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Do you have trouble recognizing when you've written a Zero-Context Example?

Not sure if you really have a Badass Bookworm or just a guy who likes to read?

Well, this is the thread for you. We're here to help you will all the finer points of example writing. If you have any questions, we can answer them. Don't be afraid. We don't bite. We all just want to make the wiki a better place for everyone.


Useful Tips:

  • Make sure that the example makes sense to both people who don't know the work AND don't know the trope.
    • Wrong: The Mentor: Kevin is this to Bob in the first episode.
    • Right: The Mentor: Kevin takes Bob under his wing in the first episode and teaches him the ropes of being a were-chinchilla.
  • Never just put the trope title and leave it at that.
    • Wrong: Badass Adorable
    • Right: Badass Adorable: Xavier, the group's cute little mascot, defeats three raging elephants with both hands tied behind his back using only an uncooked spaghetti noodle.
  • When is normally far less important than How.
    • Wrong: Big Bad: Of the first season.
    • Right: Big Bad: The heroes have to defeat the Mushroom Man lest the entirety of Candy Land's caramel supply be turned into fungus.
  • A character name is not an explanation.


Other Resources:


For best results, please include why you think an example is iffy in your first post.

Also, many oft-misused tropes/topics have their own threads, such as Surprisingly Realistic Outcome (here) and Fan-Preferred Couple (here). Tropers are better able to give feedback on examples you bring up to specific threads. We don't discuss Complete Monster or Magnificent Bastard examples; please don't bring them up.

Edited by SeptimusHeap on Jul 17th 2025 at 8:59:01 PM

Yukaphile Since: Feb, 2017
#12026: Jun 19th 2020 at 3:40:24 PM

I wanna add this to B5, Ceremonies of Light and Dark, Continuity Nod. Is this an apt example?

  • In seeing off their fallen comrades who helped the station fight for independence last episode, the ceremonial funeral from Season 1 makes another appearance.

TheMountainKing Since: Jul, 2016
#12027: Jun 19th 2020 at 5:19:09 PM

From She-Ra and the Princesses of Power:

  • Draco in Leather Pants:
    • Catra is a fan favorite. The writers made her deliberately sympathetic, and often pit her against the unilaterally detestable Shadow Weaver, so Catra naturally appears more sympathetic by contrast. That said, Catra is also incredibly selfish and vindictive and with almost no sympathy for anyone, with her moments of kindness to others being just that - moments - and she openly cares very little that the Horde goes around destroying the world and killing innocent people. Even after she tries to destroy Etheria and all life on it including herself just to deny Adora victory, several fans, especially Catradora and Scorptra shippers, are still holding out for a redemption arc for her. This ends up happening in Season 5.

The last sentence seems to invalidate the entire entry, because the fans who wanted her to be redeemed weren't reading her more sympathetically than intended. Can I cut this entry?

Anddrix Since: Oct, 2014
#12028: Jun 19th 2020 at 6:02:17 PM

Reposting from the previous two pages, so it doesn't get lost:

Is the following example from the Film section of Trivia.Artemis Fowl being used correctly as it seems closer to Detractor Nickname than Fan Nickname which I believe we don't allow because it's just an excuse for complaining:

  • Fan Nickname: Much like Percy Jackson, fans of the books refuse to associate with an In Name Only adaptation, giving the movie, and by extension the titular character, bootleg-esque nicknames, the most popular being "Apollo Bird", though "Apollo Poultry" also pops up sometimes.

And along the same lines is this example from the Film section of YMMV.Artemis Fowl being used correctly?:

Libraryseraph uu~ from Canada (Handed A Sword) Relationship Status: Raising My Lily Rank With You
uu~
#12029: Jun 19th 2020 at 6:27:17 PM

[up][up] Cut that entry

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FOR MARIA
Malady (X-Troper)
#12030: Jun 19th 2020 at 6:45:37 PM

These don't mention femininity, so cut?

Harp of Femininity:

  • Lyra Belacqua's first name in His Dark Materials is, according to this trope, the single most feminine thing about her.

  • Background character Lyra Heartstrings of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic has a lyre cutie mark.note  It's assumed she can play one rather well, though she's never shown playing a lyre or harp. Being who she is, it is not known if she plays this trope straight or not. What's sure is that she doesn't avert it.

Edited by Malady on Jun 19th 2020 at 6:46:34 AM

Disambig Needed: Help with those issues! tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13324299140A37493800&page=24#comment-576
Twiddler (On A Trope Odyssey)
PlasmaPower Piece of Cake. Since: Jan, 2015
Piece of Cake.
#12032: Jun 19th 2020 at 7:00:15 PM

I was thinking of putting this in My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic S8 E18 "Yakity-Sax".

  • Absentee Actor: Despite the yovidaphone (originating from Yakyakistan) being a big part of the conflict and the episode taking place in Yakyakistan later in the episode, Yona strangely makes no appearence here, or even alluded to.

For context, Yona is one of the characters who are part of the group of students who are introduced in the beginning of Season 8, and play a big part in the show from that point onwards.

Edited by PlasmaPower on Jun 19th 2020 at 11:20:51 AM

Thomas fans needed! Come join me in the the show's cleanup thread!
Malady (X-Troper)
#12033: Jun 19th 2020 at 7:02:53 PM

[up] - And, now looking closer, at it, how many of its now 56 bullet points actually count?

A lot of them seem to just be "Girl With Harp"...

Averted Tropes aren't noted unless they're Omnipresent Tropes... And I'm not sure if any of these are actually subversions...

I'll check on this tomorrow... Here's some examples:

  • In Fairy Tail, one of the celestial spirits that Lucy can summon is Lyra, a songstress with a lyre.

  • Duchess in The Aristocats. Made more impressive by the fact that she's a cat.

  • The most notable aversion is Harpo Marx. Hell, he's even named after it!
  • The Evil Matriarch of the girls' boarding school in A Little Princess is shown playing a harp at moments when she's not actively working to make Sarah's life miserable. Her musical ability is arguably the only likable trait the character has.

  • Averted in Middle Earth, where badasses like Thorin and several High Elven princes are capable harpists.

Edited by Malady on Jun 19th 2020 at 7:04:01 AM

Disambig Needed: Help with those issues! tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13324299140A37493800&page=24#comment-576
4tell0life4 Since: Mar, 2018 Relationship Status: Giving love a bad name
#12034: Jun 19th 2020 at 8:54:05 PM

Can Not Quite Back to Normal count cases of being De Powered?

We can never truly eradicate the coronavirus, but we can suppress its threat like influenza
Twiddler (On A Trope Odyssey)
#12035: Jun 19th 2020 at 10:47:31 PM

[up][up] The "aversions" should go; the rest are ZCEs so I can't tell. (I was familiar with the two earlier examples)

gjjones Musician/Composer from South Wales, New York Since: Jul, 2016
Musician/Composer
#12036: Jun 19th 2020 at 11:10:46 PM

I would like to add a proposed trope to Characters.Black Clover Main Characters:

  • Everyone Has Standards: Although she might have been abused by her biological family in the past, Noelle is not above trying to rescue her older siblings from certain death at the hands of Kivn.

Thoughts?

Edited by gjjones on Jun 19th 2020 at 2:10:52 PM

He/His/Him. No matter who you are, always Be Yourself.
Twiddler (On A Trope Odyssey)
#12037: Jun 19th 2020 at 11:47:04 PM

[up] Everyone Has Standards can typically be phrased as "Character thinks that [X] is okay/forgivable, but [Y] is going too far." Does it fit that?

eroock Since: Sep, 2012
#12038: Jun 20th 2020 at 3:13:52 AM

^^ Sounds like shoehorning. Don't think we have the opposite of Refuse to Rescue the Disliked troped.

gjjones Musician/Composer from South Wales, New York Since: Jul, 2016
Musician/Composer
#12039: Jun 20th 2020 at 3:20:40 AM

[up] Got it.

Edited by gjjones on Jun 20th 2020 at 6:21:24 AM

He/His/Him. No matter who you are, always Be Yourself.
costanton11 Since: Mar, 2016
#12040: Jun 20th 2020 at 5:20:05 PM

From Spider-Man 2: I previously had some problems with the entry on the page, but I want to see what others opinions are.

  • Unintentionally Unsympathetic:
    • Aunt May is seen as this when Peter reveals to her that he's responsible for Uncle Ben's death in the first film, but doesn't reveal that he's Spider-Man. She leaves the room in shock, but later forgives Peter. She's meant to be seen as understandably shocked and upset with Peter for what he did, but since Peter didn't reveal he's Spider-Man, her nephew would not be able to overpower a criminal from her perspective, (one dangerous enough to kill Uncle Ben later), and that she should have realized the guilt and pain Peter was under and should have comfort him as well as assure him Uncle Ben's death wasn't his fault, but instead just leaves him alone to feel even more guilty. Aunt May instead just comes off as insensitive for not showing consideration for Peter's feelings.

As the example points out, she was in shock from the truth, plus the next time she sees Peter, she assures him that she doesn't hold any hard feelings towards him. I think it seems like a stretch to call her unsympathetic over it.

Wyldchyld (Old as dirt)
#12041: Jun 20th 2020 at 7:01:44 PM

[up] I agree. The entry seems to be deliberately ignoring the fact that this is a conversation where an elderly woman is being told the truth about how her husband died and that the person who lied to her about it was a nephew whom she'd raised as a son.

Of course, she's going to need some time to absorb the news.

If my post doesn't mention a giant flying sperm whale with oversized teeth and lionfish fins for flippers, it just isn't worth reading.
Crossover-Enthusiast from an abaondoned mall (Lucky 7) Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#12042: Jun 20th 2020 at 7:54:32 PM

Definite misuse. Cut it!

As an aside, we have a thread specifically for Unintentionally Unsympathetic cleanup.


If a character dies and gets revived in a work, but doesn't die at all in an adaptation, is it downplaying Spared by the Adaptation or playing it straight?

Edited by Crossover-Enthusiast on Jun 20th 2020 at 10:55:48 AM

Jawbreakers on sale for 99¢
Tabs Since: Jan, 2001
#12043: Jun 21st 2020 at 9:02:45 AM

[up] I'd say it's played straight because in the end, the character is alive. There still was a death, though, so... there's probably no wrong answer.

sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#12044: Jun 21st 2020 at 9:11:47 AM

Does Evil All Along apply when being so occurs due to a retcon? I was going to pop this entry on but then that thought occurred to me so I'm hesitating (spoilers for story mode included here, in case it's an issue for anyone, but will be left out of the actual entry since it's spoilers off):

  • Mortal Kombat: Throughout the franchise, Sindel's backstory has been that she was the queen of Edenia alongside its kind-hearted king, Jerrod, who was forced to marry Evil Overlord Shao Kahn after he conquered Edenia, merged it with his own Outworld, and killed Jerrod. She eventually committed suicide in grief over what she had been made to endure. Sindel is resurrected and brainwashed in Mortal Kombat 3to open the door for Shao Kahn to invade Earthrealm. Sindel is freed from the brainwashing by her daughter Kitana, joins the heroes, and remains on the side of light until the series is rebooted in 2011. Mortal Kombat 11, the third post-reboot game, changes all of this upon Sindel's release as a DLC character. Sindel's non-canon ending reveals the story we'd been told up to this point was a lie. Sindel viewed Jerrod as weak and killed him herself so she could join with Shao Kahn. Various pre-fight dialogue reveals she was actually murdered and imply that she's the brains to Shao Kahn's brawn. MK11's DLC story, Aftermath, sees Sindel's chapter of the story shared with Shao Kahn. During this chapter, Sindel and Shao Kahn display sincere affection for one another, ally with Shang Tsung to help his own schemes along, and Sindel eventually reveals to Kitana that she genuinely loves Shao Kahn, a man who knows how to wield power, where Jerrod and Kitana ignore their privilege to be rulers of and for the people.

Also I feel the entry is too long, but if so I'm not sure where to trim it. I've done some already while working it out here but it still feels long.

Edited by sgamer82 on Jun 21st 2020 at 11:11:57 AM

Twiddler (On A Trope Odyssey)
#12045: Jun 21st 2020 at 4:03:10 PM

[up] I guess it would count within the context of that later work.

sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#12046: Jun 21st 2020 at 4:53:37 PM

How's this draft, which keeps it entirely within context of the one game:

  • Evil All Along for Mortal Kombat 11: Sindel's backstory has always presented her as the queen of Edenia and mother of Princess Kitana, and forced to become Shao Kahn's wife after her husband Jerrod was killed following Shao Kahn's conquest of the realm and merger with his own Outworld. She eventually committed suicide in grief, but was resurrected in Earthrealm as part of Shao Kahn's plan to invade it and brainwashed to serve him until she was freed and joined the heroes. In the DLC story mode Aftermath, Shang Tsung convinces the good guys to resurrect her precisely because her heroic, non-brainwashed personality will help ensure their success against Kronika. What she does instead is join with Shao Kahn and, between them, help Shang Tsung basically wreck everything the good guys have been trying to accomplish for their own ambitions while proclaiming genuine love for one another. As this happens it's revealed that her death was not a suicide, but murder by sorcerer Quan Chi; she was not forced to marry Shao Kahn but did so of her own will, much preferring how he would flaunt his power and privilege in true Evil Overlord fashion to Jerrod's being a ruler for and of the people. Consequently, Jerrod was killed not by Shao Kahn, but by Sindel herself.

Edited by sgamer82 on Jun 21st 2020 at 6:03:39 AM

Twiddler (On A Trope Odyssey)
#12047: Jun 21st 2020 at 5:57:59 PM

As far as I can tell (not familiar with the work), that works.

Twiddler (On A Trope Odyssey)
#12048: Jun 21st 2020 at 6:41:48 PM

Is this an example of Real Name as an Alias? The character is known as The Big Bad Wolf, or just "Wolf", but his real name is Ezra, no last name. Upon being transported to another world, he needs to give both a first and last name, so he goes by "Ezra Wolf". So technically it's more like Alias as an Alias (Alias as a Fake Name).

Malady (X-Troper)
#12049: Jun 21st 2020 at 6:56:09 PM

[up] - Not unless he's hiding his identity?

If you need a surname, it makes sense to pick something familiar?


What's this Shout-Out to?

ShoutOut.Borderlands The Pre Sequel:

  • The flavor text of the oxygen canisters is "Air? AIR!"


Is Power Walk-ing out from a bright room, with fog around them, a ref to The Right Stuff, or which other Power Walk movie?

'Cause it happens in Borderlands The Pre Sequel...

Edited by Malady on Jun 21st 2020 at 7:08:16 AM

Disambig Needed: Help with those issues! tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13324299140A37493800&page=24#comment-576
Twiddler (On A Trope Odyssey)
#12050: Jun 21st 2020 at 9:20:30 PM

[up] He is hiding the fact that he's from another world. He's passing himself off as an exchange student from Canada. Speaking of, that fits the spirit of Girlfriend in Canada, right?


According to this, the air thing is a Spaceballs reference.


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