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CosmosAndChaos Shigaraki from Brazil (Don’t ask) Relationship Status: Hugging my pillow
Shigaraki
#3651: Apr 15th 2025 at 2:30:27 PM

7.8/10 Subverting childhood innocence is always surprising.


Dumb Muscle

I never watched My Hero Academia, but his Death Battle with Mahito made me like him.
Ego-Man25 Since: Mar, 2015 Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
#3652: Apr 15th 2025 at 2:53:17 PM

5.1/10. It's a function trope, what exactly were you expecting the answer to be? Me to take offense at the big, brawny dummies of the world? Please, they're punchline fodder! And lord only knows I get my actual kicks by having fun with Genius Bruisers! The Bruiser Dumbasses of the world, they are simple. They are contented. When life gives them lemons, they make lemons work. They have the right idea, making lemons work. Why don't Tropers like US do the exact same more often?

(To be clear, I was not remotely serious when I asked that last question.)

Obviously, not one of my favorite tropes, but a trope does not need to be one of your favorites, in order to have fun with it, for crying out loud. Sometimes, there is mileage upon mileage that you can wring... from the Dumb Muscle having a genuinely good point for once. Sometimes, the Dumb Muscle character just works... JUST like lemons do.


Genius Bruiser For the diametric opposite end of the intelligence scale pertaining to The Big Guy archetypes.

Edited by Ego-Man25 on Apr 15th 2025 at 2:55:46 AM

Self-professed Wild Card who thinks cynicism isn't so bad.
Angry_Clown (Troper Journeyman) Relationship Status: All is for my lord
#3653: Apr 15th 2025 at 3:04:20 PM

9/10

Characters like this tend to be really awesome and memorable, not to mention it's a great way of subverting expectations of Dumb Muscle.


Autobots, Rock Out!

Edited by Angry_Clown on Apr 15th 2025 at 7:04:40 AM

Just a simple man, making my way through the Tropes.
Bluethorn They're back! from Partash Since: Jan, 2018 Relationship Status: Star-crossed
They're back!
#3654: Apr 15th 2025 at 3:50:08 PM

10/10. This is easily one of the best ways to make awesome battle music.


Villain by Default

Currently playing Yooka-Replaylee
J99908 It’s your BATH time! from A bathtub Since: Jun, 2023 Relationship Status: It's not my fault I'm not popular!
It’s your BATH time!
#3655: Apr 15th 2025 at 6:00:15 PM

6/10. Some of them make sense, while some are just stereotypes.

He Knows About Timed Hits

It builds character.
MatthewLMayfield from wherever he damn well pleases (Captain) Relationship Status: I wanna know what love is
#3656: Apr 15th 2025 at 6:02:45 PM

3/10 Not too big on that myself, feels like it takes you out of the narrative

Because I Said So

Ego-Man25 Since: Mar, 2015 Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
#3657: Apr 15th 2025 at 6:19:30 PM

5/10. Hear me out: many have this as a Pet-Peeve Trope. Many would rank it far lower… and have a compelling argument to rank it lower… but here's my deal: I see it as more of a function trope, and a SET-UP Trope, two-in-one. Depending on what (if any) actual reason is being hidden, depending on the severity, one have this as a smokescreen for an actual GOOD reason… or maybe it's a Secret Test of Characteror maybe it's the simple fact of the matter that one character is the other character's boss, and that principle alone should be enough.

It's easy to drop the ball, obviously, so I'm not ranking it higher… buuuut… perhaps it's worth experimenting around with.


They're Called "Personal Issues" for a Reason For if you want something actually substantial to work with.

Edited by Ego-Man25 on Apr 16th 2025 at 9:36:30 AM

Self-professed Wild Card who thinks cynicism isn't so bad.
RWBYraikou888 The Undercover Troper from The Kingdom of Atlas Since: Aug, 2020 Relationship Status: Complex: I'm real, they are imaginary
The Undercover Troper
#3658: Apr 16th 2025 at 6:09:12 AM

7/10. This one's a slippery slope, but it's one I've had issues with myself, so I see the merit in having this trope come into play.


Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse

Orcus on His Throne will always be my pet peeve.
KoshaVinka The Yggdrasil Cretin from Rimestrov Since: Apr, 2022 Relationship Status: You're the prettiest girl this side of the Mississippi
The Yggdrasil Cretin
#3659: Apr 16th 2025 at 6:39:01 AM

9/10, You were enough of a coward to let a cruel world shape you into a cruel person, you hurt innocents and made whatever justified vengeance or noble goal you had worthless and whatever remorse you have is also worth jack if you keep hurting people despite how sorry you feel. You can do good at any moment, so either you start now (though you'd still be a long way from redemption) or you are just a monster.

I apreciate when a work puts it like it is. Even if redemption is not out of the table, the reason a person is evil should not be the excuse.


Brown Note Being

LunarianManeki Ace Trainer from EPCOT Since: Nov, 2024 Relationship Status: In another castle
Ace Trainer
#3660: Apr 16th 2025 at 10:52:11 AM

6/10 I say this trope only works if the being in question isn't shown. Rarely in fiction will you have a character who is truly harmful to look at, mostly because that would require making them harmful to look at, so depictions end up being a let-down.


Batman Can Breathe in Space

Sometimes in fiction, robotic arms with White Gloves on them will be part of a machine. Does anyone know what I'm talking about?
Mattman_the_Storyteller Since: Aug, 2018
Weirdguy149 Former King from Lumiose City Since: Jul, 2014 Relationship Status: I'd jump in front of a train for ya!
Former King
#3662: Apr 16th 2025 at 12:02:06 PM

5/10, heavily depends on the tone and the method. Magic and a goofy tone are fine by me; modern surgery and a serious tone really do not fit.

Stock Beehive

The legend has returned.
Ego-Man25 Since: Mar, 2015 Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
#3663: Apr 16th 2025 at 12:44:54 PM

5/10. Let's be real, here: this is a function trope, we know it to be a function trope. Obviously actual beehives are going to look far more complicated and complex, but if you're just trying to get your obligatory bees scene outta the way, this gets the job done.


Hidden Disdain Reveal I actually really like this one. Makes for juicy drama scenes.

Self-professed Wild Card who thinks cynicism isn't so bad.
DecafGrub47393 Since: Oct, 2013 Relationship Status: Love is an open door
#3664: Apr 16th 2025 at 4:34:17 PM

7 / 10. Oersted becoming Odio is a shining example of this trope.

Permanently Missable Content

Here's looking at you, kid.
MatthewLMayfield from wherever he damn well pleases (Captain) Relationship Status: I wanna know what love is
#3665: Apr 16th 2025 at 4:39:13 PM

3/10 Definitely hate how some things become inaccessible after I do some certain things. Though I can see how it can make sense in certain cases

Game Night Fight

Superjohn Muscle witch from Tokyo Empire Since: Jul, 2015 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
Muscle witch
#3666: Apr 16th 2025 at 6:05:31 PM

6/10 can be mildly amusing and funny on occasion.

The Scourge of God

"Give our Captain back, you jerks!"
RWBYraikou888 The Undercover Troper from The Kingdom of Atlas Since: Aug, 2020 Relationship Status: Complex: I'm real, they are imaginary
The Undercover Troper
#3667: Apr 17th 2025 at 3:32:54 AM

7/10. Unique moral dilemma that I don't really see applied all too often.


Heart Is an Awesome Power

[down]Actually, it's at the Image Pickin' threads.

Edited by RWBYraikou888 on Apr 17th 2025 at 8:04:04 AM

Orcus on His Throne will always be my pet peeve.
Ego-Man25 Since: Mar, 2015 Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
#3668: Apr 17th 2025 at 3:55:30 AM

7.2/10. And now, dearest tropers, we've come to a veritable classic of a trope… a trope that, narratively speaking, indicates an author, or slew of writers, who have efficiently proven themselves to have understood the assignment given to them, in regards to taking a seemingly mediocre set of powers, and abusing their true, staggeringly broken potential most couldn't even FATHOM. It's the easy route, making someone who self-immolates, who flings around their own rock-coated body, or who deploys barriers… to say nothing of those who stop time… but what of the rubber band body? What of pushing things, what of pushing concepts? What of summoning goldfish, and all related family members… like mountainous river carps who can turn into East Asian Serpentine Dragon Gods?

If I have to dock some points, however… it's that there is a lot of inconsistent leeway, on what's initially presented as flimsy or unviable, versus what people could pick up immediately that could become useful once they get a hang of things. There's a lot of nebulous territory that needs ironed out… which is presumably why this is at the Trope Repair Shop Image Pickin' Thread in the first place.


Difficult, but Awesome For the trope that I believe gets THIS trope's idea across much more consistently.

Edited by Ego-Man25 on Apr 17th 2025 at 5:13:05 AM

Self-professed Wild Card who thinks cynicism isn't so bad.
DeadlyEspresso Mister Pendleton from your local Popeyes Since: Apr, 2023
Mister Pendleton
#3669: Apr 17th 2025 at 11:39:16 AM

8.5/10. I think Vee from Dandy's World gave me a guilty pleasure for characters that are hard to work with at first but are AMAZING when you learn to use them well.


Joke Character

I literally cannot make out with a television the fuck
CosmosAndChaos Shigaraki from Brazil (Don’t ask) Relationship Status: Hugging my pillow
Shigaraki
#3670: Apr 17th 2025 at 12:28:15 PM

9/10 I love them.


Pantsless Males, Fully-Dressed Females

I never watched My Hero Academia, but his Death Battle with Mahito made me like him.
J99908 It’s your BATH time! from A bathtub Since: Jun, 2023 Relationship Status: It's not my fault I'm not popular!
It’s your BATH time!
#3671: Apr 17th 2025 at 7:40:39 PM

I honestly didn’t know this was a trope until now. But, 5/10. Make it equal in designs.

Superhero Packing Heat

It builds character.
petersohn from Earth, Solar System (Long Runner) Relationship Status: Hiding
#3672: Apr 17th 2025 at 11:28:16 PM

6/10. I'm not too much into superheroes, so I'm mostly neutral about it, but guns being extremely practical weapons, especially when dealing things like supervillains, so why wouldn't a superhero out to save the world use them?


Big Good

Edited by petersohn on Apr 17th 2025 at 8:28:43 PM

Fjón þvæ ég af mér fjanda minna rán og reiði ríkra manna.
Omega1065 Since: Nov, 2023
#3673: Apr 18th 2025 at 12:28:13 AM

8/10. It's always cool to see the heroes having a great leadership.


Villain Protagonist

Mattman_the_Storyteller Since: Aug, 2018
#3674: Apr 18th 2025 at 3:39:56 AM

7/10. It depends on what makes the protagonist evil and whether or not they deserve sympathy.


Second Law of Gender-Bending

Weirdguy149 Former King from Lumiose City Since: Jul, 2014 Relationship Status: I'd jump in front of a train for ya!
Former King
#3675: Apr 18th 2025 at 4:37:47 AM

7/10, I don't really consume much media where the Gender Bender trope is a key component of the plot (mostly just El Goonish Shive), but I think it's a pretty important function trope for it to work well and not be a depressing change.

One of the Kids

The legend has returned.

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