss.]]
529** [[spoiler:Alice was alive and visually the same age a hundred years ago, too.]]
530** Oz can technically be considered [[spoiler:twenty-five years old.]] Except that [[spoiler: he was originally a pair of stuffed rabbits owned by Lacie. If you count his age from the time he was [[AnimateInanimateObject given sentience]] by the Abyss, he's over a hundred years old.]]
531** If you consider this by year of birth, [[spoiler:the only major characters who '''aren't''' in some way OlderThanTheyLook are Oscar, Xai, Ada, and Lady Rainsworth.]]
532*** [[spoiler:Given several decades, Lady Rainsworth could potentially also fall into this trope. Sharon revealed in a chapter that contractors stop aging. Thus, most of the main cast will eventually become this.]]
533** [[spoiler:Rotting alive aside, Levi looked pretty much the same as he raised Lacie and Oswald grew to adulthood.]]
534* OminousLatinChanting: Some soundtracks have this.
535* OnceMoreWithClarity: Quite a lot, but most notorious is the end of Retrace LXV. [[spoiler:See that person huddling in a blanket having a hand held out to him by a girl called Lacie? That's not Glen. It's '''Jack''']].
536* OneCastMemberPerCover: Every volume cover features a different character with chains around them. Only Oz and Alice get to appear on two covers instead of just one.
537* OneSidedArmWrestling
538* OOCIsSeriousBusiness:
539** It's noted by a couple of characters that Break is unusually agitated and more prone to violent methods when [[spoiler: trying to find out if Reim is alive or dead after the Pandora team searching for the Sealing Stone at Isla Yura's party are murdered.]]
540** When Glen finally [[spoiler: enters the Abyss in order to kill the ones who caused the Tragedy of Sablier, thus erasing the Tragedy from history,]] Lottie, who followed whatever he said without question in the past and was eager to engage in violence, has an [[CharacterDevelopment absolutely sickened look on her face.]]
541** Although [[spoiler: severely depressed]] even before, Oz always had a sense of hope and determination that remained. But when Lottie is watching over him after [[spoiler: she and the Baskervilles imprisoned him and Jack [[BreakThemByTalking Broke Him By Talking,]]]] she is visibly unnerved by the emptiness in Oz's eyes/voice and his complete lack of [[spoiler: will to live.]]
542* {{Omake}}: Each limited version of manga and anime volumes have at least one omake.
543* OrphanageOfLove: The House of Fianna seems to be quite a pleasant place. [[spoiler:[[OrphanageOfFear It isn't]]. See CreepyChild above.]]
544* OurDemonsAreDifferent: Chains are from the [[TheUnderworld Abyss.]] However, while during the series most are dangerous and human-devouring, this is said to be because the Abyss was corrupted by the Intention, turning the Abyss black and driving most of the Chains to madness. Operating under normal conditions, the Abyss is a golden paradise under the command of a semi-conscious [[SentientCosmicForce deity]] known as [[TheMaker the Core]], who rules over the Chains and the souls of the dead, making this more a case of OurAngelsAreDifferent.
545* OverdrawnAtTheBloodBank: The astounding amount of blood lost throughout the duration of the manga and anime.
546[[/folder]]
547
548[[folder:Tropes P-R]]
549* PaperFanOfDoom:
550** Sharon, her mother ''and'' her grandmother. Don't even think about messing with the Rainsworth women. Hell, Sharon has ''dozens'' of them hidden in her dress all the time! In two colors, white and yellow!
551** Duke Barma as well. [[spoiler:He can parry ''swords'' with it!]]
552* ParasolOfPain: The umbrella Oz uses in the anime to fend off the CreepyDoll that attacks him in the Abyss.
553* ParentalAbandonment:
554** Oz and Ada's dad is almost entirely absent from their life, having left them with their uncle when they were very young. When he does appear, he is [[AbusiveParents extremely emotionally abusive]] to Oz.
555** Not to mention [[spoiler:Gil and Vincent's parents,]] who sold them to a freak show [[spoiler:because of Vincent's red eye.]]
556* ParentalSubstitute: Break sees himself as this to Sharon.
557** [[spoiler:Oswald is this for Alice and Gil.]]
558** Jack is this for Vincent.
559** Sheryl is this to Break and Sharon, although biologically she's the latter's grandmother.
560* PeoplePuppets: It would seem that [[spoiler:Glen]] is able to verbally control [[spoiler:Gil's body - or at least his left hand]].
561* PerpetualMolt: Glen's Five Black-Feathered Chains do this.
562* PimpedOutDress: Many a fancy dress is worn. Some art has one or both Alice twins wearing a dress trimmed [[PrettyInMink with white fur]] and has a ShowgirlSkirt over a miniskirt.
563* PlanningForTheFutureBeforeTheEnd: In Retrace 90, Oz suggests having a tea party together after everything blows over [[GrandFinale while their group heads into Sablier for the last time]]. The group gets very excited over this idea, with Alice talking about meat, Gilbert planning the different desserts, Sharon fawning over all of them, and Break talking like he's an old man watching the young'ins play. [[spoiler:Then Break, Alice, and Oz die. While it seemed like simple irony, Break was aware his body was giving out quickly and the last Retrace reveals Oz had known he was going to die since he came up with their plan at Lutwidge the day before, meaning that Oz brought up the idea for a tea party just to comfort everyone knowing full well it'd never happen.]]
564* PolarOppositeTwins: [[spoiler:In dress style, at least - ColorCodedForYourConvenience. In earlier chapters it seemed to apply to their personalities as well, but they actually have things in common, such as a HairTriggerTemper.]]
565* ThePollyanna: Sharon, Ada, and Alice. Oz was this for a while [[spoiler:before being [[HeroicBSOD successfully]] [[BreakTheCutie broken]] by recent events]].
566* PosthumousCharacter: Jack, Lacie, and Glen. [[spoiler:[[OurGhostsAreDifferent Well,]] [[GrandTheftMe not quite]] for the first and third, anyway]].
567* ThePowerOfFriendship: Alice, Gilbert and Oz convince Break that they are his comrades. A heart-warming moment ensues.
568* PsychologicalHorror: Easier to call a PsychologicalThriller, but there's enough gore, and there are ''certainly'' enough dark themes for this manga to qualify.
569* PsychologicalThriller: Arguably the best way to sum up this manga, which is about a million genres piled into one. Once you get a little farther in, the manga is almost entirely based on the DysfunctionJunction aspect of the cast and never-ending [[MindScrew Mind Screws.]]
570%%* QuirkyMinibossSquad: Lottie, Fang and Dug.
571* RealityWarper: Alyss' implied power when her anger destroys her room in the Abyss.
572* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld:
573** Alice's implied age as B-Rabbit.
574** [[spoiler:Jack gets this too, having been alive for a hundred years, if only because of de-aging until he's an infant, by which point he starts aging again until he reaches the time his soul was distorted, and the cycle went on and on for a hundred years. By the second deaging cycle--around 75 years after being cursed--his soul was so distorted and weak that his Chain, Oz, ended up in control of the infant body by default.]]
575** A good portion of the cast is this, honestly, due to the time-warping properties of the Abyss and the way Contracting affects aging.
576* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech:
577** Elliot gives a nice, lengthy, angry one to Oz at Lutwidge Academy, calling him out on being a MartyrWithoutACause and explicitly using the term "suicidal idiot."
578** Eventually Oz realizes he actually ''is'' suicidal and gives ''himself'' an incredibly harsh internal berating about all his flaws and the reasons why he should die. Obviously this doesn't help with the suicidal bit very much.
579** Of ''all'' people, ''Duke Barma'' delivers one of these to ''[[spoiler:Oswald]]'' in Retrace LXXXVII, pointing out that the latter is just as human (and thus just as fallible) as the rest of them and has his own selfish reasons for acting despite all his claims that he's trying to right a past wrong for the sake of the rest of the world.
580* RedEyesTakeWarning:
581** Vincent, Break, and Cheshire all have... well, ''one'' red eye each. Vincent was discriminated [[spoiler:one hundred years ago]] because of it. Break [[spoiler:was known as "The Red-Eyed Ghost" during his time as an illegal contractor.]] Cheshire is a villain, [[spoiler:and his eye was originally Break's.]]
582** Oz gets these in Retrace LVI when [[spoiler:he used B-Rabbit's power.]]
583** [[spoiler:Lacie, according to Retrace LXVI.]]
584** It turns out that [[spoiler:being born with red eyes is an indication of being a Child of Ill-Omen]].
585* RedStringOfFate: Parodied in one omake, where Oz follows his to find out who his soul mate is.
586* RelaxOVision: In the sixth DVD special, the intro to the Omake does this.
587* RescueHug: Gil frequently does this to [[HoYay Oz]].
588* RipVanWinkle: The Abyss tends to do this to whoever is able to escape it.
589* RoomFullOfCrazy: Alice is in one when she first appears. The Intention of the Abyss' room was also this when [[spoiler:Kevin]] was dragged down.
590* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: All four duke houses are part of Pandora, an organization that protects civilians from Chains and researches on how to get to the Intention of the Abyss. Oz, Gilbert, Sharon, Duke Barma, Elliot, and Leo are this.
591* RuleOfSymbolism: Too many to list. Just look at the official artwork that has so many symbolism on it.
592* RulesOfOrphanEconomics:
593** Jack pretty much randomly decides to adopt Vincent and Gilbert, making them his "servants" and just being incredibly kind and awesome and takes care of them until something goes [[FromBadToWorse horribly]], ''[[AFateWorseThanDeath horribly]]'' wrong: [[spoiler:The Tragedy of Sablier]].
594** And then in Retrace LXV [[spoiler:Gil is revealed to be ''Glen'''s servant.]]
595* RunningGag:
596** Oz and his attraction to younger girls, Gil and his hat, Alice and her meat, Break and his cake/lollipop/Emily/entering the room through anything but a door, Sharon and her tea/harisen/shipping.
597** Also, Glen and the bird.
598** Elliot and Oz and their Holy Knight references.
599** Leo being a CovertPervert who likes reading erotica.
600[[/folder]]
601
602[[folder:Tropes S-U]]
603* SaveTheWorldClimax: The story begins as a mystery with the main cast acting as [[AmateurSleuth Amateur Sleuths]] trying to figure out the motivations of a bunch of apparent assassin/terrorists called the Baskervilles[[spoiler:, but after [[EvilAllAlong Jack]] breaks the stabilizing chains that hold reality together, it quickly becomes a race against time to stop TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt, preferably in a way that doesn't {{Retcon}} most of the main cast out of existence.]]
604* SanitySlippage: Pretty much everybody in the entire manga at some point, but we've included specific examples anyway.
605** Vincent's deranged behavior and mindset began to form due to [[spoiler:being sold to a freak show by his mother, and then being forced to live out on the streets with people abusing him and with only his big brother Gilbert to protect him.]] It started getting much, much worse once he [[spoiler:had to watch the Tragedy of Sablier play out before his very eyes, ending up as one of the only survivors amongst the corpses and fire.]]
606** [[spoiler:Jack]] was already messed up due to being [[spoiler:abused by his mother and then running away, forced to live on the streets.]] However, he absolutely lost it after [[spoiler:Lacie's death]]. As of Retrace XCIX, it is revealed that [[spoiler: he was already completely insane by the time he met Oswald, as a result of the eight years where he only lived to be able to meet Lacie again, using every existing mean possible and losing every sense of morality and [[LossOfIdentity identity]]. As a result he became unable to recognize his own feelings, which horrified him, and every attempt at reuniting with Lacie was so that he could be his true self, who deep down resented Lacie for messing him up this much.]]
607*** [[spoiler:Jack's betrayal]] caused this in [[spoiler:Glen/Oswald]], who, due to the great emotional damage, became obsessed with revenge.
608** [[spoiler:Elliot's mother Bernice]] was teetering on the edge for a while, [[spoiler: thanks to the Headhunter case.]]
609** [[spoiler:Post-Elliot's-death Leo]] is either this or else [[spoiler:[[StoppedCaring he just stopped caring]]]], [[BreakTheCutie possibly both]].
610** [[spoiler:Participating so heavily in the Tragedy of Sablier as well as losing her beloved Oswald/Glen]] inflicted this upon [[spoiler: Lottie]] until her CharacterDevelopment starts kicking in.
611** Losing Oz to the Abyss had some pretty lasting effects on Gilbert, as he is notably much more [[spoiler: violent and possessive when Oz reappears.]] Like the above example, his CharacterDevelopment eventually solves this issue.
612** This trope also seems to apply to [[spoiler: Oz himself]] during the first half of the series, due to his [[spoiler: destructive [[FreakOut Freak Outs]] that come from the [[AmnesiacDissonance erratic reemergence of fragments of his rather unpleasant memories.]]]] The second half of the series follows Oz trying to remedy all of this.
613* SceneryPorn: In the last chapter [[spoiler: after the Abyss has been restored as a place full of light. It was enough to move Jack to tears.]]
614* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections:
615** How Oz and the gang manage to get away with most of the stuff they do.
616** Oz exploits his connection to Jack when he needs to.
617* SeriousBusiness: Gil is ''very'' attached to his hat. Epic arm-wrestling ensues.
618* ServileSnarker:
619** Leo is this in spades to Elliot, though his position as the latter's servant is mostly just a title, as the two are closer to VitriolicBestBuds than master and servant.
620** Gil is this to Oz, occasionally.
621** Turns out that [[spoiler:Echo]] has quite a lot to say about [[spoiler:her master Vincent]] when given the occasion to vent.
622* SexGod: Vincent, in spite of his [[HeManWomanHater misogyny]], seems to sleep around a lot [[ManipulativeBastard for his own purposes]]. He says at a certain point in the manga that in the past he has only had to sleep with women in order to get them wrapped around his finger.
623* ShatteringTheIllusion: Break to Rufus.
624* SheIsAllGrownUp: Sort of. Ada's grown-up appearance is extremely attractive and throws off both Oz and Gilbert. However, unlike the most common form of this trope, neither of them actually seemed to be attracted to her, since the former is her [[{{Squick}} brother]] and the latter is AmbiguouslyGay.
625* ShipperOnDeck: Sharon eagerly supports Oz/Alice. She attempts to teach the ChasteHeroine (or possibly even UsefulNotes/{{Asexual}}) Alice about romance in hopes that this will inspire her to get together with Oz. Unfortunately, WordOfGod has proved her efforts to be in vain (see ShipSinking below), although she seems to realize that Oz and Alice don't like each other this way eventually. She chills out during the second half of the series.
626** In an omake, Gilbert and Lottie got ''very'' excited and nosy upon discovering that [[spoiler:Reim]] had proposed to [[spoiler:Sharon]]. Upon finding out the latter had actually been flat-out rejected several times, they showed their wholehearted support for the ship and demanded [[spoiler:Reim]] keep trying in spite of everything.
627* ShipSinking:
628** [[spoiler:The revelation that Lacie and Glen (the black-haired one we know whose name is Oswald, that is) are actually brother and sister has debunked quite a lot of fics that pair the two as lovers]].
629** Ada/Gilbert was sunk when it was revealed that the person the former was dating was [[spoiler: Vincent, of all people.]]
630** Jun Mochizuki desperately attempted to do this with the Break/Sharon pairing, having Sharon refer to him as her older brother several times. It got to the point where she had Break describe his relationship with Sharon to Sheryl as a father-daughter relationship, although Sheryl argues against this, albeit still by saying they acted like an uncle and his niece. Eventually Jun Mochizuki said in an interview that Break was in love with Sharon's mother, Shelly.
631** In an interview, Jun Mochizuki claimed that Oz and Alice were not and would not be romantically attracted to/involved with one another because their relationship is on a different, platonic level. Oz also directly states in one of the Caucus Race side stories that [[PlatonicLifePartners he loves Alice]] [[LikeBrotherAndSister like a sister]].
632* ShipTease:
633** Oz/Alice were a prominent example at the beginning, but the romance and flirting aspect seemed to die down towards the end of the manga and in an interview [[WordOfGod Jun Mochizuki]] claimed [[ShipSinking they never were and never would be romantically interested in one another.]] Then there's Oz/Sharon, which is more of a fleeting crush shown only in the beginning, and Oz/Echo, which was teased more and more as the manga went on and was favored by Jun Mochizuki in the same interview mentioned above. Worth noting that most if not all heterosexual Oz ships aside from Oz/Alice and Oz/Echo constitutes of Oz putting on his [[TheCharmer flirty]] disposition.
634** Also Elliot/Leo, Ada/Vincent although that treads into OfficialCouple, Jack/Alice [[spoiler: which gets dramatically complicated, messed up, and sunk later,]] Break/Gilbert, Break/Alice, Break/Reim, Gilbert/Alice, and Reim/Lily with a side of {{Squick}}.
635** [[spoiler:Jack]]/[[spoiler:Lacie]] has been teased since Retrace LXV. Most of the fandom agreed this ship existed whether mutually or just on [[spoiler: Jack's]] side until it was revealed that [[spoiler: Jack's violent obsession with Lacie comes not from extreme love, [[TheSociopath but extreme hatred, the only thing that can apparently make him feel alive.]]]]
636** Even Gil/Sharon got some with their tea party.
637** Gilbert and Alice had some major blushy moments around each other, and Gilbert was willing to defend her to the death by the end.
638** In the drama [=CDs=], Elliot is implied to possibly being able to develop feelings for Alice, had things gone differently.
639** Oz/Gilbert has some, mostly on Gilbert's side. He blushes a lot and prefers to pay attention/spend time with Oz than hang out with his large hoarde of fangirls, and he's determined to stay by Oz's side forever.
640* ShootTheDog: In Retrace LXIX, it is revealed that [[spoiler:Oswald, upon becoming the next Glen Baskerville, was forced to do this to his younger sister Lacie by tossing her into the abyss. It was mentioned that all the other Glens with Children of Ill Omen as siblings were forced to do this as well]].
641** This is taken even further in Retrace LXXVIII: [[spoiler:Oswald intends to travel back in time in order to kill Lacie before she can give birth to the Alice twins and incite the creation of Oz the B-rabbit, all so that he can prevent the Tragedy of Sablier from coming to pass]].
642* ShowWithinAShow: Book Within a Book, rather, and there are a few examples.
643** Most notable is ''Holy Knight'', the favorite series of both Elliot and Oz, although they [[VitriolicBestBuds can't stop fighting over which of the main characters is better.]] The series follows the [[UndyingLoyalty loyal]] and [[HeroicSacrifice selfless]] servant Edgar and his noble and brave master Edwin. The joke is that Edwin has a similar personality to Elliot and Edgar bears several resemblances to Oz's own servant Gilbert. Oz [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] this in a guidebook when he says his dream servant would be Edgar, but that Gilbert is close enough.
644** There's also one of Sharon's favorite romance novels, ''Sylvie and the Mongrels'', which Oz also got into. The book follows a young woman FemmeFatale named Sylvie who captures the attentions of her beloved by eliminating anyone who stands in her way and humiliating him until he falls for her. The joke here is that the plot, while rather dark (and borderline abusive), has a very lighthearted and fluffy feel, as well as that Sylvie herself resembles Sharon.
645** Additionally, there are the murder mystery novels written by the in-universe author who uses the alias "Evil B" (the only one of his books mentioned by name is called ''Fruit of Uncertainty''). This is another author who Elliot and Oz love. However, this is a bit of an odd example because, unbeknownst to the other characters, "Evil B" is actually the in-universe canon character Levi Baskerville. As the man himself humorously explains in an omake, "Evil" is an anagram of "Levi," "B" stands for Baskerville," and the alias makes him sound more ominous than he would with his actual name.
646* ShutUpHannibal: In Retrace LXXXI, [[spoiler:Jack, while controlling Oz's body,]] tries to [[spoiler:turn Oscar against Oz by reminding him that he's the reason his wife and child are dead]]. Fortunately, [[spoiler:Gil (who isn't aware of this)]] has had it up to here with [[spoiler:Jack]]'s BreakThemByTalking tactics and interrupts him with one of these. This serves to solidify [[spoiler:Oscar]]'s resolve, which he thanks [[spoiler:Gil]] for after.
647* SignificantAnagram:
648** Rearrange the name "Alice" and you'd get [[spoiler:the name "Lacie", the one who drove Jack out of his DespairEventHorizon and the dead little sister of Glen/Oswald Baskerville]]. It's also worth noting that [[spoiler:the name Lacie was used by Lewis Carrol to refer to the original Alice in his books]], it can't be a coincidence. [[spoiler:It turns out that Lacie is Alice's mother.]]
649* SignificantBirthDate: [[MessianicArchetype Oz]] was born the day after Christmas.
650* SingleTargetSexuality:
651** Vincent cares about only one person in the world--[[IncestSubtext Gil]]. He actively scorns all women and has shown no interest in members of the same sex outside of his brother in spite of the fact that said brother definitely does not seem to return his feelings. Eventually it can't be said Vincent has SingleTargetSexuality even if his attraction to Gilbert remains, because he ends up falling for [[spoiler:Ada.]]
652** Gilbert himself is implied to be more of this trope than his brother, not only actively avoiding the women who fawn over him but often fawning himself over [[DevotedToYou Oz.]] While this can be seen as ambiguous in the main body of the manga, the omakes make it pretty plain.
653* SinisterScythe: B-Rabbit uses a scythe. Later on, so does [[spoiler:''Oz himself'']], who offhandedly [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] how, [[{{Foreshadowing}} strangely,]] his body knows exactly how to use it .
654* SlasherSmile: Lotta people. Especially the Baskervilles and Intention of the Abyss. Break sometimes pulls these, too.
655* SmarterThanYouLook: Oz is a lot more clever than he likes to let on.
656* SmartPeoplePlayChess: Vincent has one particular scene where he shows his badass-ness in a game of chess.
657* SmokingIsCool: Gil, who can often be seen with a cigarette in his mouth in angsty situations.
658* SniffSniffNom: Alice. She ate flowers and bit on Rufus Barma's pet bird once.
659* SnowMeansLove: [[spoiler:Lacie and Jack]] met on a snowy day. Eventually subverted, as it turns out [[spoiler:Jack is not in love with Lacie]].
660* SoftSpokenSadist: Vincent (voiced by Creator/JunFukuyama) has a [[FauxAffablyEvil deceptively easy-going outward disposition]]. In actuality, [[KickTheDog he's quite the sadist]].
661* SpellMyNameWithAnS:
662** Was it Bezalius or Vessalius? Bezarius?
663** And is it Reo or Leo? Sharon or Shalon? Elliot with one "l" or two?
664** Don't forget Sabrié, actually Sablier (meaning "hourglass" in French)
665** Or Liam vs Reim...
666*** The official guidebook confirms each these as "Vessalius," "Leo," "Sharon," "Elliot," and "Reim," though subs and scanlations still do whatever suits the weather that day.
667** A humorous example of this trope appears in-universe, where Alice names [[spoiler:her rabbit doll "Oz" after Oswald]] but spells it as [[spoiler:"Os"]]. Levi notices and corrects her spelling for her.
668* SpannerInTheWorks: [[spoiler:''This,'' and not any sort of distortion, is a Child of Ill Omen's true "sin." As they are all inherently born ImmuneToFate and are utterly unpredictable even to the otherwise omnipotent Jury (who are trying to plan out the fate of the world down to the second so as to [[MediumAwareness make a better story]]), the Jury hate them for this with a passion and created the Baskervilles to eliminate [=CoMs=] and other spanners.]]
669* SplitAtBirth: Alice and Intention of the Abyss.
670* StealthHiBye: One of the many, ''many'' reasons some characters dislike Break, often complaining that [[ThereWasADoor he should enter rooms like a normal person.]]
671* StepfordSmiler:
672** Oz spends a little over half the story as Type A: Depressed, [[spoiler:but has a quick stint as a Type B (empty and having given up on life) after his TomatoInTheMirror revelation. It only lasts two or three chapters though, before he throws off this trope all together and becomes a much stronger person for it]].
673-->'''Oz''': (thinking, after [[spoiler:being ignored by his father at Sablier]] in Retrace XLI)"I have to smile."
674** [[spoiler:Lacie, as well. She's fond of enjoying herself despite knowing [[CessationOfExistence her fate]] from an early age]].
675** [[spoiler:Levi rarely ever stopped smiling even though he was rotting alive]].
676** [[spoiler:Jack is revealed to be a Type C with dashes of the other two types]].
677* StoicSpectacles:
678** Averted with Reim, who, in his constant flailing and panicking, is anything but stoic, glasses or no.
679** Subverted with Leo, who usually keeps his cool only because Elliot loses his first; he later reveals to Oz that he has quite a nasty temper after all. Then [[spoiler:TheGlassesComeOff, and [[NotSoStoic all stoicism is pretty much thrown out the window]]]].
680* StoppedCaring: [[spoiler:Leo, after Elliot's death]]; it's a rare non-comedic example of this trope.
681* StrongFamilyResemblance: [[spoiler:Alice greatly resembles her mother Lacie]].
682* SuicideNotMurder: One of the major mysteries in the series was exactly who killed Alice during the Tragedy of Sablier. After many a RedHerring, [[spoiler:it turns out Alice killed herself to eliminate all means of communication between Jack and the Intention of the Abyss, who possessed Alice's body to interact with Jack.]]
683* SupernaturalGoldEyes: Gilbert has these. [[spoiler:He is also a Baskerville, and was also chosen to be Glen's vessel, though the ceremony that would ensure that was foiled.]]
684* SweetTooth: Break and Sharon, but especially Break.
685* SwitchedAtBirth: [[spoiler:Xai Vessalius's real son was stillborn (implied to have been poisoned by Jack) and switched with Oz, who was at that point inhabiting Jack's [[MerlinSickness cursed body]].]]
686* SwordCane: Break's cane is actually the scabbard of his sword.
687* TakeAThirdOption: Chapter 82 has the main trio of Oz, Alice, and Gil essentially represent the third option to [[spoiler: Jack's insane desire to unite the real world and the abyss, and his horrible crimes]] to the [[spoiler: Baskervilles and Pandora, who at this point are working together to stop Jack by going back in time and trying to RetCon away the Tragedy of Sablier, along with the events of the series.]]
688* TheTalk: Subverted. In one of the Caucus Race novels, Alice asks Gilbert where babies come from. Obviously readers were expecting Gilbert to perform (or attempt to perform) this trope. Instead, Gilbert tells Alice, without any hesitation whatsoever, that babies come from dragons. Then he proceeds to take advantage of Alice by saying the dragon will only like her and give her a baby if she starts behaving benevolently. Oz notices what Gilbert is doing, and it's made clear in other stories and implied in this one that Oz and Gilbert already know where babies actually come from.
689-->'''Oz''' ''(in response to Gilbert's lecture to Alice)''''':''' Hey, hey, hey. Gilbert?
690* TearsOfRemorse: In Retrace LXXVIII, [[spoiler:Jack]], of all people, gets these when [[spoiler:he finds Oswald's decapitated body and [[HeelRealization realizes]] that ''he'' did this to him]]. Unfortunately, [[spoiler:in a flashback it's revealed to us that, while crying, he develops something between a PsychoticSmirk and a SlasherSmile, making us certain something really, ''really'' isn't right with him]]
691-->[[spoiler:'''Jack''': "Glen... What happened to you? Did I... do this? That's right. It was me. Because you... You were trying to kill Alice! I used... Oz's power... and killed my own friend."]]
692** More like tears of remorse and hysteria, but [[spoiler:Gilbert]] gets these when he [[spoiler: regains his traumatic memories and ends up shooting Oz in the chest.]]
693* ThereAreNoTherapists: But it's a DysfunctionJunction cast and most are still scarred from [[CataclysmBackstory Sablier]] in some way or another, so they all really need one. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]], though, as the setting of ''[=PandoraHearts=]'' is based off late 19th century Europe, a time when therapy was in its earliest stages and mental health treatments were, for the most part, hardly better than ColdBloodedTorture--so as a whole, no one in 19th century Europe every really willingly sought or considered psychological help.
694* ThereIsOnlyOneBed: A small example appears in Retrace LXXXIII, where Oz and Alice share a bed while Gil sleeps with only his head on it. [[DownplayedTrope Nobody comments on the arrangement]].
695* ThickerThanWater: The reason Gil never abandoned Vincent when they were children, even though he received a lot of abuse because of [[spoiler:Vincent's red eye]].
696* ThinkingUpPortals: Sharon can do this with Eques.
697* ThirdPersonPerson: Echo refers to herself in third person.
698* ThoseTwoGuys: Elliot and Leo start out as this, with their usually being in the same place at the same time justified by Leo being Elliot's servant. In later chapters, they completely break out of it by 1) gaining large scenaristic importance, and 2) [[spoiler:one of them getting killed and the other pulling a [[FaceHeelDoubleTurn sort-of]] FaceHeelTurn as a result]].
699* ThwartedCoupDeGrace: In Retrace LXXVIII, [[spoiler:Oz's execution]] is thwarted by [[spoiler:Gilbert shooting Glen!Leo in the hand]].
700* TimeAbyss: The Abyss has been stated to be a god-like entity that is both the end and the beginning of the world. Glen Baskerville [[spoiler:(his soul and legacy, at least)]] and [[spoiler:Jury]] are also implied to be this as well.
701* TomatoInTheMirror:
702** [[spoiler:Elliot. Obsessed with finding the killer of his siblings, until he [[HeelRealization finds out that it was HIM]], courtesy of Humpty Dumpty [[MemoryGambit manipulating his memory]].]]
703** [[spoiler:Gilbert turns out to be Glen's servant.]] He does not take this well at all after [[spoiler:seeing his former master's [[OffWithHisHead head]]]].
704** [[spoiler: Retrace LXX, titled Oz, with the subtitle [[MeaningfulName Reality]], reveals that all this time, Oz's body is actually Jack's and Oz himself is actually B-Rabbit]].
705* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Alice is the tomboy to Sharon's girly girl. Sharon has a resonating passion for romance, fashion, and "ladylike"/refined mannerisms, while Alice carries disdain for all of these passions. Instead, Alice's passions are widely masculine.
706* TookALevelInBadass:
707** Gilbert, it seems, after Oz has been gone for 10 years. But we quickly find out that he's not so much a badass as he is [[CowardlyLion incredibly good at putting up a tough front]]. But still miles more badass than the timid little kid we start out with.
708*** [[spoiler: He appears to have taken a genuine one in recent chapters though, going as far as to ''burn his own left arm off'' to prevent his contract to his previous master, Oswald, leading him to ever hurt Oz again.]]
709** Oz as of Retrace XXXVII.
710** And [[spoiler:Leo, now a Baskerville]] as of Retrace LXII.
711* TraumaCongaLine: ''[[DysfunctionJunction Most of the characters]]'' in the series are well-acquainted with trauma, but the most significant on-screen example we get is with [[spoiler:[[BrokenHero Oz himself]]]], who ends up being hated by nearly ''everybody'' around him for something that ''isn't even his fault'' and then having to [[BreakTheCutie pay the price for it]].
712* TraumaInducedAmnesia: Several characters have no memories of who they once were or what lives they had, and thus go on a QuestForIdentity. Unfortunately for them, their pasts are absolutely horrific.
713* TroubledBackstoryFlashback: ''Oh boy.'' It's quite likely this manga includes more of these than any other manga in existence. ''Every'' character has a potential "troubled backstory" to flash back to, and the [[AmnesiacHero ones who originally don't]] [[TraumaInducedAmnesia remember certain things]] will get to experience this [[SarcasmMode delightful]] trope later...
714* TroublingUnchildlikeBehaviour: As a kid, Vincent like to chop dolls up with scissors, and he [[spoiler:stabbed out the eyes of human!Alice's cat]].
715* TrueCompanions: Alice, Oz, Gil, Break, and Sharon.
716* {{Tsundere}}: Alice and Elliot are type A; Sharon and Echo seem to be more of type B.
717* TwoGuysAndAGirl: Oz, Alice, and Gilbert. [[spoiler:Jack, Alice (or Lacie), and Glen/Oswald. Glen/Levi, Lacie, and Oswald]]. Break, Sharon and Reim seem to be this in their off-screen escapades. Oz, Elliot and Leo also counts as one.
718* TwoSiblingsInOne: In chapter 76, [[spoiler:Alice is still alive although she does not have a physical form in any realm. Therefore, she resides in the crossroads of her soul and her sister's. In their pre-Tragedy of Sablier days it was averted, as the two could swap bodies but were not shown to share bodies until Alice was DrivenToSuicide.]]
719* UnmovingPlaid: Sharon's dresses.
720* UnwittingPawn: [[spoiler: Pretty much everyone except for the Baskervilles, with the possible exception of [[TheChessMaster Duke Barma]],]] end up being this to [[spoiler: Jack. The Baskervilles are doing their damnedest to stop him, though.]]
721** [[spoiler: Even Rufus admits that both he and the Baskervilles were manipulated by Jack. Essentially, the ''entire cast'' was used by him in some way or another.]]
722** The Baskervilles themselves were pawns to [[spoiler:the Jury.]]
723* UnreliableExpositor: [[spoiler:Jack. [[EvilAllAlong Jack]], [[ManipulativeBastard Jack]], [[FauxAffablyEvil Jack]] and [[HiddenDepths everything about him]]]].
724* UnsoundEffect: All over the place. The ''very first page'' of the manga has "taking off glove" as a sound effect, for example.
725[[/folder]]
726
727[[folder:Tropes V-Z]]
728* VoicesAreMental: [[spoiler:When Jack is in control of his and Oz's body, he speaks with an adult voice. This seems to be something exclusive to the anime, because Jack mentions in the manga that there were actually many instances prior to Retrace 80 [[ParanoiaFuel when Jack was the one in control and nobody noticed]]]].
729* WasItAllALie: Gilbert's reaction to [[spoiler:seeing Oswald!Glen's head instead of Jack's after the fourth sealing stone was broken.]]
730* WasOnceAMan:
731** The Abyss' power can turn even humans into chains. Results include the aforementioned example on BodyHorror.
732** There's also [[spoiler:Alice, whose deceased soul hijacked B-Rabbit!Oz's powers to prevent Jack from using them to hurt anyone else and to use them herself to destroy the Intention of the Abyss' memories. After Oz regains control over his own powers, she's rendered akin to a very solid ghost.]]
733** [[spoiler:Humpty Dumpty, who used to be Levi until he fully transferred Glen's soul to Oswald's body and rotted away shortly after]]. It has been implied that this happens every time [[spoiler:said soul transfer ceremony succeeds]].
734* WebcomicTime: The first sixty four chapters took place in a span of at least two of months, sans TimeSkip. The last forty took place in less than two days.
735* WellDoneSonGuy: As a child, Oz works and studies obsessively, hoping this might catch his father's attention. [[ParentalNeglect It doesn't,]] and though he seemingly stops this particular method by the time he's a teenager, he still desperately longs for his father to acknowledge him. Eventually [[CharacterDevelopment his realization that he is not worthless and has many others in his life who love him deeply]] allows him to shed this trait.
736* WellIntentionedExtremist:
737** [[spoiler:Oswald]] is initially this when he [[spoiler:deliberately mass murders a city full of innocents in order to keep them from becoming Chains, which would exclude them from the hundred-year cycle of rebirth.]] However, he becomes a subversion when he [[spoiler:attempts to execute Oz and then travel back in time in order to kill Lacie before she can give birth to the Alice twins and before B-rabbit Oz can conceive a soul. Ostensibly this is all to the end of preventing the Tragedy of Sablier from ever happening, but when Rufus challenges him on this, Oswald's reasons are revealed to be largely motivated by hurt pride and a desire for revenge on Jack]].
738** [[spoiler:Leo]] also seems willing to become one in order to [[spoiler:fulfill his role as Glen Baskerville by destroying the Intention of the Abyss]]. When push comes to shove, and [[spoiler:Oswald prepares to execute Oz]], he appears to be too [[HeroicBSOD shell-shocked]] to actually go through with [[spoiler:killing his former friend]].
739* WeUsedToBeFriends:
740** [[spoiler:Jack and Oswald]] were best friends, to the point where [[spoiler: Jack]] was the only one who could make [[spoiler:Oswald]] smile besides his sister. Then [[spoiler:Jack]] completely lost his mind (which was already teetering on the edge) and [[spoiler:killed Oswald.]] [[spoiler:Oswald]] felt incredibly betrayed, and thus his revived soul became brutally obsessed with revenge. The interesting thing about this example is that unlike the traditional friends-become-quarreling-protagonist-and-antagonist version of this trope, these two ''both'' became antagonists. But they certainly aren't working together...
741** [[spoiler:Oz and Leo,]] in a way. They are friends until [[spoiler:Elliot dies,]] emotionally destroying [[spoiler:Leo]]. Afterwards, [[spoiler:Leo]] joins [[spoiler:the Baskervilles as the new Glen]], [[StoppedCaring not really caring about anything anymore]]. However, [[spoiler:Oz]] doesn't give up on him, and they come to terms [[spoiler:before Oz's death.]]
742* WeWouldHaveToldYouBut: Retrace VI and Episode 8. Break and the rest of Pandora use Oz, Gil, and Alice as bait to see what the Baskervilles would/could/are capable of doing.
743* WhamEpisode:
744** Retrace LXV: Collapse. [[spoiler:Or, more appropriately, seventy pages of the status quo getting ground to itsy bitsy pieces.]] It's the sort of WHAM that [[spoiler:literally invalidates everything we thought we knew.]]
745** Retrace LXX: Oz. [[spoiler:Poor Oz faces the TomatoInTheMirror problem. Or, more specifically, the Rabbit In The Mirror...]]
746** Retrace LXXIV: [[BreakTheCutie Broken]] [[MeaningfulName Rabbit]]: [[spoiler:Who killed poor Alice? [[DrivenToSuicide Poor Alice killed herself]], and [[HeroicSacrifice for Oz's sake]].]] Also, [[spoiler:Gilbert involuntarily shooting Oz after a Glen-possessed Leo orders him to.]]
747** Retrace LXXVI: Alice & Oz. The memories Alice has found throughout the series? [[spoiler:They're actually her sister's.]]
748** Retrace LXXVIII: Decision. [[spoiler:Explains why Oz was able to take over Jack's body, why pieces of Jack's soul are scattered among Alyss's memories and how Oz replaced Xai's child, who is stillborn. Also includes Glen fully taking over Leo, executing Oz to keep him and Jack out of the way of his plans, in which said plans involve going back in time to kill Lacie in order to prevent the whole tragedy from happening, before being stopped by Gilbert, who [[AnArmAndALeg burnt his left arm off]].]]
749** Retrace XC: Jurors. [[spoiler:Turns out Jury aka the woman who brainwashed Gil into loyalty to his master and supposedly watched over Glen was [[HiddenDepths waaay more than we thought]]. She's actually just one of many Jurors, beings that [[YouCannotGraspTheTrueForm transcend human understanding]] that, basically, edit stories aka worlds around until they reach a satisfactory ending, after which they place it in an archive of sorts. Also, the whole world of ''[=PandoraHearts=]'' as we know it is one of those stories, and the Jurors saw it fit to end it soon, to Glenwald's great disapproval. Also, about the Children of Ill Omen? It was all a lie by the Jurors as they were a threat to their plans not to the worlds and all of the Baskervilles goals were lies as they only wanted to see how far they would break the Abyss.G]]
750* WhamLine:
751** What Xai says to Gilbert regarding Oz, his own son:
752--> '''Xai:''' "A child like that...should never have been born."
753** As well as Gilbert's response to Xai asking if he "intends to defy his master" in the same conversation as the previous example, respectfully arguing with the latter over matters involving Oz. This reply is unusually aggressive and bold for Gilbert's younger self, although it still manages to retain its respectful tone to a certain extent:
754--> '''Gilbert:''' "Many apologies, but my master is not you...it is Young Master Oz!!!"
755** Break is talking to Sheryl in one scene about the knowledge he's obtained regarding [[spoiler:Oz's birth, and the strange and suspicious actions of his father surrounding it.]] He ends up saying this to her:
756--> '''Break:''' "[[spoiler:In short, the Oz we know...may not be the real Oz Vessalius...]]"
757** Retrace LXX:
758--> '''Jack:''' "[[spoiler:This body does not belong to Oz Vessalius.]]"
759** Retrace LXXX:
760--> '''Oscar:''' "[[MeaningfulEcho Oz, you have no idea what it meant for me to be held by that tiny hand of yours]]. [[spoiler:...What torture it was."]]
761** Retrace XCII:
762-->'''Break:''' "[[spoiler:Sharon, Reim, I don't want to die... ]]"
763* WhenSheSmiles: When [[LittleMissSnarker Alice]] smiles and does cute things, Oz blushes and/or laughs, and Oz's feelings towards Alice [[CharacterDevelopment grow]].
764* WhereTheHellIsSpringfield: Despite the heavy Victorian Era themes and the fact that a Big Ben replica appeared in the manga, as well as the fact that the majority of place names are French words, it is ''never'' explicitly stated where the hell all these characters are from. It's made even more confusing when Gil has a conundrum about [[UsefulNotes/JapanesePronouns which version of "I" to use]].
765** It has been confirmed in [[AllThereInTheManual some guidebooks]] that the manga takes place in a fantasy world separate from ours, though the architecture does draw some inspiration from the Victorian Era and German architecture. They even use a different calendar from the one we use.
766* WholeEpisodeFlashback: More like a Whole Arc Flashback, starting from Retrace 66 to Retrace 74, though Retraces 70 and 72 do take some time to look at the present for some moments.
767* WholePlotReference: To ''Literature/AliceInWonderland'', although ''[=PandoraHearts=]'' is pretty unique among others of its kind.
768** Oz in general is a pretty obvious homage to [[spoiler:''Literature/TheVelveteenRabbit'']], though like above Mochijun still makes Oz unmistakably her own creation.
769* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Gil fears cats. With a passion.
770* WithAFriendAndAStranger: At the beginning of the series, Oz and Gilbert already share a devoted friendship of five years. On the other hand, Oz and Alice first meet in the second chapter, although they sense they have met somewhere before. Turns out Oz did know Alice way before he ever met Gilbert; they just had forgotten it.
771* WithFriendsLikeThese: Applies to a lot of cast in different ways, but the most for Reim, who is stuck with dubious pleasure of being Break's closest friend (or, at least, they seem to know the most about each other, what with Reim working out Break [[spoiler:had gone blind]] pretty quickly.) Apparently that means he gets to do Break's paperwork, chase him around to attempt to make him DO said paperwork in the first place, be the butt of a number of Break's schemes and jokes, and, on a more sombre note, [[spoiler:gets to watch him waste away and die.]] [[SarcasmMode Lucky him.]]
772* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds:
773** [[spoiler:The Intention of the Abyss.]] After reading her {{backstory}}, it's pretty hard ''not'' to feel sorry for her.
774** Vincent as of Retrace XXXVIII and XXXIX (though it doesn't make him less of a jerk).
775** [[TokenMiniMoe Lily]] as of Retrace L.
776** [[spoiler:Glen Baskerville. Or more specifically, Oswald.]]
777*** And [[spoiler:Leo]] looks pretty damn determined to follow in his footsteps.
778** [[spoiler:Oz, especially back when he was B-Rabbit, being forced to kill and destroy when all he wanted to do was to protect Alice.]]
779** Some Illegal Contractors are this, as Chains are drawn to the most [[BreakTheCutie desperate of people]] willing to [[DealWithTheDevil do anything]] to change the past. Oz invokes this trope after encountering the Flower Girl, wondering what could have made such a young girl so desperate. Likewise, William West, [[spoiler: Break]] and [[spoiler: Miss Sinclair]] were also this.
780* WorldOfChaos: [[EldritchLocation The Abyss]] is a chaotic and unfathomable dimension where things like time don't make sense at all.
781* WrittenByTheWinners: The truth about [[spoiler:[[CataclysmBackstory The Tragedy of Sablier]]. Being the only survivor, [[UnreliableExpositor Jack]] could make Arthur Barma write the records however he wanted. Thus, the Baskervilles and Nightrays became [[TheScapegoat Scapegoats]].]]
782* {{Yandere}}:
783** [[spoiler:The Intention of the Abyss]] is yandere for [[spoiler:Jack]] and ''knows'' it--that's why she [[spoiler:has Alice use B-Rabbit's power to destroy her memories of him during the confrontation at Sablier. She realizes that, as long as she has memories of him, she'll always love him and will end up hurting others in her quest to get to him.]]
784** Gilbert's devotion to Oz has a pretty dark edge. It's hinted at early on and outright shown in Retrace XXXIII, where [[spoiler:Vincent goads him into resolving to kill anyone who hurts or snatches his master away from him--''no matter who it is'']]. However, it's part of Gilbert's character development to grow out of his violent possessiveness and learn how to love Oz in a safe and sane way.
785** Vincent is yandere for Gilbert, claiming that everything he does is for his brother's sake and concerning himself only with maintaining Gil's wellbeing. In Retrace LXI, he reveals that [[spoiler:he's working with the Baskervilles only so that he can use the Intention of the Abyss to erase his existence from the world, thus allowing Gil to grow up without him and ideally have a better life for it]].
786** As of Retrace L, [[spoiler:Leo is also one, stating that "if Elliot has an enemy, no matter who he may be, I'll kill him! Even, for example, if it is you [Oz] or even myself."]]
787** [[spoiler:Oz]] was yandere for [[spoiler:Alice]] before [[spoiler:he remembers his past as her stuffed rabbit doll, at which time she was literally everything to him]]. Remembering this enabled him to finally understand and come to terms with ''why'' he behaved this way and helped him work through the repressed trauma that caused this obsessively protective streak. He ends the series with a far greater understanding of himself, having learned to care for [[spoiler:Alice]] without becoming harmful to her or others, much like Gilbert above regarding [[spoiler:Oz himself.]]
788--> '''[[spoiler:Oz, pre-[[TheReveal Reveal]]]]:''' "[[spoiler:Alice]], don't cry. Whoever makes you sad, whoever hurts you, I will destroy them. All of them...With my own hands!"
789** [[spoiler:Miranda Barma]] is yandere for [[spoiler:Oswald]]'s... [[CollectorOfTheStrange head]].
790** Retrace LXXXIX reveals that [[spoiler:Noise]] is a rather unstable one for [[spoiler:Vincent]], going so far as to [[spoiler:kidnap Ada]], who she believes him to be in love with.
791** [[spoiler:Jack]] was believed to be ''severely'' yandere for [[spoiler:Lacie]]. Then TheReveal in the last volume told us that his violent, obsessive behavior towards her was caused by [[spoiler:pure, unadulterated spite]], which is apparently [[TheSociopath the only thing that can make him feel alive]].
792* YouSaidYouWouldLetThemGo: [[spoiler:Vincent promises Break an antidote to cure Sharon if he destroy Alice's memories. When Break obeys, Vincent [[MoralEventHorizon drops it off the balcony]].]]
793* YourDaysAreNumbered: Break. Although he still [[OlderThanTheyLook looks young]], he's essentially rotting on the inside, and his chain ([[spoiler:combined with the effects of his first, illegal contract]]) puts an extremely heavy strain on him.
794** All Illegal Contractors bare a clock symbol on their body that counts down in correlation with the amount of power they've used through their Chain. When the clock face reaches where the 12 would be, the contractor (and anyone too near them) is dragged by that Chain into the deepest parts of the Abyss, doomed to either be eaten by a Chain or become one themselves if they cannot get the Intention of the Abyss to grant them an alternative.
795[[/folder]]

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