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 You Know That Show and try your luck there. Want to propose a new trope? You should be over at You Know, That Thing Where.
Future Hair
Do we have a general Future Hair trope? We have things like Sci-Fi Bob Haircut, and Delinquent Hair, Anime Hair, Bald Women, and You Gotta Have Blue Hair cover a lot of the styles, but I was trying to find a page for that particular look where a character, usually a woman, has a fully shaved head apart from a very long ponytail.
I wasn't sure if Short Hair with Tail should cover cases where the character is completely shaved down everywhere but the tail — the intent is different, to look futuristic and exotic by our modern standards, rather than to look quirky and eccentric even in-universe. But I also wasn't sure there were enough examples for that to be its own page.
Edited by Unsung
It's not the weapon, it's the wielder.
So Alice and Bob are fighting. Alice is armed with weaponry, tech, and whatever other equipment that's superior to Bob's. Nevertheless, Bob wins the fight because he's simply more skilled at working with what he's got.
Absurdly Close Combat
Surely we have this one...
- Tanks that engage from 30m away. - Helicopters that hover so close to an enemy they can be jumped on. - Starships that battle 100m away instead of kilometres. - Bombers that can be shot down by an arrow
I can't find it.
Stoic Fear
When a character is scared of something but they keep calm on the facial expression and their tone of voice while their body language is going buck wild.
Like constantly facing the nearest exit, their body quivering with fear, gazes wandering around the room not wanting to see the thing that they are afraid of, thumbs twiddling on their laps, heart pounding, palms sweaty, knees weak, arms heavy, there is vomit on their sweater already.
Edited by Andermann
Kidnappers Lure Children With Sweets
Is there a trope for kids being lured into vans by using candy?
We have no "Death is Cold" trope, right? Just subtropes?
We have no "Death is Cold" trope, right? Just subtropes?
Trying to find the trope for a statement of "cold as death" from Fanfic.Dungeon Keeper Ami, but since the god of undeath is implied a little later, Chill of Undeath might be more accurate...
Note to Self: Examples:
- Yukionna
- Hel?
A Man Must Make More Than His Wife
A situation where a man refuses to ask a woman in marriage (or even confess his feelings for her) because she's richer than him/makes more money than him/he's not rich enough to spare his wife from working/is afraid that he'll be seen as a Gold Digger, etc.
Usually played for laughs, with everyone (the woman included) telling him to stop being a romantic idiot and propose already.
Unacceptable name
Is there a trope for names that are no longer used for the most part due to association with some really bad person? (Adolf being the Trope Codifier)
Happening Too Early
EXAMPLE:
- The main character returns to his home city to fend off the villain and his army of robots that resemble him and are mind-controlled by him. He quips about an robot invasion making more sense if it was 2050 instead of 2021, the year and setting of the fictional work.
Kids vs Adults
Some stories treat kids and adults like two separate factions. Usually the adults are authoritative and morally wrong, while the kids are rebellious and morally right. Prime examples include Run Aways, Codename: Kids Next Door and Witch & Wizard
Do we have a trope to describe this kind of plot.
Edited by Namor21
Superhero origin has to stay the same? Film
Is there a trope like The Stations of the Canon but for a superhero Origin Story, i.e. Batman always witnesses his parents murder, Supergirl always is born on Krypton and exiled to Earth, and the origin story cannot or should not be changed, regardless of whether the work is a Continuity Reboot, Alternate Continuity or Revival?
Basically, an origin story that always has to stay the same for a particular superhero, and should only ever get minor updates as Society Marches On?
I have read Backstory Index but not sure if there's a trope for this.
Edited by Merseyuser1
Same Body Coordination Problem
When multiple people are occupying the same body or piloting the same mecha, and their are having problem coordinating.
Un-break the cutie
Is there a trope that basically reverses Break the Cutie, for when a broken cutie is restored to his/her idealism?
Anime seating chart
The main character in a school setting sits in a middle row in a desk near the window, possibly with their Love Interest in an adjacent seat. Do we have one for this?
Soul empowered items
Do we have a trope for when a weapon or item has special powers because it's been imbued with the soul of someone?
No Title
A man gets a woman pregnant and offers to marry her. What trope is that? There's no third-party so its not a Shotgun Wedding.
Harmless Zombie
The Zombie Apocalypse came and went... and it turned out pretty well. Apparently zombies just weren't that dangerous to begin with, or alternatively, someone figured out a way to neutralize the threat from a zombie, or maybe from ALL zombies.
This trope has two variants.
-The zombies in the setting just aren't really dangerous to begin with. They're not aggressive, they don't bite, they don't infect people.
—Example from Roadside Picnic: the main character's father, who died before the story started and was buried in what would become the Zone, eventually comes back to life thanks to the Zone's weird powers, and he goes back home and just kinds of wanders around like a senile grandpa, he occasionally talks and he eats at their table and doesn't pose any kind of threat. Instead of being a decrepit zombie, he apparently radiates good health
—Example from The Sims 2: Zombies can be brought to life (either by trying to pay the Grim Reaper for a resurrection but being too cheap, a Genie wish backfiring or an evil spell). The zombies don't bite Sims and spread zombiness. They just groan and shamble around, lose their personality, and inspire disgust, but they can learn skills, take jobs, have relationships, and just keep on (un)living. And they're immortal.
-Zombies are dangerous, but someone figured how to make one harmless and even useful. This can be on a small scale (a survivor removes the jaw and arms of a zombie so it can't grab or bite) or a large one (all zombies have their jaws removed and are used as menial labor).
—Example from Shaun of the Dead: after the zombie apocalypse is dealt with quickly and efficiently, the zombies are given muzzles and used for things like sweeping the floor, operating checkout lines, or in game shows for entertainment.
—Example from Fido: There was a zombie apocalypse thanks to magical space radiation, but things stayed under control and zombies are outfitted with collars that make them docile and people keep them in their houses for, once again, menial labor.
Edited by Commander_Ysenir
WTF Are You Doing
When the team is facing dire situations, and one character, usually The Quiet One, without explaining their plan or what they’re going to do to their teammates and just start doing something dangerous, causing everyone else to panic.
Edited by Andermann
How Did You Know
When a character is telling a story from the past, but they are somehow able to tell the story from other character's perspective.
Boarding School of Horror Escape
Is there a trope dedicated specifically to kids escaping boarding/reform schools? There's the 'Great Escape', but that is more focused on prison escapes.
Makes it even sadder
What's more sad than watching a character lose everything they hold dear? Why, seeing how happy they were in the flashback, of course.
You're Nothing Without Me & I Didn't Mean it
You're Nothing Without Me: A stock phrase where a character claim that without them the other person would be worthless.
I Didn't Mean it: When a character delivered a "The Reason You Suck" Speech and immediately regret it.
Example: Bob: "You always scold me for being apathetic and heartless, for never being there when you need me, but the truth is I am constantly saving you, and you would've been dead ten times over if it weren't for me. From the hand of the bandits, from jaw of the orge, from the edge of the cliff; From your own foolishness, from the danger you get into for your 'heroic action' and your 'just cause'. You constantly berate me for being useless, but the truth is: You're nothing without me, you're just a worthless hero wannabe." and Bob sees Alice is on the verge of crying and he goes: "I... I was... I didn't mean to..."
But alas, Alice run away crying before he gets to finish.
Edited by Andermann
No Title
I just deleted this example of Minimalist Cast from CN City:
- Because every city-goer was a named character from a CN show, a few had to pull double duty and take certain jobs; Ed worked as a busboy, Him worked at a barbershop, and Buck Tudrussel ran a gym.
It obviously doesn't fit Minimalist Cast, but it does sound like another trope I've read about but can't remember the name of.
Unbreakable Transferable Curse
A curse that can't be broken but instead is transferred to another victim (usually unknowingly), causing a long chain of victims tricking other people into taking up their burden.
Inexplicably Wealthy Villain
What's the trope for when the villain inexplicably has endless wealth and resources? Example: Eggman from the Sonic games as he is always able to built more robots, facories, space stations etc. This trope sometimes applies to heroes but that's pretty rare
Edited by Bootlebat