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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.
    • 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

wingedcatgirl mys. minty from the silly dimension from lurking (Holding A Herring) Relationship Status: Oh my word! I'm gay!
mys. minty from the silly dimension
#12551: Aug 21st 2020 at 3:22:26 PM

Yeah, Killed Off for Real only applies in contexts where "killed off for fake" is a thing that happens.

Suddenly I'm... still rotating Fallen London in my mind even though I've stopped actively playing it.
Twiddler (On A Trope Odyssey)
#12552: Aug 21st 2020 at 3:35:03 PM

Characters.Gunnerkrigg Court Primary Characters

  • Literal Split Personality: Twice so far, both times set up as crucial conflict:
    • First, after year 9, after her father arrived at Gunnerkrigg Court and she dissociates her emotionality and confidence into her blinker stone as her fire elemental self.
    • Second, and perhaps more literal, the year after, after Loup's rampage results in there being two Annies from different times and spaces coexisting in the same Court, with slightly different characterizations resulting from having spent half a year in entirely different circumstances.

The second example isn't a single character being split into multiple parts, it's two versions of the same character from diverging timelines. That's not an example of this, right?

wingedcatgirl mys. minty from the silly dimension from lurking (Holding A Herring) Relationship Status: Oh my word! I'm gay!
mys. minty from the silly dimension
#12553: Aug 21st 2020 at 3:38:31 PM

Yeah, that's a misuse.

It's just Alternate Self.

Edited by wingedcatgirl on Aug 21st 2020 at 3:39:04 AM

Suddenly I'm... still rotating Fallen London in my mind even though I've stopped actively playing it.
Twiddler (On A Trope Odyssey)
antenna_ears from California Since: Apr, 2020 Relationship Status: Coming soon to theaters
#12555: Aug 21st 2020 at 5:47:47 PM

Obfuscating Stupidity:

  • In One Piece, Luffy does do some pretty silly things once in awhile (OK, almost all the time), but he has shown an amazing insight into certain things. Like with Alabasta, he pointed out that in order to stop the rebellion, they should stop Crocodile and not the pawns that he tricked into rebelling. Then, at Thriller Bark, with some of the crew having lost their shadows and worried about confronting their own shadows, Luffy simply reminded everyone that by beating Moria, everyone's shadows will come back. Which also sorta counts as When All You Have Is a Hammer… since he's pointed out that all pirating skills are beyond him, he just has to be able to apply his one skill the best: beating the crap out of the strongest guy who happens to be in their way.
    • Maybe his simple mind lets him see to the heart of things. I don't know.
    • There has to be some reason that he's still the captain, when he's obviously surrounded by people smarter than him.
      • He's a pretty good judge of people as well. And while he may be less smart than anyone on his crew, he is perhaps the wisest of all of them. Luffy's simplest outlook on life allows him to see things as they are without the complexities muddling everything up for him, so while his crew may be trying to figure out a personal problem with all the complexities in mind, Luffy's the one who usually points out the simplest and most logical solution.
    • Probably the earliest example of how intelligent Luffy can be is when the Going Merry is about to crash into Laboon (the insanely huge island whale) at the bottom of Reverse Mountain. While the others are trying (ultimately in vain) to steer around it, Luffy goes below deck and uses the cannon as a retrorocket. So instead of smashing the boat to bits, the only thing that breaks (unfortunately) is the figurehead...his "special seat".

I think this One Piece example is misuse, because while Luffy is an idiot who sometimes has his moments of brilliance, he is genuinely that dim and isn't trying to hide anything. Obfuscating Stupidity is more about smart characters putting on a "dim-witted persona", but Luffy is the genuine article; he can't even tell a lie! Luffy has almost died many times due to his idiocy, which is pretty good evidence that he isn't merely acting dumb. I think people keep on confusing this trope for Genius Ditz or Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass.

Edited by antenna_ears on Aug 21st 2020 at 5:54:44 AM

Twiddler (On A Trope Odyssey)
#12556: Aug 21st 2020 at 7:00:46 PM

[up] Yeah, that's misuse. The example doesn't even claim he's pretending or putting on an act, so it looks like it's just misunderstanding the trope.

Malady (X-Troper)
#12557: Aug 22nd 2020 at 6:21:26 AM

Is this an example even though it's just Weasel Words or whatever, but just couched as translation?

Tactful Translation:

  • Viciously inverted in "Trav(ap)est(r)y" within the Triptych Continuum. Celestia is used to dealing with Wordia Spinner and so spends their meetings playing a silent game called Translation, in which she takes what the Loyal Opposition's reporter is saying and mentally swaps in what was meant.
    "So when he heard you'd lost an original Marble Whispers piece — and incidentally, he wanted me to say he's very sorry about the fire..."
    "He's very sorry the two of you didn't die in it."

Disambig Needed: Help with those issues! tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13324299140A37493800&page=24#comment-576
gc10 Human Bean from Pastastastan Since: Feb, 2019 Relationship Status: A cockroach, nothing can kill it.
Human Bean
#12558: Aug 22nd 2020 at 6:58:52 AM

After a discussion in the TRS, Adorkable was turned into an Audience Reactions trope, while Endearingly Dorky was launched as trope for when a charater's dorkiness causes sympathy and is found charming In-Universe. On Avatar: The Last Airbender, Adorkable is used on quite a number of characters: Aang, Zuko, Sokka and Suki, Mai, Earth King Kuei. That's how I think they could be handled, but I would like other imputs:

    Folderized due to being a wall of text 
  • Aang may be Adorkable, but not Endearingly Dorky. He may be a Physical God but he's still a 12 years old boy. Whatever action from his side that comes off as awkward can be ascribed by naivete you'd expect from a boy this young. If any, despite age, he has many moments when he displays greater wisdom than most characters in the series. Perhaps his interactions with her Love Interest Katara count as Endearingly Dorky, but is it enough to consider the entire character to be characterised as such?
  • Zuko is definitely a perfect example of Adorkable. He's socially inept, shows an obsessive personality and can't control his emotions. He's prone at snapping violently even for lighthearted jokes and in general shows little patience. After he pulls an Heel Face turn, his attempts to be a good guy end up being very clumsy. There's a memorable moment when he tries to tell a joke he doesn't remember well, so he only tells the punchline, with ensuing awkwardness, All of this made him very beloved by the Avatar fanbase. I think it doesn't really fit Endearingly Dorky because ultimately, for the majority of the characters In-Universe, it's not his dorkiness to arouse sympathy (the only exception would be Jin, who's a minor character, and Mai), it's the heroic deeds he performs during his Redemption Quest.
  • Sokka may fit both. His "adorkable" moments are perceived as charming also In-Universe by characters like Suki (his Love Interest) and Toph. Also his swordmaster Piandao admits that his ingenuity and his unique mindset made him one of his best students despite his not really impressive skills.
  • Suki doesn't sound to count as either. The current entry is: "Quick to speak about her Serious Business role in a dramatic fashion, only to turn it into a joke by using it to do mundane things like kiss her love interest on the cheek or go backstage at a play. She's also humorously bad at mean nicknames." The first one doesn't count as Adorkable/Endearingly Dorky, and I don't think the second one is enough to consider the whole character as such.
  • Mai: I'd say definitely not Endearingly Dorky, but likely not even Adorkable. She's more of an Ice Queen who turns into a Defrosting Ice Queen when she's together with Zuko. Even if the interactions between the two comes off as rather awkward and clumsy, it looks more the result of her not being interested in expressing her emotions rather than her being unable to do so.
  • Earth King Kuei can be Adorkable due to his Character Development from Idle Rich who never left his Royal palace, was totally oblivious to what was going on in the world and a Puppet King to the Dai Li, to The Good King who finally took in his own hands the government of Ba Sing Se. But his naivete isn't treated as something that makes him charming In-Universe.

Edited by gc10 on Aug 22nd 2020 at 3:59:57 PM

Malady (X-Troper)
#12559: Aug 22nd 2020 at 7:05:19 AM

Spoilerboxing all of Zuko's endearing bits is making it very hard to justify as this trope.

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Bootlebat Since: Dec, 2012
#12560: Aug 22nd 2020 at 7:52:21 AM

Could you have a male Lovable Alpha Bitch if they fit the trope more than Lovable Jock? For example: I would say Derek Zoolandercounts.

Edited by Bootlebat on Aug 22nd 2020 at 7:52:44 AM

antenna_ears from California Since: Apr, 2020 Relationship Status: Coming soon to theaters
#12561: Aug 22nd 2020 at 7:55:58 AM

[up] Aw yeah, Zoolander! Well, if being a girl and a high school setting aren't parts of the trope, then I think he might qualify, since he's pretty vain and diva-ish, but actually a nice guy who just can't read good. And he's a male model, so he's definitely not a jock.

Edited by antenna_ears on Aug 22nd 2020 at 9:47:08 AM

gc10 Human Bean from Pastastastan Since: Feb, 2019 Relationship Status: A cockroach, nothing can kill it.
Human Bean
#12562: Aug 22nd 2020 at 8:10:28 AM

[up][up][up]I badly worded that. There are attempts from his side to act as a normal guy even before his Heel–Face Turn. Example would be "he Cave of two Lovers" "Zuko Alone", when he finds shelter by two families of farmers, or "The Tales of Ba Sing Se", when he goes on a date with Jin, a girl of the city. In both episodes, his social ineptitude shows off as he alternates gurmpy, Comically Serious, No Sense of Humor reactions to goodhearted moments of genuine kindness and selflessness. Among the rest, in "Zuko Alone" he attempts to free Lee, the child of the family who accepted him, from a group of Earth Kingdom soldiers acting like a criminal gang, and in "Tales of Ba Sing Se" there's a memorable scene when Jin asks him what he likes to do for fun, and he simply replies "Nothing". Also, his backstory reveals that he was very attached to his mother Ursa, a loving mother and a kind woman, but she was eventually forced to flee from the Fire Nation, leaving Zuko at the mercy of his abusive father Fire Lord Ozai.


[up][up]Sure. I'm not familiar with that work exactly, but it's very possible for an author to write a character that is a male but otherwise closer to Alpha Bitch than Jerk Jock, "Lovable-" or not. Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter is for example mentioned often as a prime example of male Alpha Bitch.

Edited by gc10 on Aug 22nd 2020 at 5:21:01 PM

Bootlebat Since: Dec, 2012
#12563: Aug 22nd 2020 at 12:22:02 PM

I thought of another possible male Lovable Alpha Bitch: Kirby has King Dedede, who may be spoiled, self-centered, greedy, and above all, gluttonous, but isn't really a bad person and does care about his kingdom (at worst, he's probably True Neutral). Would this work or is there a better trope? (I was thinking maybe Royal Brat but he's an adult so I don't know.)

AegisP Kindhearted SSSSSNAKE Man Since: Oct, 2014 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
Kindhearted SSSSSNAKE Man
#12564: Aug 22nd 2020 at 12:38:01 PM

No. He isnt.

As long as this flower is in my heart. My Strength will flow without end.
antenna_ears from California Since: Apr, 2020 Relationship Status: Coming soon to theaters
#12565: Aug 22nd 2020 at 1:59:50 PM

[up] [up] No, Royal Brat would be fine, Lovable Alpha Bitch is definitely a stretch, you probably shouldn’t put Dedede there.

XFllo There is no Planet B from Planet A Since: Aug, 2012
There is no Planet B
#12566: Aug 22nd 2020 at 2:48:32 PM

Some tropes are very gendered. Alpha Bitch is an Always Female trope for a reason. Now, I can imagine rare male examples, but the guy who is an Alpha Bitch has to meet the requirements of the trope. For example, he can have stereotypically feminine traits, perhaps of the Camp Gay stereotype, or he can be the only guy among young women, thus imitating their behaviour and being the catty one... something like this.

The king from Kirby doesn't sound like an example of Lovable Alpha Bitch at all. Not lovable and not an Alpha Bitch either.

Edited by XFllo on Aug 22nd 2020 at 11:49:49 AM

Bootlebat Since: Dec, 2012
#12567: Aug 22nd 2020 at 3:56:01 PM

An existing example I've been meaning to mention for a while: under What's a Henway? we have this:

This sounds more like a case of Heh Heh, You Said "X" or That's What She Said to me, as she's not making up a fake word for a joke.

Edited by Bootlebat on Aug 22nd 2020 at 3:56:24 AM

Malady (X-Troper)
#12568: Aug 22nd 2020 at 4:05:15 PM

A bit of Sexual Euphemism... A bit of Un Entendre or something.

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Bootlebat Since: Dec, 2012
#12569: Aug 22nd 2020 at 4:14:32 PM

Don't think it's Un Entendre, I'm pretty sure she what knew what he meant (as she just got hit on the head) and was trying to make a dirty joke (he just seems confused, and she says something like "nevermind, I'm fine".)

Edited by Bootlebat on Aug 22nd 2020 at 5:30:58 AM

Malady (X-Troper)
#12570: Aug 22nd 2020 at 4:53:09 PM

Entendre Failure then?

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Bootlebat Since: Dec, 2012
#12571: Aug 22nd 2020 at 5:30:24 PM

On his end I guess. To me it seems like Heh Heh, You Said "X" based on the laconic description (he says something innocent, she turns it into a dirty joke.)

Edited by Bootlebat on Aug 22nd 2020 at 5:34:34 AM

Oshawott337 Since: Jul, 2020 Relationship Status: Longing for my OTP
#12572: Aug 22nd 2020 at 5:38:16 PM

For Eight Deadly Words to count, does it have to apply to every character with no exceptions?

"Let’s see who’s stronger: someone that has something to protect, or someone that has nothing to lose."
Malady (X-Troper)
#12573: Aug 22nd 2020 at 5:39:11 PM

[up][up] - It usually is both in tandem, but if the person understands the dirty joke, it's just Heh Heh, You Said "X" with no Entendre Failure.

Edited by Malady on Aug 22nd 2020 at 5:39:20 AM

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Bootlebat Since: Dec, 2012
#12574: Aug 22nd 2020 at 5:54:36 PM

Which trope do you recommend then?

Malady (X-Troper)
#12575: Aug 22nd 2020 at 6:15:34 PM

[up] - If I'm right, Heh Heh, You Said "X" requires a character to find it humorous, not for seduction... So just plain Sexual Euphemism with Entendre Failure?

Edited by Malady on Aug 22nd 2020 at 6:15:51 AM

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