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1->''"Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!"''
2-->-- '''Wash''', ''Series/{{Firefly}}''
3
4How characters betray each other's [[PowerOfTrust trust]]. Usually a PlotTwist of some kind, except [[TrailersAlwaysSpoil when]] [[ItWasHisSled it]] [[TheUntwist isn't]].
5
6Contrast with ATrustingIndex and LoyaltyTropes. Victims of betrayal are often motivated to seek retribution against the traitor through any type of RevengeTropes.
7
8'''Of course, [[Administrivia/HandlingSpoilers beware of spoilers in these tropes]].'''
9----
10[[index]]
11!!Tropes:
12[floatboxright:
13'''Categories:'''
14+ FriendlyFireIndex
15+ HeelFaceIndex
16++ FaceMonsterTurn
17+ InfidelityIndex
18+ MurderInTheFamily
19]
20* AbandonmentInducedAnimosity: A character was left behind in the past by their allies, letting them face capture or death on their own.
21* AssassinsAreAlwaysBetrayed: Professional killers are always at risk of being double-crossed by their employers.
22* BackstabbingTheAlphaBitch: The AlphaBitch is betrayed by one of her GirlPosse.
23* BadSamaritan: The villain who acts kind and uses good deeds to lure the heroes into a false sense of security, before turning the tables on them for their master plan.
24* BastardUnderstudy: A villain's underling biding their time until they can betray the villain.
25* BecauseYouCanCope: A character abandons someone they're charged with taking care of when it becomes clear that the charge doesn't need them anymore.
26* BetrayalByInaction: Leaving someone to suffer or die instead of helping them.
27* BetrayalByOffspring: A parent is betrayed by one of their children.
28* BetrayalFic: A fanfic about betrayal.
29* BetrayalInsurance: A character makes plans against someone in case that person decides to turn on them.
30* BigBadFriend: The hero's friend turns out to be the main villain.
31* BlackShirt: Someone who secretly wishes for the enemy to win so they can side with them.
32* BoardToDeath: A business meeting set up to betray and kill the invitees.
33* BodyguardBetrayal: Someone gets betrayed by the person who was supposed to be protecting them.
34* BrokenPedestal: Someone finds out that the person they idolized wasn't quite as heroic and noble as they thought they were.
35* CategoryTraitor: Someone gets accused of betrayal for liking or doing something that goes against their culture.
36* CavalryBetrayal: TheCavalry has arrived! Wait... why are they shooting us instead of helping us?!
37* CavalryRefusal: Your supposed rescue party isn't interested in saving you.
38* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: A character who always stabs everyone they help out in the back.
39* ConfidentialityBetrayal: A character tells another character's secret to third parties, making it no longer a secret.
40* LesCollaborateurs: Characters or governments who collaborate with an occupying power against their people.
41* TheCommiesMadeMeDoIt: Character betrays the heroes due to coercion by a hostile power who has someone they love in their power.
42* ConflictingLoyalty: A character must choose between two sides that they're on.
43* TheCorruptible: A character under the sway of TheCorrupter or otherwise in danger of betraying their side.
44* TheCoup: A government is overthrown and replaced, usually by a subordinate official seeking to hold leadership over it.
45** MilitaryCoup: When a (usually civilian) government is ousted and replaced by their own military officers.
46* DangerousDeserter: A military deserter gone renegade and evil.
47* DeadPersonImpersonation: A character impersonates a beloved dead member of another group.
48* DeceptiveDisciple: A student who seeks to betray their master.
49* DeceptiveLegacy: A kid is lied to about an absent parent.
50* DefectingForLove: A character switches sides due to falling in love with someone of the other camp.
51* DefectorFromDecadence: Someone leaves behind a group they're a part of out of disgust at their bad ways.
52* DevourTheDragon: The BigBad kills his top minion to get stronger.
53* DisguisedHostageGambit: The villains disguise innocent hostages as their minions in hopes of getting them killed by their would-be rescuers.
54* DoctorVonTurncoat: A war criminal with valuable expertise is given immunity by their former enemies in exchange for working for them.
55* TheDogBitesBack: A being who's been abused and tormented gets even with the people who were picking on them.
56* DoubleAgent: A member of an organization who is secretly a mole working for an opposing organization.
57** DoubleReverseQuadrupleAgent: A character is affiliated with way too many opposing factions at once.
58** TheMole: A cover agent who infiltrates the opposing organization by pretending to be on their side.
59*** FeedTheMole: The hero gives the villain false information.
60*** MistakenlyAttackedMole: Attack someone you didn't know was your mole.
61*** MoleInCharge: A character becomes the leader of a group and destroys it.
62* EtTuBrute: A person is betrayed by the one they trusted most.
63* EvilAllAlong: A character thought to be on the side of good has actually been evil from the start.
64* EvilFormerFriend: The villain used to be friends with the hero.
65* FaceHeelTurn: A good guy becomes evil.
66** HeelFaceTurn: A bad guy becomes good.
67** HeelFaceBrainwashing: A bad guy gets brainwashed or hypnotized into being good.
68** HazyFeelTurn: A character betrays one group and sides with another, but it's unclear whether either group is good or evil.
69** HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: The character keeps switching between being good and being evil.
70** HeelFaceDoorSlam: An evil character tries to change their ways, but either no one will accept that they genuinely want to make amends for what they did, or another evil character does something really bad to them before they can make any progress.
71** HighHeelFaceTurn: The [[TheSmurfettePrinciple sole female villain]] ends up reforming.
72** SexFaceTurn: The villain reforms after having sex with the hero.
73* FalseFriend: They were only pretending to be your friend so they could manipulate you into advancing their scheme.
74* FalseInnocenceTrick: A villain feigns innocence in order to set up the heroes for something nasty.
75* FailureToSaveMurder: When a character blames a hero for letting someone die, when that hero did everything in their power to save them.
76* FakeDefector: A good guy pretends to change sides to pull one over the enemy.
77* TheFarmerAndTheViper: Helping out a villain is rewarded with the villain doing the person who helped them wrong.
78* FindingJudas: Betrayal for benevolent reasons by a non-villain.
79* GoingNative: Finding more in common with another group than your own, sometimes to the point of betrayal.
80* GoldFever: Greed for riches drives you to betray your friends.
81* TheHeretic: A character who betrays their religion, or whose beliefs are seen as a betrayal by their religion.
82* HeroicTeamRevolt: The hero's TrueCompanions turn against them and leave due to the hero's very unheroic and immoral behavior.
83* HuntingTheRogue: A rogue agent deserts from an organization they served and they're chased as a result.
84* ICanRuleAlone: One half of a Duumvirate decides to backstab the other half in order to take full power for themselves.
85* InsideJob: A crime is committed or assisted by someone affiliated with the target.
86* InsidiousRumorMill: A character lies or manipulates the friends, family members, and colleagues they share with someone they're in conflict with to turn their backs on that person.
87* ISurrenderSuckers: Pretending to surrender so you can strike when the enemy has lowered their guard.
88* IWillPunishYourFriendForYourFailure: A villain hurts someone a person cares about in order to punish them for something they did.
89* InevitableMutualBetrayal: Two sides form an alliance with the explicit intent of betraying each other when it's done.
90* InstantAllegianceArtifact: A piece of AppliedPhlebotinum that alters one's mind and can make someone change sides.
91* InTheBack: The best place to stab or shoot someone if you're a cowardly and treacherous bastard.
92* LeaveBehindAPistol: The heroes leave a pistol with one round to a betrayer with the intention of having them shoot themselves.
93* LoveInterestTraitor: Surprise! Someone you thought you could love is working for the other side!
94* LoveMakesYouEvil: Love can be an ugly thing that can bring out someone's worst, sometimes to the point of betrayal.
95* LovableTraitor: A character with a likeable personality and a penchant for stabbing folks in the back.
96* LuredIntoATrap: Someone, sometimes someone who is normally someone's friend, betrays them by leading them into a trap by people who mean the person harm.
97* LyingFingerCross: Crossing your fingers behind your back when taking an oath to show that you're lying.
98* MistakenForBetrayal: Something happens to cause a rift between two friends and make them believe that one has betrayed the other.
99* MistreatmentInducedBetrayal: Someone is betrayed by another, and the former repays this abuse by turning on the latter.
100* TheMutiny: Insurrection aboard a ship against the ship's captain or commander.
101** AntiMutiny: Insurrection against a captain or a commander who has chosen to defy their original orders.
102* NastyParty: A "party" intended to get people together for betrayal and elimination.
103* NoHonorAmongThieves: Criminals are willing to betray each other if it suits them.
104* NotActuallyHisChild: A father learns that the kid he's been raising isn't biologically his, and he's been cuckolded.
105* TheOathbreaker: Breaking an oath is one of the most basic forms of betrayal.
106* ObviousJudas: YMMV trope where it's painfully obvious to the audience that a character will betray the rest.
107* TheParagonAlwaysRebels: The "big figure" of the good guys suddenly decides to rebel for some reason.
108* ParentalBetrayal: When a parent (a mother or father) betrays their own offspring.
109* PersonalHorror: The one thing worse than being betrayed by others is betraying ''yourself'' and your sense of who you are.
110* PleaseShootTheMessenger: When a messenger is sent to someone with a message instructing the receiver to kill them.
111* PopularityCycle: Enjoy being popular. You're inevitably going to lose it.
112* PostSupportRegret: A character is betrayed by someone they cared and vouched for against people who talked badly about them, making them regret defending and believing in them.
113* PrisonersDilemma: Do you cooperate, stay silent and hope your partner doesn't betray you, or do you rat them out and hope they don't do the same to you?
114* ProperlyParanoid: Sometimes, something ''is'' out to get you.
115* ProppingUpTheirPatsy: A culprit proclaims the innocence of another suspect to conceal their own culpability or further their own agenda.
116* APupilOfMineUntilHeTurnedToEvil: The villain used to be a student of the hero.
117* PushedAtTheMonster: I don't have to outrun the monster. I just have to outrun ''you''.
118* TheQuisling: Someone decides to pledge allegiance to an invading force, selling out their own country or world.
119* RashEquilibrium: A meeting between enemies has both sides making plans against the other in response to trickery from the other side.
120* RealStitchesForFakeSnitches: Someone who keeps their mouth shut can still be punished if they're framed for ratting out their side.
121* RebelliousRebel: Rebelling against a [[LaResistance group of rebels]].
122* RegretfulTraitor: A traitor who finds that backstabbing their friends wasn't worth it after all.
123* RenegadeSplinterFaction: An evil, crazy or fanatical offshoot of a more respectable organization, often viewed as traitors by the other organization.
124* RestrictedRescueOperation: Outside forces restrict a rescue operation, often in ways that force heroes to act against their own morality.
125* RewardedAsATraitorDeserves: Someone gets punished for betraying someone other than the punisher.
126* SalvagePirates: They don't intend to save you. They just want your stuff, and you are merely collateral.
127* SavedToEnslave: Someone saved your life only to put you in their service.
128* ShootTheBuilder: When the villain has those who built their lair disposed of to prevent any secrets from getting out.
129* ShootTheDangerousMinion: A villain's minion is getting too dangerous for his own good! Better get rid of them before they start getting ''ideas...''
130* SixthRangerTraitor: The newest member of the team turns out to secretly be a villain intent on destroying the group from within.
131* TheSmartOneTurnsTraitor: The smartest or wisest of a team turns out to be or ends up becoming a traitor to their group and their cause.
132* SocialDeductionGame: A game where one or more players is secretly a traitor.
133* SomebodySetUpUsTheBomb: Sneaking a bomb into enemy territory.
134* SpiesAreDespicable: Spies are viewed as bad people because of the propensity for betraying and lying to people as part of their work.
135* TheStarscream: An underling of the main villain who plans to overthrow their boss.
136** DeckOfWildCards: Every villain's underling plans to betray them.
137* StealingTheCredit: A character betrays someone by taking all the credit for their accomplishments.
138* TheStoolPigeon: A character who rats other people out.
139* SubvertedSuspicionAesop: Someone believes a character claiming to be good or reformed to be untrustworthy. After it looks like they're just being paranoid, their suspicions of the other person really being evil become validated.
140* TeamKiller: A character who kills people on their own side or team.
141** UnfriendlyFire: A character "frags" someone on their own side of the conflict.
142* TemporaryPartyMemberToVillain: A GuestStarPartyMember that betrays the party and later fights it.
143* TraitorShot: A close-up of a character that is meant to draw suspicion upon the character.
144* TranshumanTreachery: A character who becomes something other than human abandons and seeks to prey upon their former species.
145* TreacherousAdvisor: A mentor or other important character betrays the one they're teaching or looking out for.
146* TreacherousQuestGiver: A character giving you a mission has ulterior motives for the mission and turns on you either during or after the mission.
147* TreacheryCoverUp: A treacherous deed needs to be covered up, for the perceived greater good.
148* TreacheryIsASpecialKindOfEvil: Betrayal is treated as being worse than any other evil act a villain has done.
149** KinslayingIsASpecialKindOfEvil: Murdering members of one's own family is almost universally considered to be perhaps the most wicked form of betrayal.
150* TroubleMagnetGambit: A character betrays someone by planting something on them that will get the other person in deep trouble.
151* TruceTrickery: Making an end-run around or blatantly violating a ceasefire or peace treaty.
152* {{Turncoat}}: A character that switches sides in order to help out the other side.
153* UndercoverWhenAlone: A character keeps up their cover even when there is no one to see them.
154* UnwittingPawn: Someone is being manipulated all along and doesn't know it.
155* UriahGambit: A subordinate is sent on a mission meant to get rid of them.
156* TheUsurper: Someone who seizes a position of power away from its legitimate holder; such as a monarch being overthrown by another royal seeking to hold the throne themselves.
157* VichyEarth: Aliens rule humanity instead of exterminating us, complete with LesCollaborateurs among the human side.
158* WasItAllALie: Someone finds out that they have been lied to by a loved one and ponders whether the fabrication means that everything concerning their relationship with this person was insincere.
159** BecomingTheMask: What was intended to be the cover of the mole ends up becoming how they really are.
160* WelcomeBackTraitor: A character who once betrayed the group is welcomed back with open arms.
161* WeUsedToBeFriends: Bitter rivals used to be the best of friends.
162* WoundedGazelleGambit: Manipulating people by pretending that someone hurt you.
163** PoliceBrutalityGambit: A suspect in police custody seeks to make people think the police brutalized them in order to make them drop charges and/or get back at them.
164* WrongSideAllAlong: It turns out the heroes were unwittingly helping the bad guys.
165* YouSaidYouWouldLetThemGo: The villain is called out for going ahead with hurting people they promised wouldn't be harmed.
166** ILied: The villain admits that they never intended to keep their promise.
167*** DidYouActuallyBelieve: The villain mocks the hero for believing their unkept promise.
168* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: The villain kills a subordinate after they've successfully done what they were ordered to do.
169[[/index]]

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