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.
Fjón þvæ ég af mér fjanda minna rán og reiði ríkra manna.
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.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
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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.
Simple Solution Won't Work Self-professed Wild Card who thinks cynicism isn't so bad.
9/10. There is something satisfying in seeing special things being used for everyday purposes. Just be careful not to break it.
Fjón þvæ ég af mér fjanda minna rán og reiði ríkra manna.
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.
Edited by Angry_Clown on Apr 19th 2025 at 7:55:54 AM
Just a simple man, making my way through the Tropes.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.
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.
Fjón þvæ ég af mér fjanda minna rán og reiði ríkra manna.
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.
The legend has returned.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.
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.
Fjón þvæ ég af mér fjanda minna rán og reiði ríkra manna.
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.
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
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.
The legend has returned.7.5/10. Why should this guy be exempt from being made fun of?
Fjón þvæ ég af mér fjanda minna rán og reiði ríkra manna.
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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.
6/10. No strong feelings about.
Edited by Omega1065 on Apr 21st 2025 at 9:38:30 PM
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.
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.
Fjón þvæ ég af mér fjanda minna rán og reiði ríkra manna.
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.

9/10 Just wholesome.
Non-Action Big Bad
Free the hostages in the Troubled Teen Industry