'''Basic Trope''': The number four is bad somehow.
* '''Straight''': The fourth member of the FiveManBand is the TokenEvilTeammate who [[CharacterDevelopment ends up being]] {{the psycho ranger|s}} defector.
* '''Exaggerated''':
** Almost everyone dies when four people are together -- the heroes refuse to operate with one member missing.
** A number four itself is deadly. Anyone who counts to four, writes 4 or does anything related to this number drops dead instantly.
* '''Downplayed''': A character gets sick after eating food that has been expired for four days.
* '''Justified''': The villains are ThePsychoRangers to the FiveManBand, so Emperor Evulz chose [[EliteFour four executives]].
* '''Inverted''': Carol, Dave, Bob, and Alice speak to four gods of life.
* '''Subverted''':
** You hear about a group called the "Shitenno" who everyone fears, and their "Leader". It turns out that Edgar is the Leader, and Carol, Dave, Bob and Alice are the Shitenno.
** The fourth member of the FiveManBand, Faye, turns out to be a JerkWithAHeartOfGold and FakeDefector.
* '''Double Subverted''': Edgar is not actually involved in field operations. For all intents and purposes, the Shitenno are a team of four, plus a VoiceWithAnInternetConnection.
* '''Parodied''':
** Several characters die -- the digital root of their ages is 4.
** Death is four years old.
* '''Zig-Zagged''': The fourth member of an evil organization that turns out to be TheMole and tries to kill their leader, but fails.
* '''Averted''': There's no special significance attributed to the number 4 in this story.
* '''Enforced''': {{Thirteen|IsUnlucky}} is a common ArcNumber in the series, and the producers want to appeal to the superstitions of other cultures.
* '''Lampshaded''': "The bad guys are in a group of four, huh? Of ''course'' they're in a group of four."
* '''Invoked''': The villains stylize themselves around the number four to induce unease in Wutai by exploiting cultural beliefs.
* '''Exploited''': A character looking for a shortcut to OneManArmy-level badassery in combat calls upon the spirit of the number 4. Of course, they're then prone to [[HoistByHisOwnPetard succumbing to]] [[TooSpicyForYogSothoth its effects themselves]].
* '''Defied''': The heroes say, "ScrewDestiny," and proceed with four members in Wutai. No one dies, suggesting that the cultural connotation was bupkis.
* '''Discussed''': ???
* '''Conversed''': ???
* '''Implied''': The dead, worst-hurt, and/or simply ButtMonkey characters have fours going on in their lives, but it's not made clear that four is why things turned out badly for them.
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