The TVTropes Trope Finder is where you can come to ask questions like "Do we have this one?" and "What's the trope about...?" Trying to rediscover a long lost show or other medium but need a little help? Head to Media Finder and try your luck there. Want to propose a new trope? You should be over at the Trope Launch Pad.
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openApologizing To The Grave Of A Departed son, nephew, friend... Film
I'm not sure if this is a single trope or a mix of two or more, but here goes. Pretty much what happens is : a father-figure apologizing to the grave of his departed son, nephew, friend, et cetara because said son, nephew, friend, et cetera belonged to a group the father-figure did not like or understand. (Though, usually, it's because the son, nephew, friend, et cetara was homosexual and the father-figure was homophobic.).
opennot as dirty as it sounds Film
What is it called when it sounds like something dirty is happening, then it's revealed to be more innocent? It happens in The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen, but on that page it's just under Getting Crap Past the Radar, which is kind of the opposite.
Edited by maarvarqopenJazzy Jive-speaking Hepcat Film
Basically, this character archetype most often wears sunglasses, talks with heavy jive slang, calls people daddy-o and probably has a motif with funky jazz in the background. They're too cool for school. They probably have an open button-up shirt for the chest sexiness. They're also probably played for laughs.
The best example I have right now is Detective Dupin from A Series of Unfortunate Events, but I know for a fact there are more characters with his cliche trope somewhere.
I looked at the CoolCat trope, but I was wondering if there could be something more specific?
openEverybody aim at Wally! Film
A lone character is suddenly confronted by a crowd of people all pointing guns at him/her. Usually played for laughs, but can be done straight as well.
Edited by AVR2openIs there a trope for when the villain has nude or topless women lounging around his lair or palace? Film
Im not talking about Caligula. I'm pretty sure we have tropes for orgies and perversion and sex parties and hedonism. I'm talking about when the main villain has some sort of lair or penthouse or whatever, it usually pretty fancy but occasionally a craphole, and for no obvious reason he has topless women or nude women just hanging around not doing much of anything. They provide ambiance or decoration, but they don't engage in sex orgies or service him or his minions. Normally only seen in R rated or unrated movies, sometimes they are bikini-clad if its PG. Is that a trope?
openContainer Of Light / Glowing MacGuffin Film
Not sure what the searching criteria would even be, but is there already a trope for anything (chest, suitcase, bag, etc) which unleashes a magical glow when it is opened? I can think of several examples where this happens in media (the Pulp Fiction suitcase, chests in The Legend of Zelda games, Santa's bag in Ernest Saves Christmas) and want to make sure it doesn't exist before making it a trope. I put film as a category but this occurs in other mediums than that.
openIs there a name for this trope? Film
A trope in which a character dives into a place beneath the subconscience that is not a literal place, but can often be used to communicate with other persons or entities in a surreal, dream like state or even used to commune with the dead. Some examples would include
- Kingdom Hearts' Dive into the heart sequences at the beginning of KH 1 and 2
- Black Panther when he goes unconcious to speak with his deceased father for guidance
- Lion King when Simba is off on his own and sees a manifestation of his deceased father.
- Ichigo Kurosaki from Bleach when he is speaking to his sword spirit within himself.
- Deadpool when he is on the verge of death speaking sweetly to his late girlfriend.
What exactly is this surrealist dream, sentimental ghost chat trope called?
openPost-Credits Ending Film
A scene from a movie which plays after the end credits, before the movie's end. (I see that Ed, Edd n Eddy's Big Picture Show has one, anyone know of any other examples?)
Edited by TimonAndPumbaa623openWhile You Were Still in Diapers Film
Any media actually. I know the trope, but I need to know how it would be played in these two settings.
1. Say you have an older man named Chris and a baby, let us call him, I do not know, Alex. Chris is doing something that proves he is much more knowledgeable in an area, such as working undercover. He points to Alex, as Alex sits there giggling, and proclaims "I have been doing while you were still in diapers", only to realize at that moment, well, he still is.
2. Say you have that same man say the same thing, but to an older kid. However, for some reason, the kid becomes a baby again, and the man once again forgets this for the moment and says it.
I think both would be a parodied trope, but I wanted to know what the rest of you think.
Thank you in advance.
openLights, Camera, Action! Film
The thing where the production team will shout "LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION!" and then clap the little clapboard thing before a take. Is that a trope on here?
If not, is it just because nobody has bothered, or is it too chairy to be one?
openOnly Appears in Archived Footage Film
A trope where a historical figure (or more) from the 20th or 21st century only appears as archived footage in a videogame or a live-action TV show/movie instead of being played by an actor. I've seen Forrest Gump and The Umbrella Academy (2019) do this.
Does anyone know if this has a trope here?
Edited by AgentJoestaropenLie-Truth Trope Film
Do we have this trope? You see this in sit-coms ALL.THE.TIME. Step 1: One character will lie. Step 2. Another character will call them on it. Step 3: The first character will immediately blurt out the truth. Step 4: Hilarity ensues. Alternative: Step 1: Character mentions something another character did that was "bad", Step 2: Second Character denies and denies doing it. Step 3: First character gives second character the side-eye with twisted-up mouth, Step 4: Second character blurts "Ok, Ok I did it". Step 5: Hilarity ensues. The whole plot of the show "Friends" was about this trope.
Edited by OdelphiopenCannot use magic. If you do it kills you Film
You see it all the time: "good" characters are not suppose to use magic, if they do, it goes horribly wrong unless they are using on someone bad. "Bad" characters will use their magic, but it ultimately kills them. Is there a trope already for this? I am thinking about the old TV show Bewitched where Samantha is constantly chastised for using magic, even if the magic is for the greater good, like getting Darren a promotion or having his ad go viral (in a 60's kind of way). In the old TV show Jeannie, dimwitted Jeannie will use her magic but it always goes horribly wrong.
Edited by OdelphiopenObnoxious 3D effects Film
Is there a trope for 3D movies where they have stuff come flying at the audience just because it’s a 3D movie? Popcorn, paddleballs…
openChase into traffic? Film
This turns up in most adventure and police procedural dramas. The hero is chasing the bad guy down sidewalks, across streets, and almost always has to dodge pedesterian traffic and moving vehicles. Even television shows use this on a regular basis. Sometimes the bad guy gets hit by a truck and killed.
Is there a trope for this?
openSomeone Being Dragged Scratches Floor Film
is there a trope to describe that thing when a person in a horror film is being dragged on the floor and their nails leave long scratch marks?
Specifically, something like this: https://youtu.be/VNxwdkzEM1s?t=275
openWhat's that noise? Film
Someone wakes up at night, or is woken up by their partner, because they hear a noise downstairs, and they grab a baseball bat, golf club or heavy boot/shoe/blunt object with which to ward off the, possibly imaginary, intruder.
openCast the Expert but it’s a studio? Film
So apparently, before their involvement in the Sonic the Hedgehog movies, Blur Studio was involved in making cutscenes for Shadow the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog (2006). Is Cast the Expert appropriate for this or is there a more fitting trope?
openReal-time Sequel Gap Film
This is when the amount of time in-universe between a story and its sequel is the same as the amount of time in real life between their releases. This is often used to have the characters age up with the audience, and show what happened to them long after their original story ended. I’m thinking of cases where it isn’t just a coincidence, where it’s a core part of the sequel’s premise.
Examples: Cobra Kai, Toy Story 3, Halloween (2018), Star Trek Picard, the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
This feels specific enough to be a trope, and it seems to be becoming pretty popular in the last few years. Do we have a page for it?

A character who is envious