The TVTropes Trope Finder is where you can come to ask questions like "Do we have this one?" and "What's the trope about...?" Trying to rediscover a long lost show or other medium but need a little help? Head to Media Finder and try your luck there. Want to propose a new trope? You should be over at You Know, That Thing Where.
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openDisguise and bitch
Alice needs Bob to hate Carol. Alice disguises herself as, or otherwise makes Bob believe that she is Carol, only to trigger Bob's Berserk Button, beat him up or otherwise destroy their relationship.
The best example I can think of is in Superman #15, where He'l disguises himself as Superman, only to lift up Supergirl by the neck and yell at her.
openThe three faction archetypes of Starcraft Videogame
Many works of fiction deal with a contrasting set of factions, but there's this thing that I've noticed (primarily in games, but also in other media) where factions tend to fit into one of three categories. I would call them "primitive," "relatable," and "sophisticated" archetypes.
The Starcraft example is certainly the most popular and the most clear-cut: There's a primitive, bestial faction (Zerg), a relatable, hardy faction (Terran), and a sophisticated, high-tech faction (Protoss). Yet somehow, even universes with more than three factions often break into these: Any fantasy universe with orcs, humans, and elves, for instance, will usually characterize the aforementioned three as primitive, relatable, and sophisticated, and any further races will fit into one of those (e.g. dwarves are usually relatable; goblins are usually primitive).
Critically, the factions need not even be different species or fantasy races. In the game Just Cause 2, for instance, the three revolutionary factions fit almost perfectly: The Ullar Boys are an undisciplined group of jungle warriors that want to return the island to nature; the Reapers are your standard-order, red-flag-waving, people's-revolution types; the Roaches are the suit-wearing, organized crime types with massive financial resources.
So, is this three-fold set of faction archetypes a known trope, or possibly related to one?
Edited by thats_manderleyopenCharacters don't hear something that the audience can hear
This would be sort of the inverse of See No Evil, Hear No Evil (and may be some variation of Acoustic License). A character fails to respond to a loud noise that they have no reason to ignore and that they realistically should've heard.
Ex: Bob is being attacked in his apartment, smashing though furniture and yelling while defending himself. Alice knocks on his door and doesn't seem to hear any of the commotion, then leaves, figuring Bob's not home.
openComputer Trope
Is there a trope for when background computer displays are displaying random cool-looking graphics? Graphics and charts that don't mean anything, moving symbols, data readouts of nothing, etc.
This is a good example of what I'm thinking of. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmZmJC2V4v4&t=1235
Edited by DrakeClawfangopenCradling a dying loved one
Is there a trope, specifically for romantic pairings, where person A has just witnessed person B get shot/killed and now person B is cradling person A in their arms?
A good example is that one scene from Sons of Anarchy in the season 6 finale.
Edited by nonnahopenTear of Pain
Do we (and if we do, what is the name of it) of the trope where somebody gets hit and seems to not react; before a single tear comes out and they then react to the pain?
openSomeone thinks they are invisible when they are not
Someone is tricked into thinking that they are invisible and they then go around playing pranks or doing things they think they can get away with since no-one can see them until someone points out that they can see them.
openFantastic Moon-Life?
So while looking under Weird Moon, I noticed that there wasn't any mention of a trope regarding life on the moon. While I'm curious to know if that itself exists, I more specifically want to know if there's a trope regarding life on the moon in works that lean closer to fantasy; as opposed to aliens, you might have a moon inhabited by fairies or demons. I've seen a couple of works that feature this sort of thing (Runescape and Final Fantasy VIII come to mind), but I would like to know if this has its own trope or not.
openInfatuation tropes
What's the trope for when one party in a romantic relationship is being taken advantage of by the other/isn't taking it seriously, and they know this, but they're too infatuated to care? Is there one?
openStage magic uses mirrors
What is the trope that applies to mirrors used (as the secret to a trick) for a stage magician's performance?
openAntagonistic Love Interest
Is there a term for the sort of antihero or even antagonist love interest? When the (usually main) character of a narrative has sort of a forbidden attraction to someone dark and powerful and completely wrong for them? Sometimes results in abuse or stockholm syndrome?
openDestructive Lengths Literature
Is there a trope for when someone is willing to go to great destructive lengths to get what he wants/needs? For example, he had already tried the better way and it hadn't worked. Now he has to go to extreme lengths.
An assassin had tried to do it simple. Stab victim through the heart and get out. But he failed. The victim is too powerful or too well guarded. Now he's ready to blow up the general vicinity and sacrifice the lives of hundreds to destroy that single person who just refuses to die.
Edited by CadeyrnofKearneyIopenThe nervous chuckle
What's the name of the trope where a character is asked a line of questioning that's uncomfortable in any way and responds with a nervous chuckle?
opencovered in blood
This may sound a bit macabre, but is there a trope for when a character is seen walking around covered in blood in an almost nonchalant manner? This might go hand in hand with the Died In Your Arms Tonight trope after the character is separated from the body. In another example, maybe a character was trying to save someone's life and now they're in the hospital waiting room sporting bloody attire.
I'm aware of the Blood-Splatterd Warrior trope, but I'm looking for something more along the lines of a character being covered in a loved one's blood to further demonstrate the gravity of a loss/symbolize how the loss is physically sticking to them.
Edited by nonnahopenHitting bosses three times Videogame
Is there a trope about how video game bosses always need three hits to kill them? Seems Rule of Three would work, but I think this is more specific.
openBoy-Crazy Teenage Girl
What would a boy-crazy teenage girl fall under? Not necessarily that she Really Gets Around—more that she gets a rapid string of crushes, thinks the're all supper hot, and would LIKE to Really Gets Around.
The main characters are curious about the life of their quiet, shy or serious coworker or friend. Maybe they're suspicious that this friend is Living a Double Life. The main characters spend an entire episode following them around, only to discover that their friend's life is surprisingly normal. Or maybe all the suspicious things they were doing turn out to be acts of kindness.
I feel like I've seen this in at least three or four different shows. Is there a trope like this? It's somewhat similar to Living a Double Life but that doesn't take into account the whole "secretly follow a character around for a whole episode" thing.
Edited by agrilledfish