Line #42 Main/InfoDrop


1	[[quoteright:350:[[Series/Loki2021 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/loki_gender_fluid2.jpg]]]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:'''Name:''' Laufeyson, Loki\
3	'''Birthplace:''' Jotunheim\
4	'''Sex:''' Fluid]]
5
6	Sometimes the most interesting revelations aren't delivered with [[LukeIAmYourFather a dramatic speech]], [[OhCrap a round of shocked expressions]] and [[CliffHanger a title card reading "to be continued"]]. Sometimes they're just handed out casually, tossed in the audience's face without fanfare or even a helpful sign saying "this is important". In many cases, it's not until FridgeLogic kicks in that the audience has a chance to react.
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8	These are Info Drops, which are to {{Infodump}}s what a single stealth paratrooper is to a nuclear warhead.
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10	While rarely relevant to the actual ''plot'', an InfoDrop usually fleshes out subtle details of the setting and/or characters, usually nagging questions that will ''continue'' to nag the less-attentive. For instance, say a character has OnlyOneName; there might be an InfoDrop where he writes his ''full'' name on a check, or perhaps someone calls out his missing surname (or given name), and this is the one and only time it's either seen or referenced. Or perhaps it's never explicitly said ''when'' the story takes place, but there is a date that appears somewhere that can be cross-referenced with the events of the story.
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12	Contrast CrypticBackgroundReference, where a NoodleIncident is used to add the illusion of depth to the story's background without actually adding any extra detail.
13	----
14	!!Examples:
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16	[[foldercontrol]]
17
18	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
19	* In ''Manga/ElfenLied'', we only learn about Lucy's real name when Kouta reads the letter she wrote as a child. [[spoiler:It's Kaede.]]
20	* In the anime adaptation of ''Literature/FullMetalPanic'', Chidori mentions that she's an orphan when bitch-slapping a captured enemy. "Oh, you've got no parents? Well, same for me and Sargent Sagura over here." Up until that point, it's not explicitly stated that her parents are dead, and the statement goes a long way toward explaining her character (and current living conditions).
21	* ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundam0080WarInThePocket Gundam 0080]]'' and ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamZZ Gundam ZZ]]'' provide {{Info Drop}}s for fans trying to figure out when exactly the Universal Century takes place. The former has a newspaper that reads "Monday, 14 January 0080", while the latter has Axis proclaim itself Neo Zeon on February 29th 0088, which means 0080 is a leap year in which January 14th falls on a Monday. [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam The original series]] and ''Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam'' both suggested that the calendar changeover happened in 2000, but these pieces of information were quietly {{retcon}}ned out in the CompilationMovie versions.
22	* ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'' has what appears to be a joke from one of the characters (later revealed as the arc's BigBad) when she [[spoiler:claims to be from Mars]]. Yeah, turns out that it wasn't a joke.
23	* ''Manga/OnePiece'' thrives on this. Often tidbits mentioned in passing are revealed [[ChekhovsGun to have enormous significance]]. Eiichiro Oda's usual ploy is to have something relevant to the ''current'' arc, only to expand upon it at a later time. ContinuityPorn contains one of the most major examples of this.
24	[[/folder]]
25
26	[[folder:Fan Works]]
27	* [[http://www.fimfiction.net/user/kalash93 Kalash93]] loves this trope and uses it to great effect for world building and characterization. The second chapter of ''[[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/81159/1/racer-and-the-geek/predawn Racer And The Geek]]'' contains an inestimably important piece of information given just in a casual conversation. Likewise, a core point of plot development and foreshadowing vital to that story takes place in a conversation in ''[[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/106068/1/relax/intimacy Relax.]]''
28	* After the four first return [[spoiler: to the real C'hou]] in ''Fanfic/TheKeysStandAlone: The Soft World'', Paul talks about things that happened to him underwater. It's only some time later that John realizes this means that Paul was underwater and didn't drown. (The four were very distracted when Paul first said it.) Paul confirms that he learned he didn't actually need to breathe a few days earlier, when he froze so thoroughly after [[DeadlyUpgrade going to high strength]] and nearly killing someone that he stopped breathing.
29	[[/folder]]
30
31	[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
32	* In the movie of ''WesternAnimation/FantasticMrFox'', there is much fun had with the conversion between fox years and human years (a 6:1 ratio), though a specific year for the movie's events is never given: it can, however, be extrapolated from Ash's age, Mr. Fox's age and the years we see on a trophy (1973, in case you were wondering).
33	* ''WesternAnimation/TheIronGiant'' makes no mention of [[DisappearedDad what happened to Hogarth's dad]], but during Hogarth's standoff with Kent, a picture of a fighter pilot is seen on his nightstand, and the audience is left to fill in the blanks.
34	* ''WesternAnimation/YellowSubmarine'': The animators almost seem to [[DerangedAnimation deliberately distract you]] when Fred accidentally drops all of the instruments in the Sea of Monsters, and the Beatles don't even mention it until they reach Pepperland. The only hint before that is when the Beatles play [[AirGuitar air instruments]] during the ''Nowhere Man'' sequence.
35	[[/folder]]
36
37	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
38	* The protagonist of ''Film/KillBill'' is usually known only as [[NoNameGiven the Bride]], but there are hints and one specific scene that reveal her name to be [[spoiler:Beatrix Kiddo]].
39	* ''Film/{{Martyrs}}:'' The torturers describe their victims as martyrs on several occasions. Before the credits roll, a bit of on-screen text tells us that "martyr" comes from the Ancient Greek word for "witness." The torturers want to know what their victims see when they are on the boundary between life and death. Not essential to understanding the plot, but still nice to know.
40	* The protagonist of ''Film/TheMatrix'' is generally called either Neo or Mr. Anderson. His first name, Thomas, is mentioned only once, during his interrogation by Agent Smith near the beginning of the film.
41	* In the film of ''Film/NoCountryForOldMen'' the date is only revealed from the fact that a 1958 coin "has traveled 22 years to get here".
42	* While the film version of ''Film/{{Watchmen}}'' pretty much makes Ozymandias as AmbiguouslyGay as possible, the real proof comes from a desktop icon labeled "Boys" on his computer.
43	[[/folder]]
44
45	[[folder:Literature]]
46	* In the ''Literature/CircleOfThree'' series, the coven that the Crones' Circle store owners belong to goes unnamed until the last book.
47	* The only mention of Mr. Darcy's first name in ''Literature/PrideAndPrejudice'' is at the end of one letter.
48	%%* Happens many, many times in ''Literature/WorldWarZ''
49	[[/folder]]
50
51	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
52	* ''Series/PopUpVideo'': The premise is to provide a whole string of these.
53	[[/folder]]
54
55	[[folder:Video Games]]
56	* ''VideoGame/ANNOMutationem'': Several sections of information that expands on characters details and exposition that centers around the Gatekeeper Project's creation and [[EldritchLocation Limen]] are conveyed through numerous documents and personal tablets that are found in certain areas.
57	* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'' and sequels: Lightning says that she changed her name to Lightning in one scene in FFXIII, and her original name is only given twice in three games: once in FFXIII, and once more in ''VideoGame/LightningReturnsFinalFantasyXIII''. [[spoiler: It's Claire in English, and Éclaire in Japanese.]]
58	* TheReveal that BrotherSisterIncest is going on in ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'' is so obscured that it's only possible to comprehend if you record the video output from the Wii and slow it down in video editing software.
59	[[/folder]]
60
61	[[folder:Web Animation]]
62	* In Volume 3 of ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'', during a generally hilarious scene when Nora considers the potential consequences of JNPR losing their first battle in the tournament, she briefly mentions that [[spoiler: she and Ren are orphans]]. This gets followed up on in Volume 4.
63	* In the ''WebAnimation/StrongBadEmail'' [[http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail162.html the chair]], Strong Bad taunts the audience by randomly pulling out a supposed picture of his parents, which is almost completely obscured by the screen-filling back of his new chair. However, decompiling the Flash reveals nothing on the photo but the message "nice try [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda dodongo!]]"
64	[[/folder]]
65
66	[[folder:Web Comics]]
67	* In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', Sarah's last name ([[spoiler:Brown]]) was revealed in this manner; the principal used it to refer to her while rebuking her for breaking the dress code.
68	* This was standard practice in the early run of ''Webcomic/GunnerkriggCourt''. At the end of each chapter was a bonus page, giving details of the school and surrounding areas.
69	[[/folder]]
70
71	[[folder:Western Animation]]
72	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'' has Demona capture the mythological trickster, Puck; and she threatens him "You serve the human, now you can serve me." Puck's response is "Serving humans is fun; they have a sense of humor. You have none." - distracting the audience from the fact that Demona referred to ''the'' human that Puck serves, which soon becomes a plot point.
73	[[/folder]]

Context Main / InfoDrop