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newaccount Naked kitten from Super Hell (Experienced Trainee) Relationship Status: Complex: I'm real, they are imaginary
Naked kitten
#3676: Apr 18th 2025 at 8:15:40 AM

9/10 Just wholesome.

Non-Action Big Bad

Free the hostages in the Troubled Teen Industry
petersohn from Earth, Solar System (Long Runner) Relationship Status: Hiding
#3677: Apr 18th 2025 at 11:55:17 AM

7.5/10. It's perfectly logical that the Big Bad mostly coordinates things while their minions do the dirty work. Of course, there is nothing wrong with the opposite either.


Death Seeker

Fjón þvæ ég af mér fjanda minna rán og reiði ríkra manna.
ComradeTom Enemy of the working people watched by StB from Eastern Bohemia Since: Nov, 2023 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Enemy of the working people watched by StB
#3678: Apr 18th 2025 at 12:29:23 PM

6/10 - On a thin line between interesting and edgy.


You Need to Get Laid

Edited by ComradeTom on Apr 18th 2025 at 9:29:39 PM

Veritas Vincit.
DeadlyEspresso Mister Pendleton from your local Popeyes Since: Apr, 2023
Mister Pendleton
#3679: Apr 18th 2025 at 12:30:44 PM

3/10. Not everyone NEEDS to get laid, even if they may WANT to.


Rummage Sale Reject

I literally cannot make out with a television the fuck
Ego-Man25 Since: Mar, 2015 Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
#3680: Apr 18th 2025 at 12:39:09 PM

[up][up] 4.9/10. I gotta add, even as someone who does see merit in this trope every so often… it isn't really conducive towards satisfying character arcs, if it's literally just that simple. Sometimes getting laid isn't enough, and the issue lies DEEPER.


[up] 5/10. Sometimes it's too ridiculous for its own good, and sometimes I abuse the hell out of this trope… but then sometimes it being too ridiculous for its own good, IS the point, and thus we're intrigued to see where they're going with this.
Simple Solution Won't Work

Self-professed Wild Card who thinks cynicism isn't so bad.
Mattman_the_Storyteller Since: Aug, 2018
petersohn from Earth, Solar System (Long Runner) Relationship Status: Hiding
#3682: Apr 18th 2025 at 2:24:11 PM

9/10. There is something satisfying in seeing special things being used for everyday purposes. Just be careful not to break it.


Cavalry Betrayal

Fjón þvæ ég af mér fjanda minna rán og reiði ríkra manna.
Angry_Clown (Troper Journeyman) Relationship Status: All is for my lord
#3683: Apr 19th 2025 at 3:55:16 PM

6/10

I don't remember if I've seen any examples of this trope, but, in theory, it seems like a decent subversion trope.

Old Master

Edited by Angry_Clown on Apr 19th 2025 at 7:55:54 AM

Just a simple man, making my way through the Tropes.
Ego-Man25 Since: Mar, 2015 Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
#3684: Apr 19th 2025 at 4:20:41 PM

9.5/10. I have a soft spot for this trope, I'm not gonna lie to you guys. The Old Master, as you Tropers would imagine, is a character archetype where, for a stark change of pace, when the old man (or old lady, either/or) says to you that they've already SEEN it all... you're inclined to believe them. If, for a sparring or training session, they're handing your ass to you on a silver platter, despite initially appearing as though they couldn't be that formidable or dangerous due to their old age... then for that exact moment in time, you will begin to respect these specific elders.

Definitely helps that these are the types of geriatric characters who actively aren't all that interested in maintaining foolish façades, when they and you (i.e. the main protagonist) know full well that shit's about to go down, and they are, by and large, amazing at helping to move the plot along when they're needed. Would recommend.


Wise Beyond Their Years

Self-professed Wild Card who thinks cynicism isn't so bad.
petersohn from Earth, Solar System (Long Runner) Relationship Status: Hiding
#3685: Apr 19th 2025 at 11:45:48 PM

6.5/10. It can go both ways. If it's well thought out character trait by the writer that a child acts more maturely than others in their age, which has a good reason that's an important part of the characterization, then it's a satisfying trope. However, there are many ways this can go wrong. At the simplest, it's the case of Most Writers Are Adults and the writer just fails to consider how a child would act in a certain situation. Or the plot calls for a Kid Hero to solve something that would normally require the thought process of an adult, and the writer just lazily makes the protagonist be able to solve it, without putting in an effort to have the character any reason to act more maturely than expected given their age. In these cases the trope can come off as contrived.


Nazi Grandpa

Fjón þvæ ég af mér fjanda minna rán og reiði ríkra manna.
Weirdguy149 Former King from Lumiose City Since: Jul, 2014 Relationship Status: I'd jump in front of a train for ya!
Former King
#3686: Apr 20th 2025 at 4:50:31 AM

3/10, the only insight that can be mined out of this trope is "Boy howdy, the Nazis really did fucking suck, huh?", which, no shit, but it makes all of them just interchangeable unsympathetic asshats that you want to see die, that's no fun.

Open and Shut

The legend has returned.
RWBYraikou888 The Undercover Troper from The Kingdom of Atlas Since: Aug, 2020 Relationship Status: Complex: I'm real, they are imaginary
The Undercover Troper
#3687: Apr 20th 2025 at 7:32:08 AM

7/10. Usually takes a lot of creative writing to make it work, but it pays off when it does.


Rock Me, Amadeus!

Orcus on His Throne will always be my pet peeve.
newaccount Naked kitten from Super Hell (Experienced Trainee) Relationship Status: Complex: I'm real, they are imaginary
Naked kitten
#3688: Apr 20th 2025 at 9:04:50 AM

8/10. Yes.

Villain Song

Free the hostages in the Troubled Teen Industry
petersohn from Earth, Solar System (Long Runner) Relationship Status: Hiding
#3689: Apr 20th 2025 at 9:49:52 AM

It's difficult to rate as it's a function trope. In any work the villain and their motives need to be introduced somehow. In a musical piece, it will usually be done via a Villain Song, for obvious reasons. That being said, I'm giving this a 8/10 as these tend to be really powerful pieces.


Troubled Sympathetic Bigot

Fjón þvæ ég af mér fjanda minna rán og reiði ríkra manna.
RWBYraikou888 The Undercover Troper from The Kingdom of Atlas Since: Aug, 2020 Relationship Status: Complex: I'm real, they are imaginary
The Undercover Troper
#3690: Apr 20th 2025 at 11:48:40 AM

5.5/10. This is really difficult to pull off well. I can name a few, like Barok van Zieks, but unless you can make the sympathetic traits outweigh the bigotry, they're very likely to become Unintentionally Unsympathetic.


Curse of Babel

Orcus on His Throne will always be my pet peeve.
DeadlyEspresso Mister Pendleton from your local Popeyes Since: Apr, 2023
Mister Pendleton
#3691: Apr 20th 2025 at 12:03:18 PM

6.5/10. I really only know about this trope from the Tower of Babel myth, but being able to put your characters in a situation where they can't properly communicate with one another can pose plenty of interesting scenarios.


"How I Wrote This Article" Article

I literally cannot make out with a television the fuck
Weirdguy149 Former King from Lumiose City Since: Jul, 2014 Relationship Status: I'd jump in front of a train for ya!
Former King
#3692: Apr 20th 2025 at 1:36:33 PM

7/10, it reeks of laziness but it also reminds me of the time I had to write bullshit essays for college, and I look back at that time sort of fondly.

Disappears into Light

The legend has returned.
Mattman_the_Storyteller Since: Aug, 2018
#3693: Apr 20th 2025 at 1:58:52 PM

5/10. I don't have a strong opinion on this one.


Zen Slap

generation81 Since: Aug, 2021
petersohn from Earth, Solar System (Long Runner) Relationship Status: Hiding
Omega1065 Since: Nov, 2023
#3696: Apr 21st 2025 at 12:37:16 AM

[up][up] 8/10. For me, that's Black Comedy at its best: being capable of still smiling even when faced with the horrors of the world. Being capable of laughing in face of said horrors. And showing how, in the end of the day, said horrors can be rather pathetic, if you think about it. I mean, you tell me that you are the "master race" and still lost hard to the so called "subhumans"? Give me a break. And as you can see, the Nazis are the perfect target for this.

[up] 6/10. No strong feelings about.


Politically Correct Villain

Edited by Omega1065 on Apr 21st 2025 at 9:38:30 PM

RWBYraikou888 The Undercover Troper from The Kingdom of Atlas Since: Aug, 2020 Relationship Status: Complex: I'm real, they are imaginary
The Undercover Troper
#3697: Apr 21st 2025 at 3:42:18 AM

7/10. Borders on being a function trope, but it is a nice showcase of Even Evil Has Standards.


Bowling for Ratings

Orcus on His Throne will always be my pet peeve.
MatthewLMayfield from wherever he damn well pleases (Captain) Relationship Status: I wanna know what love is
petersohn from Earth, Solar System (Long Runner) Relationship Status: Hiding
#3699: Apr 22nd 2025 at 1:13:45 PM

8/10. While its opposite, Bad Boss, is there to make a villain more despicable, this one is the more realistic version on the side of Pragmatic Villainy. Pay your minions well, they will serve you more faithfully.


The Worf Effect

Fjón þvæ ég af mér fjanda minna rán og reiði ríkra manna.
RWBYraikou888 The Undercover Troper from The Kingdom of Atlas Since: Aug, 2020 Relationship Status: Complex: I'm real, they are imaginary
The Undercover Troper
#3700: Apr 23rd 2025 at 4:30:54 AM

7.5/10. Good in small doses, but can lead to Badass Decay if abused.


"Dear John" Letter

Orcus on His Throne will always be my pet peeve.

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