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.
“Why are you even here?” “I don’t know”
When a character actually hasn’t got a reason to be in the Team but it’s still there and has adventures.
Restarting the world / use of InUniverse? Western Animation
Do we have this one?
I was going to add a trope to In-Universe, similar to:
for Continuity Reboot (if there's an In-Universe equivalent)?
but do we have an In-Universe equivalent for Continuity Reboot?
On that same note, is this a trope:
(if there's an In-Universe equivalent?)
Edited by Merseyuser1
Leaving Home Movie
This is a trope that can overlap with the Road Trip Plot. Basically a lot of TV movies for cartoons such as "Ed, Edd, n Eddy's Big Picture Show" and "Beavis and Butthead Do America" have the protagonists leaving home with the intent of getting somewhere. And usually this is seen as significant when the show never leaves the confines of the main setting.
Pretending to be Billboard Western Animation
This is where a character attempts to hide, more often than not when being chased, by attempting to make the same pose as an object or image nearby. Occassionally if they posses invisibility or color changing abilities they can perfectly match as the image. Often this trope works without fail even if they main character looks nothing like the object or image they're posing as.
Songs that sound nice but are actually sinister
Is there a trope for a song that sounds nice if you're not paying attention but once you examine the lyrics is actually pretty similar, like Every Breath You Take or Eye In The Sky?
Explosive Anti-Theft
I am looking for a trope about guns or other devices exploding or not working when an unauthorized person uses it (like the Lawgiver from Jude Dredd) or a self destruct mechanism exists to stop it from being stolen (Examples of this would include the fuel rod gun and energy sword from Halo:Combat Evolved or the Vulture Droid from the Star Wars Prequels.)
"going native" or "masks/warpaint" tropes
I'm looking for a trope like "going native" that links the film Avatar (James Cameron) with the novel by Golding, Lord of the Flies.
Edited by dickinsj
Numbered supersoldiers Western Animation
The show had these kids with powers that were activated by biting a chip that was implanted in their teeth. I think the characters were given numbers for names. It is even possible it was an anime, but I cannot remember. I've been trying to remember forever, but its hard to remember the details.
Edited by Codimac14
Multiple paths while you play, but only one is made canon
I think this is limited to video games. It's when there are multiple means to achieve a plotted end, but later installments will select just one of them as the canon event that got you there. Say, for example, in Sally Face. One character's tea gets drugged to incapacitate him so you can look around his apartment. However, you can do so either with sleeping pills, which knock him out, or laxatives, which send him to the bathroom. However, in the next chapter, the bathroom is cut off with the titular character refusing to enter due to the stench, making the laxatives route canon. Is this a trope?
Edited by 8BrickMario
Can Opener MacGuffin
A villain seeks a particular MacGuffin so that he can release the Sealed Evil in a Can.
Similarly to a Closet Key
Is there a trope for a gay character realizing their sexuality after dating someone of the opposite gender?
Edited by Pichu-kun
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
Skinny, pointy and annoying Print Comic
A typical supervillain bodytype. Thin, tall, long nose, fidgety, shrill voice, Evil Laugh, constantly teasing the hero with Incredibly Lame Puns and catchphrases, has an obnoxious theme and an inflated ego. Mentioned in a Venture Brothers commentary.
Kidnappers Lure Children With Sweets
Is there a trope for kids being lured into vans by using candy?
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 that 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
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)
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
Animals Gnawing Wires
Is there a trope about animals gnawing on electrical wires that causes problems for the scene?
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
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
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
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.
Time loophole / mental time travel trope? Live Action TV
Do we have this one?
Is there a Sub-Trope of Loophole Abuse for this scenario:
In a Work Com set in Australia, Bob, a British person has a work assignment due in by Thursday, but he tells his boss Alice "It's still Wednesday! I'll get it in tomorrow!", even though it is Thursday in Australia due to the time difference.
Or is that just Mental Time Travel? Do we have a trope for someone who seems to be in a different time zone to everyone else?