Tropes about ex-significant others, and the various ways they affect the lives of their former lovers.
This Index Broke Up covers tropes that involve break-ups. Naturally there is a lot of overlap.
Compare (and contrast) Love Tropes and Marriage Tropes. See also The Singles Index. Not to be confused with This Used to Be an Index.
- Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder: When a couple is separated, one of the pair starts a new relationship with someone else.
- Amicable Exes: Two people who broke up yet remain on good terms with each other.
- Breach of Promise of Marriage: A potential marriage is broken off after the man doesn't pay up his end of the bargain.
- Break-Up Bonfire: Destroying the ex's belongings with fire.
- Break-Up Song: A song about ending a relationship.
- Celebrity Break-Up Song: A break-up song written by a celebrity about another celebrity.
- Custody Battle: Conflict ensues when a couple gets divorced and can't agree who should get custody of the children.
- Derailing Love Interests: The Romantic False Lead is subjected to Character Derailment so that the lead can dump them and form the Official Couple.
- Differing Priorities Breakup: A breakup resulting from each person wanting things that will make the other unhappy.
- Disneyland Dad: A divorced parent who showers their children with lavish gifts and outings to win their love.
- Divorce Assets Conflict: A divorcing couple demand they split up their possessions between each other, which leads to them going at each other's throats.
- Divorce in Reno: Reno, Nevada is an easy place to get divorced.
- Divorce Is Temporary: Couples never stay separated for long.
- Divorce Requires Death: When getting a divorce requires one half of the couple to die.
- Dry Docked Ship: For when Fanon suspects that two characters once had a past romantic relationship.
- Dumped via Text Message: Character sends a text message to their SO to tell them it's over, instead of talking to them in person.
- The Ex's New Jerkass: A character's ex's new significant other is a Jerkass to them and possibly others.
- Fair-Weather Ex: A character who wants to get back with their ex because it's convenient for them.
- False Soulmate: If they were in a relationship with the False Soulmate, they usually end up being an ex by the end.
- First Father Wins: The ex-husband competes with his ex-wife's new husband over which of them the kid likes better. In the end, the child decides that they like their first father better than their stepfather.
- Foot-Dragging Divorcee: When one spouse refuses to break up.
- Forever Fling: A short-lived, youthful, passionate romance is the yardstick by which all the couple's subsequent romances are measured and fail.
- The Grovel: A person begs for their ex to take them back.
- Heartbreak and Ice Cream: Character gorges themself on ice cream in response to being dumped.
- Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places: A character has many ex-lovers
- Love Cannot Overcome: A character breaks up with their partner because their lifestyle is too stressful/dangerous, despite still loving them.
- Love Will Lead You Back: Hoping that your ex will come back to you.
- Minor Flaw, Major Breakup: They got dumped over a miniscule reason.
- The Missus and the Ex: A character's ex-significant other meets their current significant other.
- The Mourning After: A character still pines for an ex.
- New Old Flame: A newly introduced character happens to be an ex-significant other of a main character.
- Old Flame Fizzle: A character is reunited with their former partner and finds they're no longer attracted to them.
- The One That Got Away: A character wishes they had gotten together with their Love Interest.
- Oops! I Forgot I Was Married: A character finds out they're in a marriage they were unaware was legal.
- Please Dump Me: Character deliberately tries to get dumped.
- Proxy Breakup: Alice wants to break-up with Bob, so she has Cindy do it for her. Hijinks Ensue.
- Psycho Ex-Girlfriend: An ex-significant other who was Not Good with Rejection.
- Relationship Revolving Door: Characters swing in and out on being together and being exes.
- Relationship-Salvaging Disaster: Ex-lovers rekindle their romance following a life or death situation.
- Returning the Wedding Ring: Sign that a couple is no more is a wedding/engagement ring that is returned.
- Second-Act Breakup: The Official Couple temporarily breaks up in the middle of the story.
- Serial Romeo: He has many ex-lovers that he previously hoped would be his One True Love.
- Serial Spouse: They've been married multiple times.
- Sex Changes Everything: Two characters who were ship teased finally get together only for their relationship with each other to start changing for the worse.
- Sex with the Ex: Two people who are no longer a couple but still have sex.
- Solomon Divorce: Divorced parents divide up custody of their children.
- Starter Marriage: A character's first marriage didn't last very long.
- Stepping Stone Spouse: A partner sacrifices for their spouse only to be left behind when fortunes increase.
- Thriving Ex-Crush: A character discovers their ex has become successful since they broke up.
- Toilet Seat Divorce: A divorce that was over something nonsensical.
- True Love Is Boring: When a couple doesn't stay together because them being happy together kills interest in the story.
- Visit by Divorced Dad: A divorced father is allowed to visit his children.
- Why Would Anyone Take Him Back?: When a character gets back together with their ex despite said ex being unworthy of them.
- Working with the Ex: Being forced to work with an ex-significant other/friend.
- Yo Yo Plot Point: For when characters keep breaking up and getting back together, although that scenario is far from the only time this trope is used.
- You Never Did That for Me: Realizing that your crush doesn't love you by seeing how they treat others compared to you.
