History Main / TwistEnding

* TomatoSurprise: The story's twist ending revolves around a crucial fact about the setting or characters being revealed after the audience has been left in the dark.
* TomatoInTheMirror: When a character's true nature is revealed, it turns out not even they knew their secret.

The other problem with the Twist Ending is that it walks a mighty fine line: if it's too in-keeping with the direction of the story, it doesn't qualify as a twist. If it's too far out-of-keeping, it comes off as a {{Deus|ExMachina}} or DiabolusExMachina and the viewer feels cheated. At its worst, it can end up being a ShockingSwerve, just an off the wall twist for the sake of "fooling" the audience, attempting to create excitement simply by nonsense happening.

A twist that doesn't make sense may qualify as a ShockingSwerve. A ''good'' twist that sets up the rest of a still-extant work is generally referred to as a WhamEpisode, [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant even if it doesn't actually refer exclusively to specific serials of television]].

* TimePeriodTwist: A work appears to be set in one time period, but is later revealed to be in a different time period.

* TomatoSurprise: The story's twist ending revolves around a character's true nature being revealed after the other characters (and the audience) have been left in the dark.

* AndThenJohnWasAZombie
* BolivianArmyCliffhanger
* ChasedOffIntoTheSunset

* TheDogWasTheMastermind

* TheEndingChangesEverything
* TheEndOrIsIt
* EverybodyDidIt
* GracefulLoser

* KarmicTwistEnding
* TheKillerInMe
* LastBreathBullet
* MandatoryTwistEnding

* MetaTwist
* NestedStoryReveal

* SuccessHallucinations
* SweetAndSourGrapes

* TrumanShowPlot

[[quoteright:269: [[VideoGame/TeamFortress2 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Twist_Ending_7181.png]]]]

The Twist Ending is the usual way of implementing a ResetButton, a YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle moment, or ensuring that FailureIsTheOnlyOption. In ScienceFiction, the TwistEnding is often a TomatoSurprise. This is also sometimes the case in the more hackneyed mystery shows. This trope is particularly prevalent in Asian horror films.

The other problem with the Twist Ending is that it walks a mighty fine line: if it's too in-keeping with the direction of the story, it doesn't qualify as a twist. If it's too far out-of-keeping, it comes off as a {{Deus|ExMachina}} or DiabolusExMachina and the viewer feels cheated. At its worst, it can end up being a ShockingSwerve, just a off the wall twist for the sake of "fooling" the audience, attempting to create excitement simply by nonsense happening.

* AllJustADream

* CruelTwistEnding

* DyingDream
* EarthAllAlong

* GainaxEnding

* MeaninglessVillainVictory

* NotHisSled
* OrWasItADream
* RealAfterAll

* TomatoSurprise
* TomatoInTheMirror

A twist that doesn't make sense may qualify as a ShockingSwerve. A ''good'' twist that sets up the rest of a still-extant work is generally referred to as a WhamEpisode, [[IThoughtItMeant even if it doesn't actually refer exclusively to specific serials of television]].

The other problem with the Twist Ending is that it walks a mighty fine line: if it's too in-keeping with the direction of the story, it doesn't qualify as a twist. If it's too far out-of-keeping, it comes off as a {{Deus|ExMachina}} or DiabolusExMachina and the viewer feels cheated.

The problem is, after a certain point, the opposite of a trope becomes a DeadHorseTrope itself. In a normal series, you know that they can't go around [[StatusQuoIsGod undermining the entire premise]], so when it looks like it's going that way, you already ''know'' there's going to be a twist ending. In an anthology, you're no better off, because, well, ''[[OnceAnEpisode every single episode]]'' of ''TheTwilightZone'' ends on a twist, so it's not like it's unexpected, it practically becomes a MandatoryTwistEnding. In terms of cinema, directors like Creator/MNightShyamalan are the constant subject of criticism for continuous use of the twist element. Once the audience know the twists are coming sooner or later, works can't help but lose some of their potency. Predictably, the twist will doubtless leave audiences mystified and feeling cheated.

The other problem with the TwistEnding is that it walks a mighty fine line: if it's too in-keeping with the direction of the story, it doesn't qualify as a twist. If it's too far out-of-keeping, it comes off as a {{Deus|ExMachina}} or DiabolusExMachina and the viewer feels cheated.

* TomatoIntheMirror

The TwistEnding is the usual way of implementing a ResetButton, a YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle moment, or ensuring that FailureIsTheOnlyOption. In ScienceFiction, the TwistEnding is often a TomatoSurprise. This is also sometimes the case in the more hackneyed mystery shows. This trope is particularly prevalent in Asian horror films.

The TwistEnding started life as a good thing. Really, the twist ending is the original SubvertedTrope: you set the viewer up for one thing, then pull the rug out from under them.

[[caption-width-right:269:'''*''' Not the actual twist ending.]]

'''All of these tropes are SpoileredRotten to one degree or another, as they are a subset of EndingTropes'''

''All of these tropes are SpoileredRotten to one degree or another''

[[caption-width-right:269:* Not the actual twist ending.]]