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Anyone got some insight on which one to go for on this?
Scorpion 451? Daefaroth? One of you guys must know. Please?
Persona Non Grata works for getting kicked out. Bloodbath Villain Origin, Self-Made Orphan, Genocide from the Inside, and/or Where I Was Born and Razed for killing everyone on your way out.
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Fair enough. But insofar as this can be considered a dark twist on But Now I Must Go, would it be a subversion, an inversion or a deconstruction? Or some other Playing With category?
I don't think it really works as Playing With But Now I Must Go. The reason for the trope is that there is an expectation that when the hero has resolved the plot they then move on to the next thing despite the townsfolk wanting them to stay. Villains rarely get a choice because unless The Bad Guy Wins or Defeat Equals Friendship they are usually limited to being dead, imprisoned, or escaped.
Inverting the trope would give you something more like after the plot is over the entire town decided that they were leaving, or the hero completely fails to save the day before getting an Exit, Pursued by a Bear.
Subverted would be simply that the hero stays when you would expect them to leave.
Deconstructed is unlikely. You can really only deconstruct an ending trope in the middle of a work or in a sequel because you need time to show the repercussions of the trope playing out.
Don't forget that But Now I Must Go is an Ending Trope. If it isn't happening at the end it isn't that trope, it is just the plot moving along.
Edited by Daefaroth This signature says something else when you aren't looking at it.
On But Now I Must Go, the closest thing would be an inversion in that they destroy everything and leave rather than fix everything and leave.
For the specific trope, seconding Where I Was Born and Razed as the best fit when Bob does this on his way out of town, and adding Best Served Cold for when he comes back after spending years studying the dark arts and building his robot army. Roaring Rampage of Revenge can apply in either case if their plan consists mostly of "Kill everyone involved".
Put Them All Out of My Misery and Who's Laughing Now? are often involved; might also look at Then Let Me Be Evil and Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds.
It looks like But Now I Must Go is mainly for heroic examples, and it doesn't have a Playing With page. But what about for villainous characters? Unlike Jake the hero, Bob returns to his hometown, wreaks havoc and murder, and leaves once his old nemesises are eliminated. Where Jake's family regret his impending departure, often Bob's family can't wait to see the back of him again (especially if he's the bad egg of the clan). While Jake is saddened that home isn't what it used to be to him and is wistful for the past, Bob is cynical about the hometown and wants to burn it, looking forward to departing it forever. Is this subverting the trope, inverting it, deconstructing it or is it a distinct alternative to the trope?
Edited by FlashSteps