Do you have trouble remembering the difference between Deathbringer the Adorable and Fluffy the Terrible?
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.
- A character name is not an explanation.
- Wrong: Full Moon Silhouette: Diana
- Right: Full Moon Silhouette: At the end of her transformation sequence into Moon Princess Misty, Diana is shown flying across the full moon riding a rutabaga.
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
The animation version is Talking To Himself, so those examples should be swapped to that.
This entry in Adaptational Context Change seems to be stretching it a bit too thin:
- The Lord of the Rings
- Sam says the exact same line to Frodo at the end of both the book and movie version of "The Fellowship of the Ring": "Of course you are, and I'm coming with you!" In the book, Frodo has just said, "But I am going to Mordor!", but in the movie the line is changed to "I'm going to Mordor alone!", which makes Sam's response a lot more humorous, but still as heartwarming none the less.
The context is still pretty much the same.
Reposting from the previous
three
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?:
- Friendly Fandoms: Fans who were disappointed by this movie tend to get friendly with other fans who were disappointed by previous film adaptations of IPs from their childhood such as Eragon, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Got a question about the trope Star-Crossed Lovers. It's clearly something that depicts a relationship between two beings that for reasons outside of their control (fate, for instance) fails. I've put up one example, then added a second, but I'm not sure how well they fit. Here's what I've got so far:
- Star-Crossed Lovers: Two examples.
- Mittens and Berlioz in “The Paris Trip.” The two cats hit it off well, culminating in their having sex the night before Mittens is to return home. Mittens cannot remain behind, however, because she would have no place to live in Paris; Berlioz cannot stay with his owner because the building where he lives does not allow cats, and he unofficially resides at the jazz club where his owner performs (and only because he's grandfathered in). They emotionally bid farewell to each other just before Mittens leaves for the United States.
- Bolt and Mary in “The Wind.” Their relationship starts off promisingly, but soon goes sour when Mary proves unable to shake her substance abuse addictions. She eventually runs off to the city, and Bolt's attempt to rescue her proves unsuccessful.
I feel fairly confident about the first example, less so about the second. Feedback is most welcome.
Thanks!
Is The Lone Ranger an example of Informed Loner? It is literally in the name, but he always travels with his sidekick Tonto. Being a very old franchise, this has probably been pointed out or Lampshaded before, but I am just curious.
Would this count as Five-Second Foreshadowing? Or would it fall under something else, like maybe Call-Back?
- Red Panda Adventures: The first five minutes of "Eyes of the Idol" feature two security guards in an institute in California discussing an artifact being housed there. Throughout the conversation, one of the guards refers to his companion as "mate", references Cricket, and uses the phrase "straight up". "Straight up" was a phrase used by only one other person, an Australian shapeshifter from an alternate universe, Baboon McSmoothie "The Man of a Thousand Faces". The scene ends with the reveal that the unusual guard is Brian McSweenie, our universe's counterpart of that same man. He becomes the episode's antagonist as he knocks out the other guard, steals the artifact, and makes a play for its counterpart, currently in Canada, the Red Panda's turf.
Also, would the following be Blue-and-Orange Morality, or Bad Is Good and Good Is Bad:
- Yuutsu Kun To Succubus San: Sakuma the Succubus has a very skewed idea of what is considered good and proper. To her, displays of pure love are the height of perversion while watching porn is considered a wholesome family activity. When visiting a shrine with Yuu during New Years, she is absolutely shocked to see a young couple walk past them holding hands.
Sakuma: There must be something wrong with their brain if they can simlpy walk outside while holding hands like that! (to herself) That's what two people holding hands look like... wow... it's the first time I've seen it... (out loud) In the Demon World, that kind of stuff would be rated R... they'd probably censor the hands with mosaics even... it's totally against the Demon Ethics Association...
Typo corrected.
Edited by sgamer82 on Jun 23rd 2020 at 6:35:29 AM
somlpy > simply
I'd say the latter, because it looks like it's just inversion, no weirder morality twists like I dunno... Maybe like cutting one's hair is a sin?
Disambig Needed: Help with those issues! tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13324299140A37493800&page=24#comment-576If a character is human but their hair is most certainly not, is it Alien Hair?
Jawbreakers on sale for 99¢
- You mean like a parasite / symbiotic hairpiece?
Well, depending on if these examples are Alien Hair, it might work... They're listed on Alien Hair, but that doesn't mean much... These are Fantasy, not Scifi...
Not-hair-at-all hair:
- Genasi from D&D 4th edition have crystals (Windsoul, Stormsoul) or fire (Firesoul) in place of hair, other are simply bald (Earthsoul, Watersoul)
Video Games
- In Hearthstone, intelligent murlocs are shown wearing their distinctive crest of spikes like hair. One female murloc even has hers done up in a ponytail
. This is averted in World of Warcraft proper, where murlocs always keep their spikes straight up even while wearing a hat (although, this is more likely due to model limitations, and the fact that non-hostile clothes-wearing murlocs are exceptionally rare in the canon game).
Edited by Malady on Jun 23rd 2020 at 7:38:49 AM
Disambig Needed: Help with those issues! tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13324299140A37493800&page=24#comment-576Am I right in deleting this example from All Gravity Is the Same?
The contributor seems to think that simulating Earth-gravity with technology is invoking All Gravity Is the Same. My impression is that it is just not an example.
Regarding the succubus manga, I think it's a better fit for Your Normal Is Our Taboo.
So, this example is on YMMV.Sponge Bob Square Pants S 2 E 6 Grandmas Kisses Squidville.
- Values Resonance: Since the episode came out, several sub-cultures of adults who responsibility enjoy "baby" things have either emerged or become more popular, such as bronies, furries and even adults who dress and act like literal babies in private, and while the stigma hasn't exactly gone away, more people are beginning to accept them as healthy ways for adults to have fun which don't hurt themselves or others. As such, the message of "you can like juvenile things in your private life and still be a responsible adult" holds a lot more weight.
First of all, the main theme of the episode was about SpongeBob learning he can still get his grandmother's love despite his age, not necessarily about liking juvenile things in your private life (even if there was a part where SpongeBob tearfully ranted about how he wanted to do baby things). The main conflict of the episode is kicked off when everyone at the Krusty Krab makes fun of SpongeBob for having his grandmother's kiss mark on his forehead and assumes he likes baby things.
Secondly...anyone find it kind of weird this example is glorifying infant play fetishists?
![]()
Thank you, I was thinking there might be a trope I was missing. I think that works best, Bad Is Good and Good Is Bad is too broad and Blue-and-Orange Morality probably doesn't fit since, outside of that quirk, she's actually a very good person.
Are the following examples from YMMV.Artemis Fowl and Film.Artemis Fowl, respectively, being used correctly?:
- Big-Lipped Alligator Moment: Artemis is surfing in his first scene, which has nothing to do with anything and goes against his personality for the rest of the film. It mostly comes off as the movie desperately trying to introduce him in a cool way.
- Voice of the Legion: Holly Short speaks with the voice of the legion when trying to use the mesmer on Juliet Butler to get her to take off her sunglasses. It doesn't work, and Artemis appears to say as much and that they have protection. Since Short was trying to get Juliet to take off the sunglasses, Artemis is presumably referring to some sort of auditory protection
I am not really sure what the difference between and actual example of Ambiguous Disorder and people just reading to much into things is so I would like to know if the following Warhammer 40,000 example is actually an example.
- Ambiguous Disorder: He had very poor social skills and never connected well with most people, was incredibly resistant to changing his Legion's structure and was prone to obsessively focusing on one thing for months on end until he got it just right. It's not conclusive, but there's decent evidence to suggest Mortarion has a genuine mental illness.
Also note that "resistance to change" is a common theme in the setting.
Are the following examples from Legion of Super-Heroes (2020), being used correctly?:
- Adaptational Dumbass: Blok, normally interpreted as being intellectual despite his outward appearance, has a much more simplistic form of speaking here.
- The Ageless: Rose (and her split personality Thorn), as established in the Millennium prelude. She breezes through the worlds of President Supergirl, Batman Beyond, and Kamandi without looking a day older.
- Running Gag: One with the Legionnaires insisting that Superboy watch the orientation video they prepared for him.
Would this proposed (by me) entry for YMMV.The Mandalorian belong under Never Live It Down, or a different trope (or the Trivia page)?
- Ever since Bryce Dallas Howard confessed that she never met Pedro Pascal while directing "Sanctuary", many viewers assumed that he only wore the armor for Mando's unmasking in "Redemption", with the rest of Pascal's performance consisting only of dubbing over stuntmen. However, his interviews about the challenges of acting in the armor suggest otherwise, as do Deborah Chow's recollections about directing Pascal in "The Sin".note
Edited by dsneybuf on Jun 24th 2020 at 7:50:42 AM
It wouldn’t be Never Live It Down, as real life examples require at least 25 years to have passed.
This is in Eight Deadly Words:
- The Emoji Movie is infamous for this. With almost all of the characters being flat, annoying, and/or just plain unlikable, you can't find yourself rooting for anyone to make it through in the end, with the exception of Akiko Glitter, who is, of course, the only character to die. There is also the fact that Gene has what Bobsheaux claimed is "probably the most depressing character motivation I've ever heard in my life."
Add to it that The Mysterious Mr. Enter said that it doesn’t remind him of Inside Out, Wreck-It Ralph, The LEGO Movie, or even Toy Story, but it actually reminded him of the Seltzer and Friedberg films, which are Shallow Parodies notorious for being unfunny.
This Audience Reaction only allows In-Universe or cited examples, but the first part reads like a full-on review. Does the entry still count?
PhantasyStarOnline2.Tropes A To M
- Black-and-Grey Morality: Dark Falz (as usual) versus the ARKS. While Dark Falz is the usual universe-ending Eldritch Abomination as he's been for the past several games, the ARKS themselves isn't above doing morally questionable things behind the scenes, including human (and otherwise) experimentation, making people "disappear" just to shut them up, or branding you as the enemy of all humanity and brainwashing the entire organization to kill you. The player, however, is completely exempt from this, if only due to the fact that they're guided by a third party.
- ARKS is moving away from this, now that Luther is out of the picture (he's partly responsible for all the mess), and Quna went and exposed all of ARKS' confidential material, bringing all of its shady work to light. As of Episode 3, ARKS has effectively been reborn with a clean slate, topped with a reformation of the staff by Episode 4.
For context, Luther was the one behind all the bad things that ARKS was doing, manipulating everyone and tarnishing their good name as part of his master plan. I don’t really think it’s Black-and-Grey Morality if the “grey” was being run by a completely evil guy. That would either make it Black-and-Black Morality or A Lighter Shade of Grey.
Also, the sub-point violates Examples Are Not Recent, and feels a bit like natter.
Edited by PlasmaPower on Jun 24th 2020 at 5:53:27 AM
Thomas fans needed! Come join me in the the show's cleanup thread!These examples for What Measure Is a Mook? posted on WhatMeasureIsAMook.Western Animation and Characters.She Ra And The Princesses Of Power The Horde respectively:
- In the 2018 reboot of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, the first four seasons humanize the named antagonists in the Etherian Horde, and the protagonists save Horde and former Horde characters several times. For example, Bow and Glimmer are shocked when they learn details about Adora's upbringing in the Etherian Horde. Frosta says outright that she still sees Etherian Horde soldiers as people. However, none of the protagonists seem perturbed by the horrific plight of Horde Prime's clone-slaves, who are produced en masse, mind-controlled, and used as canon fodder, livestock, and vessels by their progenitor. The protagonists are horrified when Horde Prime subjects many Etherians to a similar plight (chipping), but they never extend their empathy to the clones.
- None of the protagonists seem perturbed by the clones' horrific plight. Adora, Catra, and Glimmer all see the horrors of clone life up close, but exhibit no empathy for them. This is in contrast to Horde and former Horde characters from the first four seasons, who are saved by and humanized by the protagonists.
- Entrapta cares about individual clones with whom she has a bond (Hordak and Wrong Hordak), but seems unconcerned about the other oppressed clones.
- Even after rejecting Horde Prime as a tyrant, Wrong Hordak doesn't seem terribly concerned about his clone brethren left behind in the Galactic Horde.

I would like to consider adding something to the Trivia.RWBY page:
Is this an actual example or should it be left out?
Edited by gjjones on Jun 22nd 2020 at 3:39:32 PM
He/His/Him. No matter who you are, always Be Yourself.