D to F / Trope Distinctions

Part 2 of the Canonical List of Subtle Trope Distinctions. Items are sorted alphabetically by whichever trope is alphabetically first; if you're looking for one in specific, use the "Find" or "Search" function of your Web browser.

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Dead Horse Trope vs. Dead Unicorn Trope vs. Discredited Trope vs. Forgotten Trope vs. Undead Horse Trope

Discredited Trope: A trope that is no longer taken seriously by audiences, leading to a decline in straight uses.
Dead Horse Trope: A trope that was once played straight, but now parodies and subversions are all you see.
Dead Unicorn Trope: A trope that was never actually played straight in the first place, but is treated otherwise like a dead horse trope.
Forgotten Trope: A trope that has disappeared entirely from current works, parodies and subversions included.
Undead Horse Trope: A trope has been parodied and subverted so thoroughly that it should be a dead horse trope, yet it continues to be played straight frequently.

Dead Person Conversation vs. Mummies at the Dinner Table vs. Of Corpse He's Alive vs. Please Wake Up vs. Talking to the Dead

Dead Person Conversation: The dead character speaks to the living, perhaps as a Spirit Advisor.
Mummies at the Dinner Table: The living character treats a dead body as though the dead person is still alive. The living person is usually crazy.
Of Corpse He's Alive: The living character pretends that a dead body is still alive. This is usually part of some Zany Scheme.
Please Wake Up: The living character (usually a young child or someone in a state of shock) can't accept or understand the fact that someone has just died.
Talking to the Dead: The living character is addressing a dead person, not expecting any sort of response.

Deadly Euphemism vs. Implied Death Threat vs. Shame If Something Happened vs. Trouble Entendre

Deadly Euphemism: Referring to someone's demise, but changing specific words to avoid saying it explicitly.
Shame If Something Happened: Talking about things that could potentially happen and ruin the hearer's circumstances, making it apparent that you'd be willing to bring those things about if they don't watch themselves.
Trouble Entendre: Using seemingly-normal conversation that carries secondary meaning to the hearer, to make it clear that you wish them harm or are threatening them.
- Implied Death Threat: Or want them dead.

Deathbringer the Adorable vs. Fluffy the Terrible

These usually, but not always, refer to creatures:
- Deathbringer the Adorable has a name that makes it sound scary and / or dangerous, but is actually very docile.
- Fluffy the Terrible has a cute / funny / nonsensical name but is actually very dangerous and / or sinister.

Death by Irony vs. Karmic Death vs. Hoist by His Own Petard vs. Self-Disposing Villain.

Death by Irony: A character's death (not necessarily a villain's) is ironic, which is not necessarily karmic or their own fault. Super-Trope to the three below.
Karmic Death: A character's death (not necessarily a villain's) is the result of bad karma, which is ironic by definition.
Hoist by His Own Petard: A character suffers some bad consequence of their own making, not necessarily death.
Self-Disposing Villain: A villain-specific trope where they cause their own demise so the narrative doesn't require the heroes to kill someone in cold blood.

Death by Mocking vs. Do Not Taunt Cthulhu vs. Let's Mock the Monsters

Death by Mocking is when mocking anyone, not necessarily the villain or monster, puts you on top of the Sorting Algorithm of Mortality.
Do Not Taunt Cthulhu is when you do directly taunt the villain or monster, and it does not end well.
Let's Mock the Monsters is a much more light-hearted version of making fun of monsters, usually ones that genuinely do look silly. This one can even be a Discussed Trope or Take That! at monsters in a Show Within a Show or a work being criticized.

Death of the Hypotenuse vs. Die for Our Ship vs. Murder the Hypotenuse

Death of the Hypotenuse is when a romantic rival dies in the story to allow for the "true" couple to get together.
Die for Our Ship is an audience reaction in which people who ship these two characters hate that character for being "in the way" of their ship. Writing fanfic in which the character does in fact die is a common expression of this hatred, and the source of the reaction's name.
Murder the Hypotenuse is when a character decides to take matters into their own hands and (attempt to) kill their romantic rival directly.

Death of the Old Gods vs. End of an Age vs. Götterdämmerung vs. Here There Were Dragons vs. The Magic Goes Away

The End of an Age is a Super-Trope in which a more childlike golden age of sorts gives way to an age with less wonder and innocence in it. It is not necessarily magical, it can be technological or personal to one character.
In a Götterdämmerung, the power of the old gods was broken in some sort of cataclysm.
The Death of the Old Gods happens more slowly and generally less violently.
Here There Were Dragons is the idea that the past was an age of magic.
A The Magic Goes Away plot is set at the very end of the era of magic and concerns itself with the last of said magic and how it leaves the world.

Death Seeker vs. Kill Me Now, or Forever Stay Your Hand vs. Please Kill Me if It Satisfies You

Death Seeker: A character who wants to die and is actively seeking ways to do so, usually in a fight.
Kill Me Now, or Forever Stay Your Hand: A character is put in a situation where he could easily kill a character he hates. Said other character doesn't want to be killed.
Please Kill Me if It Satisfies You: Due to remorse, character A offers character B the chance to kill him as payback for something A did to B.

Decapitation Required vs. Depleted Phlebotinum Shells vs. Immortal Breaker vs. Mortality Ensues

Decapitation Required: The only way to kill a certain monster is to completely detach its most vital organ (or reduce said organ to puree); any 'normal' wound is too easy to recover from.
Depleted Phlebotinum Shells: A monster is immune to most things, but has one crippling weakness (eg. silver, moonlight, sunlight, garlic). Weaponising this (eg. Silver Bullet) will kill the monster. Usually has a specific, spelled-out link between the property used and the monster, and tends to defeat one specific type of creature.
Immortal Breaker: Through a variety of potential means, a weapon or artefact ignores or supersedes immortality. Usually is equally applicable to all immortals, and is a property of the weapon itself rather than some component of it.
Mortality Ensues: An immortal being can have their immortal properties deactivated/removed from them; at this point, they become vulnerable to normal wounds. The indirect way of killing an undying creature.

December–December Romance vs. Grow Old with Me

A December–December Romance is usually a new relationship between two characters who are elderly.
In Grow Old with Me a couple grow old together. They met and established their relationship years before.

Decoy Protagonist vs. Supporting Protagonist

A Decoy Protagonist appears, for all intents and purposes, to be the main character, until they are forcibly and permanently removed from that role; usually by death.
A viewpoint character who retains that role for most or all of the plot, but isn't the one driving said plot, is paired with a Supporting Protagonist.

Deface of the Moon vs. Detonation Moon

In Deface of the Moon someone damages the Moon, but doesn't destroy it, usually because people seeing what he's done to the Moon is the point.
In Detonation Moon, the Moon does, in fact, blow up.

Defanged Horrors vs. Nightmare Retardant

Defanged Horrors are supposed to only be mildly scary, usually to give kids an enjoyable age-appropriate scare rather than something traumatizing. They can be of good quality, just not high-level Nightmare Fuel.
Nightmare Retardant is anything that was supposed to be normally scary, but is not of good enough quality to actually scare anybody.

Defictionalization vs. Product Placement vs. The Red Stapler

Defictionalization takes place when a fictional product in a media work is turned into a real product in the real world. It is generally pre-planned.
The Red Stapler is when the use of a product in a work of fiction creates a demand for the product. The product may be real or fictional, but the effect is almost always unplanned.
Product Placement involves real world products being inserted into a work of fiction with the specific purpose of creating a demand for them.

Dem Bones vs. Skeleton Crew

Dem Bones is animated skeletons as undead, usually mindless monsters
Skeleton Crew is the non-animated skeletons of the dead crew found on a Ghost Ship

Demonic Spiders vs. Goddamned Bats

Goddamned Bats are creatures that delay the player by being hard to hit and/or hard to avoid.
Demonic Spiders are Goddamned Bats that also delay the player by being very deadly.

Demoted to Dragon vs. Dragon-in-Chief vs. The Man Behind the Man vs. The Man in Front of the Man vs. Dragon Ascendant vs. Dragon with an Agenda vs. Greater-Scope Villain vs. The Starscream

Demoted to Dragon is when a new Big Bad appears, and the old Big Bad becomes his right hand man, or really was The Dragon all along.
Dragon-in-Chief is when the Dragon is the real Big Bad through the story, even though he has someone in a superior position that would normally be the main villain.
The Man Behind the Man and The Man in Front of the Man are the same as above respectively, but those are revealed as a plot twists.
Dragon Ascendant is when The Dragon takes over the role of the Big Bad after the defeat of their master at the hand of the heroes.
Dragon with an Agenda is when The Dragon and the Big Bad have different goals, it varies on who does what their group should be doing and who is doing what he wants.
Greater-Scope Villain is when there is an evil that is much more powerful than the Big Bad, but is not directly causing the conflict.
The Starscream is when The Dragon directly plots to depose or kill their master.

Demoted to Extra vs. Out of Focus

Demoted to Extra is when a character was a part of the main cast, but gets shoved off into the background until they might as well not be there. Note that this mainly applies to sequels and adaptations, whereas...
Out of Focus is when they lose focus during a season/story arc so that other characters can get spotlight episodes.

Department of Redundancy Department vs. Shaped Like Itself

Shaped Like Itself is an instance where someone expresses themselves by using multiple words that mean the same thing.
Department of Redundancy Department is a subtrope in which the same words or phrases are repeated over and over (often for comedic effect).

Depraved Homosexual vs. Sissy Villain

A Depraved Homosexual is a bad person who's explicitly interested in their own sex; their misdeeds often actually include sexual harassment or assault.
A Sissy Villain is a villain with effeminate characteristics, like wearing pink or having a high-pitched voice. They don't need to demonstrate any sexual interest.

Derailed Fairy Tale vs. Fairy Tale Free-for-All vs. Fractured Fairy Tale

A Derailed Fairy Tale occurs when someone is telling a story or reading a book out loud in-universe but gets interrupted by too many questions to tell the story properly.
A Fractured Fairy Tale is when the work itself is based on making funny or dark twists to a well-known fairy tale.
- Fairy Tale Free-for-All is a subtrope, referring to works where the change is that characters of various stories interact.

Designated Evil vs. Designated Monkey vs. Designated Villain vs. Draco in Leather Pants vs. Informed Wrongness vs. Jerkass Woobie vs. Karmic Overkill vs. Rooting for the Empire vs. Strawman Has a Point vs. Unintentionally Sympathetic

Designated Evil is when an action is framed as evil by a story, but the audience doesn't agree.
Designated Villain is when a character is meant to be a villain, but the viewers disagree because they never did anything that bad.
Draco in Leather Pants is when a character is a villain, and clearly does bad things, but the audience ignores their villainy due to finding the character cool, funny, or sexy.
Informed Wrongness is when a character is supposed to be in the wrong, though not necessarily a villain, but the audience disagrees.
Jerkass Woobie is when someone is a jerk, and the audience agrees, but they feel sorry for them anyway due to the hardships they suffer.
Karmic Overkill is when a character is punished for something, and the audience agrees that they deserved to be punished, but thinks the punishment they got was too much.
Rooting for the Empire is any time the audience prefers the villains to the heroes, which could be for a number of reasons, some logical and some not.
Strawman Has a Point is a subset of Informed Wrongness, for when a character is supposed to be a Straw Character yet still doesn't seem to be in the wrong.
Unintentionally Sympathetic is when the audiences sympathise with the antagonist (but don't necessarily prefer them to the hero) for whatever reason, and the author didn't intend them to. Differs from Designated Villain in that they may have still done something villainous, but managed to be sympathetic anyway.
Designated Monkey is a subset of Unintentionally Sympathetic, for when the reason the audience sympathises with the character is because they have rotten luck.

Destructo-Nookie vs. Kiss-Kiss-Slap vs. Slap-Slap-Kiss

Two people who're hostile, yet romantically attracted, display both at once.
- Destructo-Nookie: The couple in question's hostility leads them to trash the area while they're making love. This might involve doing it roughly, or either of the two tropes below making them switch between loving and fighting.
- Kiss-Kiss-Slap: The couple are showing one another affection when one or both of them suddenly becomes hostile (either because they're confused by the affection, or they remember they have a reason to be angry with each other).
- Slap-Slap-Kiss: Conversely, while the couple are being hostile, they're suddenly overwhelmed by their feelings for one another and show affection (i.e. they kiss). This and Kiss-Kiss-Slap can "chain" together (as the page images for both show), causing them to flit between flirting and fighting.

Detect Evil vs. Killing Intent

Detect Evil is when noticing evil requires an explicit supernatural power. Depending on the precise mechanics of the power it may detect "stereotypically evil energies" rather than evil itself, thus throwing a false positive against Dark Is Not Evil characters.
Killing Intent is when evil has a direct physical presence that anyone can notice. While some people may be better at spotting it than others, this is simply a result of sharper senses. It also covers general aggression, and sometimes even the most evil enemy can escape detection simply by not thinking aggressive thoughts.

The Determinator vs. Implacable Man

The Determinator is a character who never stops pursuing his goal, no matter how much suffering or sacrifice they take along the way.
The Implacable Man is a character who never stops pursuing his goal because he cannot be damaged.

Deus ex Nukina vs. Nuclear Option vs. Nuke 'em

Deus ex Nukina is when a nuke is scientifically used to avert a disaster or solve a problem.
Nuclear Option is when a nuke is an appropriate, deliberated violent response to a problem that conventional munitions cannot handle.
Nuke 'em is when a nuke is impulsively and militarily used to destroy a target.

Development Hell vs. Vaporware

A work that never seems to be able to be finished. The tropes are distinguished by medium:
- Development Hell refers to films that never seem to be able to finish production.
- Vaporware is the video game equivalent.

Devil in Plain Sight vs. Obvious Judas vs. Obviously Evil

A Devil in Plain Sight is a character who's Obviously Evil, or antagonistic, but is trying to hide this from the good guys, causing immense frustration for the audience and usually at least one of the good guys who's trying to expose the Devil in Plain Sight before their evil schemes go off.
Obvious Judas is the person who's obviously going to make a Face–Heel Turn, whether it's made obvious to the audience by their appearance or their actions. It's YMMV because the "obvious" part is the audience's opinion — it's not necessarily intended by the writers.
Obviously Evil is an umbrella trope for looks and behaviors used to convey to the audience that someone is up to no good. This type of character is often also a Devil in Plain Sight, unless they aren't even trying to hide their evil agenda and are spotted as villains right away.

Die for Our Ship vs. Ship-to-Ship Combat

Die for Our Ship is when fans of a pair of characters twist one of their possible Love Interests into something completely unlike their original character (either in Fan Fiction or just their general view of the character) to make way for their One True Pairing.
Ship-to-Ship Combat is usually an attack on the shipper(s) of a rival OTP.

Diesel Punk vs. Raygun Gothic

Raygun Gothic was the predominant aesthetic of science fiction from the Real Life 1920s through the 1950s; these days, it's mainly used for sci-fi that's deliberately trying to be retro. It's a relatively shiny and optimistic vision of the (then-) future.
Diesel Punk is Punk Punk fiction set in a fictionalized version of the 1920s to the 1950s. It basically bridges the gap between Steampunk and Cyberpunk. It's a relatively recent genre; the term "dieselpunk" was coined in 2001.

Difficult, but Awesome vs. Lethal Joke Character

Difficult, but Awesome: A character/faction has obvious potential, but has a steep learning curve.
Lethal Joke Character: A character/faction appears to be a Joke Character at first, but actually has some hidden tricks that can be exploited for victory.

Dirty Business vs. My God, What Have I Done?

Dirty Business: A character regrets knowingly and willingly shooting the dog or otherwise doing something unpleasant but necessary.
My God, What Have I Done?: A character generically regrets something he did. The character may or may not be fully responsible for the actions.

Direct Line to the Author vs. Literary Agent Hypothesis vs. Recursive Canon vs. A True Story in My Universe

Direct Line to the Author: The story says that it's based on true events (possibly as related to the author by one of the characters).
Literary Agent Hypothesis: Fans interpret the story as the author's retelling of a true story, with no direct support from Canon or Word of God.
Recursive Canon: The story contains a story within a story that includes elements of the "outer" story.
A True Story in My Universe: A story within a story is based on true events in the world of the "outer" story, as distinguished from real-world Canon or Fanon.

Disc-One Final Boss vs. Starter Villain

Disc-One Final Boss: A villain set up as the Big Bad that is defeated early on or in the middle of the story, making way for a new Big Bad to drive the plot.
Starter Villain: A "beginner's" villain meant for The Hero to overcome before facing the first Big Bad.

Disease by Any Other Name vs. The Disease That Shall Not Be Named

Disease by Any Other Name is when a disease isn't named due to the characters not knowing what it is.
The Disease That Shall Not Be Named is when a disease isn't named due to superstition, social taboo, or because the writer wants to avoid calling the disease by something specific lest they get something wrong.

Disguised in Drag vs. Harmless Lady Disguise

Disguised in Drag is the super trope; it refers to people wearing clothing associated with the opposite gender to disguise themselves for some purpose, often to perform a job or get into an area that's barred to their own gender, but sometimes to hide their identity completely.
Harmless Lady Disguise is a subtrope where disguising as a woman, often specifically an old woman, is done in order to appear harmless to potential targets of snooping or worse.

Disposable Vagrant vs. Kill the Poor

Disposable Vagrant is when the impoverished are killed or exploited by others because anything that happens to them is unlikely to be noticed by the public or authorities at large; moreover, people targeting them usually have a personal goal to attain (i.e. completing a scientific study or research).
Kill the Poor is when the impoverished are killed or exploited simply for being poor; individuals targeting the poor in this scenario deliberately want to eliminate their population.

Dissonant Serenity vs. The Stoic vs. Tranquil Fury

Dissonant Serenity is when a character is unnaturally calm, sometimes even happy, when being violent. Insanity is usually involved.
Tranquil Fury implies that the character is angry within, but actively controlling and reining in this rage, rather than being outright collected.
Both of the above are distinct from The Stoic in that the characters using them will normally display emotions like regular people, but only become chill when a situation is serious. The Stoic is always emotionless.

Distaff Counterpart vs. Gender Bender vs. Gender Flip vs. Opposite-Sex Clone vs. Rule 63

A Distaff Counterpart/Spear Counterpart is a character who is based on another character but is of the opposite sex.
In Gender Bender, a character changes physical sex in the story.
In Gender Flip, the writers base a story on an older one while reversing the characters' sexes.
An Opposite-Sex Clone is a character created by an in-story cloning process to be identical to an existing character, but the opposite sex.
Rule 63 reverses the physical sex of a character and keeps them in the same universe, as if they were subject to a Gender Bender.

Dog Food Diet vs. Eating Pet Food

In Dog Food Diet, a poor person eats pet food because they can't afford proper human food.
Eating Pet Food is a subtrope of I Ate WHAT?!, in which a person accidentally eats pet food; they're tricked into doing so or mistake it for something else that's more palatable for human consumption.

A Dog Named "Dog" vs. A Lizard Named "Liz" vs. Race-Name Basis vs. Species Surname

A Dog Named "Dog": An animal is named the name of their species, whether it's the same or in a different language (e.g., a dog named "Perro", "Chien", or "Inu").
A Lizard Named "Liz": An animal is given a name that is a play on their species name either by sight (a cat named Catherine^note) or by sound (a horse named Horace), and/or otherwise based on some aspect of the animal (a goose named Honker, a dolphin named Finn, etc.).
Species Surname: A Talking, Civilized, or Funny Animal whose last name is their species (Benny Buffalo, Florence Flamingo, Edward Tortoise, etc.).
Race-Name Basis: An animal (or other being) is referred to by their species rather than their individual name for whatever — though not necessarily a malicious — reason.

Dolled-Up Installment vs. In Name Only

A Dolled-Up Installment is when a production begins as a stand-alone project, then someone makes mention that it has a resemblance to a prior story or franchise. So instead of starting from scratch, they buy the rights and change the current script using the names from the older work.
In Name Only is when a production is slated from the beginning to be an adaptation, but the resulting production has only a superficial resemblance to the source material, usually with cries of Adaptation Decay.

Do Not Attempt vs. Don't Try This at Home

In Do Not Attempt, words to this effect are used as a disclaimer even in absurd situations, e.g. it's an obvious dramatization you literally can't attempt (or the opposite, it appears even over safe and proper uses of the item.) Most common in advertising.
In Don't Try This at Home, the thing really is both extremely risky and quite possible for viewers to try, so they need to cover their asses by telling you not to. Most common in non-fiction and fiction that's Breaking the Fourth Wall.

Don't Fear the Reaper vs. Face Death with Dignity vs. Not Afraid to Die vs. Obi-Wan Moment

Don't Fear the Reaper: The Anthropomorphic Personification of death is not scary at all.
Face Death with Dignity: A character accepts dignified death as appropriate punishment for their misdeeds.
Not Afraid to Die: The character lives knowing they can die any moment but is not afraid of it.
Obi-Wan Moment: A mentor dies serenely, offering last advice to those remaining behind.

Do Wrong, Right vs. Even Evil Has Standards vs. Pragmatic Villainy

Even Evil Has Standards is when a villain doesn't do something abhorrent because even he finds it too evil.
Pragmatic Villainy is when a villain doesn't do something abhorrent because he knows it's not practical.
Do Wrong, Right is when, in the process of doing something abhorrent, someone points out how they're doing it wrong and then offer advice on how to do it properly.

Draco in Leather Pants vs. Evil Is Cool vs. Love to Hate vs. Rooting for the Empire

Draco in Leather Pants refers to villains who are attractive being portrayed as less villainous (and often more generically suave and romantic) in Fan Fic.
Evil Is Cool is about villains that were created with cool traits, such as snappy dialogue or amazing powers or gadgets. They may cause audience reactions like Draco in Leather Pants or Rooting for the Empire (in fact, the latter's Trope Namer is its Trope Namer because the Empire is cool), but that's not necessarily relevant.
Love to Hate is on the other end of the spectrum from the other two tropes; it refers to villains who are entertaining precisely because the audience still sees them as villains. Watching them go about their schemes is fun, but watching them get their comeuppance is even more so.
Rooting for the Empire refers to fans identifying with or justifying an evil faction. These fans are less likely to omit antagonistic actions completely than those with Draco in Leather Pants, and more likely to argue that the faction had good reasons for them.

The Drag-Along vs. The Load

The Drag-Along is a character who's with the rest of the team for some reason (e.g. family, money, repaying a favor, having just been rescued) but has no enthusiasm for the adventures they find themselves in—usually they're a coward or pessimist. They may prove useful in a pinch.
The Load is a character with no skills for the adventures; they frequently have to be bailed out of a sticky situation. Their level of enthusiasm varies, and in fact some Loads are that way because they're so eager to be with this specific team or just to have an adventure, they get into harm's way.

Drowning My Sorrows vs. I Need a Freaking Drink vs. Liquid Courage

Drowning My Sorrows is when someone drinks alcohol to forget a sad or depressing circumstance.
I Need a Freaking Drink is when someone drinks alcohol after a stressful or frightening experience in an effort to cope with the stress.
Liquid Courage is when someone drinks alcohol before a stressful or frightening experience in an effort to damp down their anxiety so they can do what needs to be done.

Dual Boss vs. Flunky Boss vs. Wolfpack Boss

A Dual Boss involves a fight with usually two enemies at once, each one strong enough to be a boss in its own right.
A Flunky Boss involves a boss who is accompanied by a group of weaker minions. Defeating the boss will usually end the fight immediately, unlike the other examples where you have to defeat everyone.
A Wolfpack Boss involves multiple enemies at once who are stronger than the regular mooks but not strong enough to be a boss in isolation. They make up for their lack of strength by a numbers advantage.

Dull Surprise vs. Flat Joy vs. That Makes Me Feel Angry

In Dull Surprise, the actor is speaking too flatly to convey the proper emotion.
In Flat Joy, the character is speaking flatly, whether because they're being sarcastic or because they do think what's going on is good but aren't very emotional.
In That Makes Me Feel Angry, someone says what they're feeling, with or without the corresponding tone, whether because they have no other way of expressing their feelings, because the person they're talking to has no other way of understanding them, or (similarly to Dull Surprise) because the creator has no other way of describing how the character is feeling.

Dumb Is Good vs. Good Is Dumb

Dumb Is Good: Being dumb makes you good.
Good Is Dumb: Being good makes you dumb.

Dumb Is Good vs. Kindhearted Simpleton vs. Redemption Demotion

Dumb Is Good is about how dumber people are good to begin with, and serves as a statement for the work itself.
Kindhearted Simpleton is about well-meaning, well-intentioned dumb people, without regard to their placement and effect in the work.
Redemption Demotion is about someone becoming good and then becoming dumb or less useful.

Early-Bird Boss vs Wake-Up Call Boss vs Warm-Up Boss

All three tropes refer to a Boss Battle early in a video game. This boss...

Warm-Up Boss: ...can easily be defeated without the use of advanced techniques and/or a Second Hour Superpower; it's there to test your mastery of the basics.
Wake-Up Call Boss: ...cannot be defeated (easily) without the use of advanced techniques.
Early-Bird Boss: ...is difficult primarily due to not having the Second Hour Superpower just yet.

Earth Drift vs. The Series Has Left Reality

Earth Drift happens when a story starts out in a reasonable facsimile of the real world, only for the worldbuilding to retcon it into a Constructed World all along.
The Series Has Left Reality is when a work starts out realistic, but develops enough Speculative Fiction traits that it can no longer be a realistic story, but it is still set on Earth.

Earth-Shattering Kaboom vs. The End of the World as We Know It

The End of the World as We Know It is any severe catastrophe that renders the world unfit for human habitation.
Earth-Shattering Kaboom is a Sub-Trope of The End of the World as We Know It in which the Earth is literally destroyed, as if the planet were shattered into a million little pieces.

Easily Forgiven vs. "Get Out of Jail Free" Card vs. Karma Houdini

Easily Forgiven is when a character (usually but not always a villain) is explicitly forgiven by someone for misdeeds committed earlier in the series.
If an actual reason is given for the lack of punishment for said character, that's a "Get Out of Jail Free" Card.
If there's no explanation of any sort given, then the character becomes a Karma Houdini.

Easy Sex Change vs. Gender Bender vs. Gender Flip

Easy Sex Change has the trappings of a "realistic" sex change, but portrays it in a more simplistic manner, often minimizing the physical, psychological, and/or social issues involved.
Gender Bender changes a character completely into the opposite sex (usually by magic or Applied Phlebotinum), as if they were born that way to begin with. (A man turned into a woman would be able to get pregnant, etc.) Wholly impossible in Real Life (apart from a few oddities in the animal kingdom).
Gender Flip doesn't involve an actual sex change: A character is re-designed, out-of-universe, as the opposite gender of what the audience knew them to be. In-universe, the character actually was born that way to begin with.

Elongating Arm Gag vs. Extendable Arms

An Elongating Arm Gag is for when a character extends their arm or other body part in a one-off gag.
Extendable Arms are when a character is established to have extending limbs as an ability.

Empathic Weapon vs. Loyal Phlebotinum vs. Only I Can Make It Go

An Empathic Weapon has a mind of its own, acting as an ally of the wielder rather than a simple tool. It will generally refuse to work for anyone else.
Loyal Phlebotinum is a tool or power that will not activate for anyone but its proper user.
Only I Can Make It Go describes a vehicle that will stop running or fail to start in the first place because of subtle quirks that the owner knows how to work around.

Endless Game vs. Game Over vs. Unwinnable

An Endless Game is just that — you simply continue playing from level to level until you ultimately lose.
A Game Over is the game declaring Exactly What It Says on the Tin: You died, ran out of lives, or failed a mission objective, so your game is over.
An Unwinnable situation occurs when something makes it impossible to progress in a game but doesn't result in a Game Over, forcing you to start over yourself.

Enemy Mime vs. Everyone Hates Mimes

An Enemy Mime is a mime who's evil or at least actively antagonistic towards other characters. Compare Monster Clown.
In Everyone Hates Mimes the mime is a Butt-Monkey, being hurt or mocked by other people regardless of his actual personality and alignment.

Enemy Summoner vs. Flunky Boss vs. Just You, Me, and My GUARDS! vs. Mook Maker

An Enemy Summoner is a mook that calls in other mooks. The Summoner is capable of fighting on their own.
A Flunky Boss is a boss who fights alongside mooks, whether they come with him at the start or he summoned them.
Just You, Me, and My GUARDS! is when what is supposed to be a one-on-one duel is interrupted by one side's troops. The side that has troops may then play Flunky Boss, but they may as well not.
Mook Maker is a facility that spawns mooks; usually cannot fight by themselves, sometimes can be destroyed and sometimes not.

Enemy Without vs. Literal Split Personality

An Enemy Without is a facet of a character's personality brought out into the physical world.
A Literal Split Personality is an entire character split in two.
- Basic rule of thumb: if you can point to one of the instances of the character and say "that's the original one", it's a case of Enemy Without; if all the copies have an equal claim on being the original, it's a Literal Split Personality.

Epileptic Trees vs. Everyone Is Jesus in Purgatory vs. Wild Mass Guessing

These all refer to speculation made by the audience about a show, the first two differ based on their subject.
- Epileptic Trees are guesses about something internal to the show's story - Character A is Character B's father, Character C is really working for Faction D, etc.
- Everyone Is Jesus in Purgatory refers to speculation about the allegorical meaning of the show - Character A represents Stalin, the war is a metaphor for the conflict between science and religion, etc.
- Wild Mass Guessing is not a trope, but a wiki section where tropers can record their own Epileptic Trees and Everyone Is Jesus in Purgatory speculation.

Ethical Slut vs. Good Bad Girl

The Good Bad Girl is unapologetically promiscuous privately but in no way depraved or uncaring. Almost Always Female.
The Ethical Slut sees "Sex Is Good" as their great mission in life. Can be of any gender.

Even Beggars Won't Choose It vs. Everyone Has Standards

Even Beggars Won't Choose It puts focus on the object and its quality, or lack thereof; it's not even fit for people who you'd logically think were in desperate need of something like it.
Everyone Has Standards puts focus on the person doing the choosing; they're not rejecting the object, person or course of action just because it's crap, but because it's too evil for them, too embarrassing, or otherwise against their personal guidelines.

Even Better Sequel vs. Surprisingly Improved Sequel

Even Better Sequel is when a work is good/excellent, and the sequel is even better.
Surprisingly Improved Sequel is when a work is bad/mediocre/ok, and the sequel is much better.

Even the Girls Want Her / Even the Guys Want Him vs. Gay Moment vs. Stupid Sexy Flanders

Even the Girls Want Her / Even the Guys Want Him describes a character who comes across as ridiculously attractive to people usually attracted to his or her gender as well as a disproportionate amount of people who aren't.
A Gay Moment is when a straight character says or does something (such as complimenting a member of the same gender's appearance, or partaking in an Accidental Hug or Accidental Kiss with a member of the same gender) that, a second later, leads to a "this sounds gay" realization; Have I Mentioned I Am Heterosexual Today? ensues.
Stupid Sexy Flanders is simply the phenomenon of someone experiencing unwarranted sexual attraction towards a member of a sex they usually aren't attracted to. Usually Played for Laughs. Different from the Gay Moment in that its origins are sexual.

Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep" vs. No Name Given vs. Only Known By Their Nick Name vs. His Name Really Is "Barkeep"

Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep" is when a character is only known by a term describing their job or some other word. For example, The Mechanist.
Only Known by Their Nickname is different in that a character is referred to by any old nickname, as opposed to a word or term that refers exclusively to a person's job or something else that they're known for. Otherwise, it's pretty much the same.
No Name Given is when a character may go by title or a nickname, but his actual name is never stated.
His Name Really Is "Barkeep" is when what sounds like a nickname, is the character's actual name.

Everyone Is a Tomato vs. Flock of Wolves

When Everyone Is a Tomato, high numbers of characters are revealed as hiding, or not knowing, that they belong to some special category in the work, like robots, aliens or members of a Mage Species.
A Flock of Wolves is usually about allegiance and can be done with only mundane human groups; it's about someone undercover in an enemy group finding out that everyone, or almost everyone, they're interacting with is also undercover rather than a genuine member of the group.

Everyone Is Jesus in Purgatory vs. Everyone Is Satan in Hell

Everyone Is Jesus in Purgatory is about fans finding made-up meanings or implausible symbolism in works.
Everyone Is Satan in Hell is about Moral Guardians finding hidden satanic messaging in works, or otherwise declaring them to be evil, often with a dose of Cowboy Be Bop At His Computer and Insane Troll Logic reflecting lack of knowledge of the work. Could be considered a more specific version of Everyone Is Jesus in Purgatory.

Evil Chancellor vs. Treacherous Advisor

An Evil Chancellor is by definition an adviser to a ruler, as indicated by the fact that The Grand Vizier redirects there.
A Treacherous Advisor is anyone who seems to be an adviser or ally, often to The Hero, only to betray him.

Evil Tainted the Place vs. Fisher King vs Indian Burial Ground vs. Leaking Can of Evil:

Evil Tainted the Place means that a location is still affected by something evil that used to live there, even though this original evil is already gone.
The land of a Fisher King reflects the mood and/or morality of its ruler.
An Indian Burial Ground is haunted by the vengeful spirits of those buried there.
An evil being that has been sealed away in a Leaking Can of Evil can still affect the area around it.

Exact Words vs. Loophole Abuse vs. Not the Intended Use

Exact Words is based on how you choose to interpret the specific wording of the instructions given (eg. 'I have brought you the king's head as requested. However, it is still attached to the rest of his body').
Loophole Abuse is based on spotting gaps between the rules that they didn't think to make a rule for ('You'll never be able to meet your contact if you're under house arrest.' 'What if I invite him round? I won't have to leave.')
Not the Intended Use is based on doing something that is perfectly allowed by the rules, but in a way or to achieve a purpose that it was clearly not designed to ('I cast Summon Bigger Fish into the space directly above the enemy's head').

Exalted Torturer vs. Torture Technician

An Exalted Torturer is a Torture Technician who is viewed as a heroic law enforcer.
The Torture Technician is simply and only a professional torturer, usually treated as nothing more than a Psycho for Hire.

Example as a Thesis vs. Self-Demonstrating Article

These both refer to ways of writing trope pages...and neither is encouraged.
- Example as a Thesis is when an article opens with a generic story describing an example of the trope in action, then proceeds with the actual definition second and examples third.
- A Self-Demonstrating Article is written in such a way that it's intended to be an example of its own trope.

Exaggerated Trope vs. Logical Extreme

Exaggerated Trope plays the trope up to an unrealistic/silly extent.
Logical Extreme takes the trope up to a high, very dramatic/noticeable extent. However, it's still actually plausible without having to invoke the Rule Of (Insert Here).

Excrement Statement vs. Putting the Pee in Pool vs. Urine Trouble

Excrement Statement is when someone deliberately poops or pees on someone or something, in order to spite somebody.
Putting the Pee in Pool is when someone, either deliberately or accidentally, relieves themselves in a swimming pool. This can be done with either number one or number two, though as the name suggests, it's usually the former.
Urine Trouble is when an animal, who is not anthropomorphic, or at least not fully anthropomorphic, pees on someone or something they shouldn't. This could overlap with Excrement Statement, but usually they're doing it because they don't know any better or they're marking territory.

Expansion Pack Past vs. Multiple-Choice Past vs. Mysterious Past

Expansion Pack Past is when a character has a very complicated, convoluted and improbable backstory, usually due to writers making many Flashbacks to describe his past, and making those as they please.
Multiple-Choice Past is when those backstories are so many and so absurd, that they eventually contradict each other, though this can be intentional, hinting the character has a bad memory, is crazy, or is just lying.
Mysterious Past is when information about this character's past is very scarce and vague.

Expository Hairstyle Change vs. Good Hair, Evil Hair vs. Important Haircut

Expository Hairstyle Change is when a character's hairstyle/-color or facial hair changes in order to show you (usually subtly) that something is different (usually their personality).
Important Haircut is often a subtype in which a character's hair is specifically cut, almost always as a symbolic or otherwise important act. This may or may not be expository.
Good Hair, Evil Hair is a subtype in which the change indicates a Heel–Face Turn or Face–Heel Turn.

Expository Gameplay Limitation vs. Injured Player Character Stage

Expository Gameplay Limitation is when the player's abilities in a video game are significantly but temporarily curtailed in order to better focus the player's attention on narrative exposition.
Injured Player Character Stage is when the player's abilities in a video game are significantly but temporarily curtailed because the player character was injured or damaged as part of the game's storyline.

Expospeak Gag vs. Layman's Terms

An Expospeak Gag is about complex ways of expressing simple concepts.
Layman's Terms is about attempts to simplify complex statements or concepts.

Face–Heel Turn vs. Protagonist Journey to Villain vs. Start of Darkness

Face–Heel Turn is when a good guy turns evil over the course of the story.
Protagonist Journey to Villain is when the main protagonist turns evil.
Start of Darkness is the exact moment a character becomes a villain.

Failed Attempt at Drama vs. Narm

A Failed Attempt at Drama is a failed attempt by a character to be dramatic; the failure is often noted by other characters, or shown to be a failure by subsequent events.
Narm is a failed attempt by creators to make a moment serious for the audience; it has any number of causes, including bad writing, bad (or not enough) acting, and/or bad special effects. Narm is often not noted by characters; they take the moment perfectly seriously.

Failure Hero vs. Invincible Hero vs. Showy Invincible Hero

A Failure Hero is a character who never accomplishes his/her goals, whether through personal failures or other elements of the story seemingly conspiring to foil the character.
An Invincible Hero is a character who always accomplishes his/her goals with relative ease, to the point that it's impossible to build drama around the character.
A Showy Invincible Hero is one whose exploits are built around Rule of Cool, and the point of the work is to show this in full effect.

Fake High vs. Mistaken for Junkie vs. Playing Drunk

Fake High is where a character thinks they are drunk or high when they really aren't.
Mistaken for Junkie is when somebody else thinks a character is drunk, high, or a habitual drug user when they really aren't.
Playing Drunk is when a character pretends to be drunk or high when they really aren't.

Fake Nationality vs. Fauxreigner

Fake Nationality (and its subtropes like Fake Brit) is about an actor playing a character from a country they're not really from; the character within the story is intended to be from the stated country.
Fauxreigner is a character who's stated within the work to be pretending to be from a different country than the one they're currently in, usually to hide their true personality or motives.

Fake Shemp vs. The Nth Doctor vs. The Other Darrin vs. The Other Marty vs. Suspiciously Similar Substitute

When an actor is replaced by another actor playing the same character, with no explanation provided for the switch, it's The Other Darrin.
When there is an attempt to conceal the switch (e.g. not showing the substitute's face, splicing in stock footage) it's a Fake Shemp.
When the change in actors is explained In-Universe, though Applied Phlebotinum or Magic Plastic Surgery, it's The Nth Doctor.
If the actor is replaced before the film is finished, and all or most of their scenes are reshot so they don't appear in the final product, its The Other Marty.
If the replacement is technically a different character but is written pretty much with the same role, you have a Suspiciously Similar Substitute. (If people hate the new version, it's a Replacement Scrappy.)

Fake Ultimate Hero vs. Miles Gloriosus vs. Engineered Heroics

The Fake Ultimate Hero is anyone who gets credit for at least one heroic act which they did not do.
The Miles Gloriosus is a Fake Ultimate Hero who actively claims credit for lots of heroic behavior, but when put to the test is always a Dirty Coward.
Engineered Heroics is when this character goes further by causing the disasters, problems and fake crimes in the first place so he can solve them and get the fame.

The Family for the Whole Family vs. Harmless Villain vs. Minion with an F in Evil vs. Neighborhood-Friendly Gangsters vs. Stupid Crooks

The Family for the Whole Family are gangsters that are really incompetent, so that gangster tropes can be used (or parodied) in a family-friendly work without anyone getting seriously hurt.
The Harmless Villain sees themself as a true bad guy, but their 'evil deeds' are so small and trivial that no-one's seriously at risk from them.
The Minion with an F in Evil is a bad guy underling who doesn't really have malevolence in them. They'll follow the bad guy's orders, but they're not really into the 'hurting people and breaking things' aspect of it.
Neighborhood-Friendly Gangsters can and do pull serious crimes off, but refrain from harming their home neighborhood or even try to protect or improve it.
Stupid Crooks are incompetent criminals that are easily outsmarted by investigators or potential targets; unlike The Family for the Whole Family, they do sometimes appear in mature works and can kill or maim people, even if they're such bungling idiots they get caught right away.

Family-Values Villain vs. Straight Edge Evil

Family-Values Villain is about a villain whose actual motivation is enforcing a rigid sense of "family values" onto others; they're commonly a very religious person and a Heteronormative Crusader.
Straight Edge Evil is about a villain who lacks vices personally, with an emphasis on avoiding alcohol and drugs. However, they may not be interested in enforcing their abstinence on others; it may be a quirk while their reason for villainy is different.

Family Versus Career vs. Never a Self-Made Woman

In Family Versus Career, a woman with a family and a career is forced to choose between the two, usually in favor of the former and with the implication that that is what a woman should choose.
In Never a Self-Made Woman, whether or not a woman gives up her career is unimportant. This trope is about female characters always being less important than their lovers, brothers and fathers, and how women as a whole are unable to achieve anything of worth without the help of a man, except homemaking.

Famous Ancestor vs. Historical Character's Fictional Relative vs. History with Celebrity

When a character has a Famous Ancestor, the ancestor has to be famous In-Universe, but can be a fictional character themselves.
Historical Character's Fictional Relative has to be a relative of a person who really did/does exist in our world (but not only a descendant; the characters can be alive at the same time.)
In History with Celebrity a character knows, but is not necessarily related to, a celebrity who appears on the show As Himself (or is mentioned as himself). It's the difference between Bill Murray playing Bob's old roommate Joe Schmo, and Bob's old roommate being Bill Murray.

Fan-Disliked Explanation vs. The Unreveal vs. Voodoo Shark

A Fan-Disliked Explanation is a plot point that has an explanation that no one in the fandom buys and/or likes. Wild Mass Guessing ensues.
The Unreveal is a plot point that the story suggests will be explained, but never is.
A Voodoo Shark is an explanation to a plot point that only generates more questions, or an attempt to fix a Plot Hole that only creates another.

Fan Disservice vs. Fetish Retardant

Fan Disservice is intentionally unsexy.
Fetish Retardant is intended to be sexy, but fails.

Fanfic vs. Fan Works

Fanfic is specifically that subset of Fan Works which is based primarily in text — in other words, fan works that are also Literature.
Fan Works are all works based on an intellectual property owned by someone other than the fan work's author, regardless of medium. For this wiki's purposes, that means derivative works based on something in the Public Domain don't count — even if the work's author might disagree with that.

Fantastic Aesop vs. Space Whale Aesop

The Fantastic Aesop suggests a fantastic course of action ("don't use black magic to try and resurrect the dead") which can't even be attempted in the real world.
The Space Whale Aesop suggests a real, viable course of action ("don't perform nuclear tests") by presenting fantastic consequences ("radiation from the tests will awaken an army of zombies").

Fantastic Drug vs. G-Rated Drug vs. I Can't Believe It's Not Heroin!

If the drug doesn't exist, it's a Fantastic Drug.
If the drug exists, but is a replacement for a stronger drug, it's a G-Rated Drug.
If the drug exists, but isn't a drug at all, it's I Can't Believe It's Not Heroin!.

Fembot vs. Robot Girl

A Fembot is obviously a robot, but is designed to have female traits like Non-Mammal Mammaries, a head design suggestive of women's hair, and/or a woman's voice.
A Robot Girl looks like a human woman, but is a robot (and is sometimes not revealed to be a robot until later in the series). In a case of This Index Is Not an Example, the "Fembots" of Austin Powers are actually this.

A Fête Worse than Death vs. Nasty Party

A Fête Worse than Death is a town-wide festival or ritual where the celebration revolves around someone being hurt or killed.
A Nasty Party is a party held by a private individual as an Evil Plan to kill the people attending.

Fighting Clown vs. Joke Character vs. Lethal Joke Character

A Fighting Clown is a playable character who is thematically sillier than the rest of the game's roster, but just as effective in terms of gameplay.
A Joke Character is intentionally meant to be the weakest character in the game.
A Lethal Joke Character is like a Joke Character, except that they can be powerful in certain situations or when mastered.

Filler vs. Padding vs. Wacky Wayside Tribe

Filler is taking a Myth Arc-based series and interweaving additional stories that ultimately do not influence the Myth Arc. Sometimes, no one ever references the filler material because it was that unimportant.
Padding is when the normal story is slowed down to a crawl. No side stories are given but characters might just have a long conversation before they actually get anything accomplished.
Wacky Wayside Tribe is when you are in the midst of the main story when troublesome, unfortunate and unrelated things happen just to give the characters a harder time.

The Film of the Book vs. The Movie vs. The Show of the Books vs. Novelization

The Film of the Book is a film adaptation of a book.
The Movie is a film spun off from a TV series.
The Show of the Books is a television series that is an adaptation of a book.
A Novelization is the reverse of The Film of the Book: a written adaptation of a film.

The Film of the Series vs. The Movie vs. Non-Serial Movie

The Film of the Series uses a different cast and is usually out of continuity, unless it's a years-later sequel.
The Movie uses the series cast and is in continuity.
A Non-Serial Movie uses the series cast but is not in continuity.

First-Episode Twist vs. It Was His Sled vs. Late-Arrival Spoiler

First-Episode Twist: The twist starts the series and as such is impossible to explain the series without spoiling it.
It Was His Sled refers to any work which features a twist that was truly shocking when it was first presented, but over time lost its ability to surprise because it gets talked about too much.
Late-Arrival Spoiler is a fandom-specific variety of this in which promotional material for new installments of a franchise give away major plot developments of past installments, assuming that fans are already familiar with them.

Flashback B-Plot vs. Framing Device

Flashback B-Plot: A secondary story involving the same character(s) is told in flashbacks alongside the main story, but no one is narrating it.
Framing Device: The majority of a story takes place within a character's narration which is occasionally paused or interrupted by other characters.

Flatline Plotline vs. Revival Loophole

A Flatline Plotline is about people briefly "dying" so they can experience death.
The Revival Loophole occurs when people briefly "die" to fulfill some condition that would otherwise require an actual death.

Flip-Flop of God vs. Shrug of God vs. The Walrus Was Paul vs. Word of God

Flip-Flop of God is when a creator's information about a work contradicts itself. This may or may not be deliberate.
Shrug of God is when a creator's information about a work is evasive and/or ambiguous. This can be for a wide variety of reasons.
The Walrus Was Paul is when a creator gives an intentionally confusing or meaningless answer regarding their work, typically because they don't believe a "correct" answer does or should exist.
Word of God is information straight from one or more of a work's creators about facets of the work that might not have appeared or been made clear.

Fluffy the Terrible vs. Killer Rabbit

In Fluffy the Terrible a named creature is more intimidating than its name would indicate, usually to cause a plot point of someone underestimating it because of what its name is or to establish its namer as Admiring the Abomination.
Killer Rabbit is about any harmless-looking creature that turns out to be dangerous; its name is irrelevant. There are some overlaps, but there are also un-named Killer Rabbits (such as the Trope Namer.

Flying Dutchman vs. Walking the Earth

A Flying Dutchman is where someone is forced to roam aimlessly for the remainder of their time in the world.
Walking the Earth is when someone chooses to roam the world with no specific place they view as their home.

Foil vs. Mirror Character

Foil characters highlight each other's character traits by contrast and differences.
Mirror Characters highlight each other's character traits by similarities and parallels.

Forced Transformation vs. Transformation Horror

Forced Transformation is when someone/something has been transformed against their will.
Transformation Horror is when someone/something is transforming in a disgusting and/or mentally traumatic way.

Forgot About His Powers vs. Forgotten Phlebotinum vs. Holding Back the Phlebotinum vs. It Only Works Once

Forgot About His Powers: A standard ability of the character could have been used, but they forgot to.
Forgotten Phlebotinum: They introduced a gimmick in one story, and could have used it later, but they forgot to.
Holding Back the Phlebotinum: They introduced a gimmick in one story, and could have used it later, but there's some reason why they can't use it.
It Only Works Once: They introduced a gimmick in one story, and could have used it later, but they explained that it doesn't work any more.

For Halloween, I Am Going as Myself vs. Your Costume Needs Work

For Halloween, I Am Going as Myself is any occasion where the superhero or paranormal creature can act relatively normal in public.
Your Costume Needs Work is when appearing as yourself fails, invoking the trope name as a phrase.

Formally-Named Pet vs. Mister Muffykins

Formally-Named Pet is about the literal name of the pet; it's a pet whose name includes Mister/Miss/another title. The pet can be any species, though is most often a dog or cat.
Mister Muffykins is about the pet's characterization. A Mister Muffykins is a small, pampered, yappy dog that annoys everyone but its owner.

Fortune Teller vs. Phony Psychic

A Fortune Teller may or may not have real psychic powers, but either way she makes money by telling fortunes as a form of paid entertainment; you pay her a fee to have your fortune read, regardless of what she tells you. They don't necessarily offer instant solutions or involve themselves in customers' lives for gain.
A Phony Psychic never has real powers, and makes their money by actively scamming other people out of theirs with tales about how the psychic powers can find them love, make them rich or solve other problems. Depending on how they approach marks, there may be an overlap with Fortune Teller (e.g. "I see money in your future, but you'll have to come back and pay me again to learn where it is"), but there doesn't have to be.

Four Lines, All Waiting vs. Third Line, Some Waiting vs. Trapped by Mountain Lions vs. Two Lines, No Waiting

Four Lines, All Waiting: Several disjoint plots alternate within a single work.
Third Line, Some Waiting: Like above, plus a very minor yet distinct plotline that doesn't become important until much later, if at all.
Trapped by Mountain Lions: Like above, but the additional plotline most definitely has nothing to do with the main plot.
Two Lines, No Waiting: Several plotlines link together into one major plot.
- The respective trope names are in no way indicative of the actual number of plotlines in any given example.

Fourth Wall Myopia vs. Opinion Myopia vs. Wrong Genre Savvy vs. Genre Blindness

All of these tropes deal with a myopia, and overlap can happen but the circumstances where the behaviour is applied changes in each scenario.
- Fourth Wall Myopia: The audience expects the characters to react as if they're fully aware that they're in a fictional work and they should be aware of how to act in the situations created by the author, or alternatively to act on information that the audience is aware of, but the characters have no way to know just yet.
- Opinion Myopia is when someone, usually a certain group or individuals in the audience, seems appalled that people don't hold an opinion that they uphold as a fact, rather than, well an opinion.
- Wrong Genre Savvy: A character or group of characters try to apply knowledge obtained from fictional works into similar situations they find in their lives, except that as it turns out they are in a different story genre.
- Genre Blindness: The character makes ALL the common mistakes that are known in their story genre they're in, despite some of them being common sense.

Fragile Speedster vs. Glass Cannon vs. Squishy Wizard vs The Medic

A Fragile Speedster can't take punishment, but is (supposed to be) fast enough to avoid it.
A Glass Cannon can't take punishment, but can dish it out.
A Squishy Wizard can't take punishment, but has supernatural powers that gives it attack power and/or utilitarian abilities to help it out.
The Medic is not geared toward combat, but can heal up the allies who are.
- Usually there's overlap, e.g. a Squishy Wizard with healing spells would also be The Medic.

Franchise Zombie vs. Post-Script Season vs. Uncancelled

Franchise Zombie is when the work isn't supposed to have any continuation because the creator intends to stop, and then gets continued anyway, often without the creator's involvement.
Post-Script Season is when the work has wrapped its Myth Arc and overarching plot, and yet a new installment of it is made, usually without addressing any of the plot of the previous.
Uncancelled is when a show is officially cancelled (usually not an intended part of the creator) and then gets continued.

Frivolous Lawsuit vs. Hilarity Sues

A Frivolous Lawsuit is when someone sues for something that, for whatever reason, is viewed as frivolous, like something they caused themselves by being Too Dumb to Live, or an "injury" that's too small for the amount they want, or completely unquantifiable.
Hilarity Sues is more about the comedy of putting superheroes/villains in a mundane court setting by having someone sue them; these suits are not necessarily frivolous (after all, if the hero and villain bust up your building you have real damages), but are juxtaposed with the larger-than-life nature of supers.

From Nobody to Nightmare vs. Magikarp Power vs. Malignant Plot Tumor vs. Not-So-Harmless Villain

From Nobody to Nightmare is when a character, through a series of events/coincidences, goes from being a small, unimportant figure to being extremely powerful and commanding of everyone's fear.
Magikarp Power is when someone/something may be perfectly well-known, but starts off weak, unimpressive and generally useless. However, after putting a lot of work into them, often from other characters, they start becoming a lot stronger and likely overtake their previous superiors.
Malignant Plot Tumor is when a villain is shown early on doing small-scale villainous things, staying out of the limelight. Declaring what all their actions are leading toward is optional. As such, the heroes ignore them for the villain that poses a bigger threat to them at the moment. Then, at the end, the small-timer's plan comes to fruition and then they are the bigger threat suddenly.
Not-So-Harmless Villain is when a villain is shown early trying to evil but either failing at it or doing it in such a silly way that no-one takes them seriously. Later, though, they show up again and they've got a lot better at their job.

Full-Circle Revolution vs. Meet the New Boss

Full-Circle Revolution is when a coup or revolutionary unit succeeds in overthrowing a hated despot, and then mutates into being exactly the same as the thing they were trying to destroy.
Meet the New Boss is when a new villain is introduced to the show who is a Suspiciously Similar Substitute of an old villain of the same show.

Full-Circle Revolution vs. Reign of Terror

Both deal with revolutions against an established government.
- Reign of Terror is when, after a revolution occurs, the new regime becomes tyrannical and bloodthirsty.
- A Full-Circle Revolution is when a revolution replicates the conditions that incited the revolution in the first place.

Funbag Airbag vs. Marshmallow Hell vs. Thanks for the Mammary

Funbag Airbag is an accidental collision between a well-endowed woman and someone else, which often ends up with the other character's head smushed between the woman's boobs or a noticeable rebound effect.
Marshmallow Hell is when a well-endowed woman hugs another person and (un)intentionally smushes their head between her boobs.
Thanks for the Mammary is when someone accidentally gropes or touches a woman's breasts, not necessarily involving their head.

Functional Genre Savvy vs. Genre Savvy vs. Medium Awareness vs. Wrong Genre Savvy

A Functional Genre Savvy character is just Genre Savvy enough to accept the story premise.
A Genre Savvy character notices story conventions but otherwise doesn't break the Fourth Wall.
Medium Awareness is when a character notices the mechanics of the medium the story is told in and can directly break the Fourth Wall.
A Wrong Genre Savvy character accepts the wrong story premise and suffers for it.

Harsher in Hindsight vs. Hilarious in Hindsight vs. Narm

Harsher in Hindsight is when something originally intended as being funny, lighthearted or heartwarming makes people uncomfortable when seen in reruns or looked back upon, because of tragic later events in the series or in real life, or alternatively, when later events cause a scene that was already dark and disturbing to become even more so.
Hilarious in Hindsight is when later events (in the fiction or in real life) cause a scene to be even funnier than it previously was.
Narm is when a scene that wasn't intended to be funny ends up being perceived that way for whatever reason.

Trope Distinctions / D to F

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