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 You Know, That Thing Where.
Find a Trope:
openExperience Outranks Everything
A situation is going on, and Bob (someone of low rank) feels justified in giving orders to people of higher rank because he has more experience at dealing with this sort of situation, so he genuinely knows what to do better than they do. (This may or may not lead to him being an Ignored Expert.)
openBeing politically neutral
What's a trope for when someone who has potential political power refuses to use it and stays out of politics?
openBad Explanation Snowballs
Someone gives a halfhearted explanation that's taken to heart by someone who doesn't get that it wasn't exactly accurate, and problems ensue.
Something like this:
- Alice (6 years old): Dad, what's "raping" mean?Bob: Where did you learn that word, sweetie?Alice: At school from Dennis. He says he saw it on Game of Thrones.Bob: It, uh... it means forcing someone to do something they don't want to do. School phone number, let's see...-later-Carla: Eat your broccoli, Alice. And then go clean your room.Alice: Daaaaad, Mom's raping me!
openShared Super Identity
Related to Legacy Character. When multiple characters have the same alter-ego at once. I'm thinking specifically of the influx of superheroes sharing names (eg the Flash, the Wasp, the Falcon, Spider-Man, and, of course, Green Lantern). Kind of the opposite of Legacy Launch.
openBottle from nowhere
in games with potion making systems, often you don't need a supply of bottles to keep your potions in; each potion you craft magically appears in its own bottle, and the bottle just as magically disappears when the potion is consumed. do we have this one?
openBoss Continues Attack Videogame
A boss has a ranged attack, which they continually fire for a set period of time, regardless of whether the player is still in range. The player could get out of range, get behind the boss, and attack the boss while said boss continues their attack in the wrong direction.
This query was sparked by Shantae and the Seven Sirens, where the recurring dungeon midboss does this frequently.
Edited by Strife89openLet Your Neighbor Decide
The villain, who's justified in his reign of terror, is currently in the presence of another victim. Rather than immediately kill the victim, the villain lets one of his neighbors to decide his fate. The victim thinks the neighbor will bail him out, forgetting what kind of neighbor he was to the latter. So, to the surprise of the victim, the neighbor gestures to the villain to "finish him" before leaving.
openTorturous Car Ride
Bob, in his masked alter-ego, has one of his targets tied to the front of a car, stomach down, facing the front windshield. Bob then drives around the town recklessly in order to frighten said target
openNo background characters
We have a show, we our main and recurring characters and we have the city that show takes place in.
However, for some reason, despite the fact that the town should be fully populated, the only residents that are ever shown are the previously mentioned characters. This show lacks the typical nameless extra characters that are seen talking and walking in the background and that have zero impact on the show.
Edited by BassikunopenSad Rich Lady
Character archetype of a old-money woman who has a sort-of sad aura about her, and tends to be emotionally distant due to Rich Boredom. Has a tendency to cheat on her husband (who she probably only married for the money or family title) with the protagonist. She's usually still calloused towards poor people and kind of an Upper-Class Twit, but it's presented less as "rich people are jerks" and more of a tragedy, with the implication being her Idle Rick upbringing/lifestyle is the cause of her depression and emotional stunting. Best example I can think of is Daisy from The Great Gatsby and Blue Diamond from Steven Universe.
Edited by DrunkenRockLeeopenTwo Job tropes Live Action TV
Two tropes:
1 - A scene in a show or movie dedicated to show a character is "good at their job". In Episodes, a producer asks the writers to add a scene where they show Matt is a good coach, because "people get frustrated when they see someone who's bad at their job."
2 - The idea that shows up in works for very young children that everyone likes their job. For instance, in a fairy tale about a baker and a blacksmith, the baker would find a magic castle with lots of ovens and baking tools, and the blacksmith would find lots of fine steel and sturdy anvils.
openTaught By War
Bob was heavily influenced by his service in the war (which is because of revenge reasons) when exacting revenge on the home-front. Nonetheless, having witnessed the many deaths of villains overseas, he makes it his prerogative to not hurt innocents when getting revenge.
openWhat example is this?
Bob meets his friend in his hometown, where is he introduced to his friend's hometown friends. Immediately, Bob is turned off by said friends because they resembled a bunch of people from his hometown, who wronged him many years ago. However, unlike most characters in this position, he doesn't automatically hate them due to the resemblance. He's instead cordial whenever he and them interact but he keeps his distance due to his embitterment.
openSupposedly normal person reveals to have powers Anime
Basically someone confronts a person with the expectation they are a normal joe, maybe with some fighting experience. But suddenly that person is throwing fireballs/dodges inhumanly fast/levitates a large object/etc. This is a world where the supernatural and superpowers are a thing, to clarify.
open“Pay attention, there’s nasty criminals here,” said the nasty criminal.
So I’m looking for a trope where a rogueish or downright murderous character warns someone else, meant sincerely or not, that they really ought not to be in [seedy place they currently are], typically saying something resembling the example above, almost as if they’re completely unaware (or feigning to be unaware) of the fact that they are exactly the person they’re currently warning about. Any idea?
(Accidentally put this in ask the tropers and was redirected here, though since I was the technological competence of an 80-year-old I haven’t figured out how to delete it yet, bear with me please.)
opennot what it sounds like
do you know what its called when 2 charectors are talking about something innocent behind closed doors but it sounds like they are talking about something dirty/gross to someone else
Edited by liamrevopenBad House Manners
A new house guest is being taken care of by the protagonist. Either they're some homeless dude, an alien, or an unidentified/feral animal. Either way, they're trashing the house and the protagonist sees it as an obvious problem.
Edited by KingOfStickersopenLooking at the same moon and stars Western Animation
This is a melancholy trope where a character, usually but not always a child, is separated from friends or family and attempts to comfort themselves by wondering if their loved ones by "looking at the same moon" or sky or some such.
I feel like this one might be less common than I think it is, but it almost seemed like a stock phrase for '90s Nickelodeon shows.
openDidn't Adjust For The Era's Expectations
A trope where people on an archaeological expedition are looking for a long-hidden piece of advanced technology based on contemporary descriptions... or rather, it was advanced for the time.
For instance:
- A WW 2 story where the heroes are pursuing Nazis with a Babylonian text that speaks of a weapon in Game-Breaker terms (anyone can use it, it has a long range, uses less resources than swords, etc.). Everyone in the expedition imagines some kind of Atlantean death laser that will turn the tide of the war. It turns out to be a crossbow, which would have been a powerful weapon at the time.
- Bob believes he's found the Garden of Eden's location. He goes there and discovers an isolated valley where climate conditions are stable all year round, there are several rivers and there are no large predators. Basically, it really is heaven on earth... if you're a tribe of Bronze Age nomads.
A character is about to perform a heroic sacrifice or in general do something they wouldn´t usually do, but before they do they give a short monologue about their shortcomings or how much they hate/disgust themself while having a sad smile. Often also involves a Tearful Smile and/or an Empty Promise