Linking to a past Trope Repair Shop thread that dealt with this page: Usage doesn't match definition
, started by NativeJovian on May 27th 2011 at 5:09:55 PM
Linking to a past Trope Repair Shop thread that dealt with this page: Description doesn't match usage, started by NativeJovian on Aug 13th 2011 at 6:41:14 PM
The Tropes Are With Me.
Wizzard
Pulled this:
- Dorothy "Ace" Mc Shane herself, of course! She is so proficient in making improvised explosives that the Doctor comes to heavily rely on her skill, despite repeatedly voicing his disapproval of Ace's methods.
You could say the same about Leela's skill with Janis thorns, really. But that doesn't make Leela the Ace, and neither does the coincidence of Dorothy's nickname.
''Not'' a Fragile Flower
Why are we not allowing Real Life examples? This is not like Complete Monster where someone is being defamed, nor is this a Subjective Trope, so what's the reasoning behind blocking legitimate examaples
"Get me a gun, I'm a soldier; but put me in that suit and I'm a superhero." - Gunnery Sgt Roberta "Bobbie" Draper MMC Hide / Show Replies
I have to agree. The real world has a word for these people: polymaths. People who are good at a lot of things like Leonardo daVinci: artist, doctor, inventor.
I agree with you. Nobody is good at everything, not even fictional characters. I think musicians like Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, and The Beatles should qualify for Aces since they're so good at what they're doing.
I think this trope should allow Real Life Examples. Just because someone is an "Ace" doesn't mean he or she is perfect at everything. Characters that are called the Ace like Kim Possible, Olga Pataki, Sonic, Goku, and Sandy Cheeks aren't good at everything and there are episodes that prove that even they fail, mess up, and do stupid things. Being an Ace means that you're known for being well skilled at a lot of things and you're good at it. It doesn't necessarily mean you're the best at everything.
Warlock Necromancer
The Trope Repair Shop Discussion have come to an agreement that the former description of The Ace does not fit it's current usage. Therefore, it will be posted here, the reason being so that whoever who wants to write a trope with this specific usage can still use it:
"Former The Ace Description:
He can disarm you with his looks — or his hands. Either way works.
He can speak French — in Russian.
He is — The Most Interesting Man In The World.
Sometimes, a show wants to show you that there's Always Someone Better than the protagonists. These shows show a character who's better than the protagonist at his or her specialties, as a way of introducing worthy competition and a new milestone to overcome.
And then there's this guy, who isn't so much running in the competition as building the stadium and forging the medals single-handedly, all while running the competition to a world-record-beating time (and it would have been even faster if he didn't have to take that detour to save all those puppies from that burning animal store) and is already standing on the first place before any of the other runners have gotten up in the morning.
Simply put, The Ace is a supporting character or One-Scene Wonder who plays the role of 'hero' up to the degree where all pretensions to maintaining Willing Suspension of Disbelief are shattered and the whole thing is Played for Laughs. The Ace is, literally, too heroic to stand (within the confines of the show). A character who is The Ace can and will suddenly sweep into the show with an epic Incoming Ham, beat the bad guys with a flick of the wrist while making every character in the show suffer from Stupid Sexy Flanders, and then exit with a speech that makes the lead feel guilty for envying him. On the other hand, the character type can play a critical role in a story using an All of the Other Reindeer trope where they provide critical support for the put upon lead, such as noting "I am may be good, but You Are Better Than You Think You Are."
Expect effects such a dramatic Leitmotif (the more bombastic the better), an Audible Gleam any time he grins to show his perfectly white teeth, Love Bubbles, Dramatic Wind, spontaneous cheering from the audience (and occasionally the characters themselves), and other similar effects. The Ace will already Know Kung Fu — all of it. In fact, he probably invented Kung Fu during one of his time-travel excursions. Flaws in the Ace's character, if any, are usually that he comes across as a Cloudcuckoolander or a Jerkass because he's too heroic, boisterous and scenery-chewing in comparison to everyone else present. The Ace, by definition, is very rarely any more than a Recurring Character or a One-Scene Wonder; if played too much, people might actually start to take him seriously. For obvious reasons, inevitably subjected to Deus Exit Machina.
An Ace Pilot does not necessarily have to be The Ace, but they can overlap. The Broken Ace is a character who has all the perfections expected of an Ace, but is quickly revealed to have telling character flaws that plays the whole thing for drama.
Compare Invincible Hero, God-Mode Sue (the non-comedic versions of this trope who are not excused by the Rule of Cool), Comically Invincible Hero and Showy Invincible Hero (The Ace will inevitably be both, at the same time), Heroic Sociopath (the trope's villainous equivalent), Captain Space, Defender of Earth!, Memetic Badass (when the fandom declares a character to be one of these).
Not to be confused with Asexuality, or with Batter Up!."
Fantastic Supreme Überkaiser Emperor Folt of The Infinity and Beyond" ... "The First"!
Welcome, traveller, welcome to Omsk
What about "A real Adventurer" form The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack He's one of the most perfect examples :P
Here's a question; would this be an example of this trope being justified:
- Adam is far more powerful than the main protagonists, having the coolest powers to boot. He had to be equipped with these, because the other heroes were getting Drunk on the Dark Side and using their abilities for selfish purposes. If he didn't step in, they'd probably become Villain Sues!
Dolph Lundgren is under the Real Life examples of The Ace. This section is rather (sadly) small, demonstrative of how The Ace is something that passes with time and culture, not as whimsical as a fad but still fading with time, yet still difficult to achieve. A somewhat difficult to place phenomenon, The Ace in real life.
I question Dolph's status as an example of The Ace. His qualifications seem to be: He's handsome. He went to college, not a soft one. And he is (was?) an actor of moderate popularity. And that's it. A somewhat difficult to obtain status but really a bit flimsy, not a true rarity as social dynamos are semifrequent in the right places. What is it that makes him so charismatic for this lofty position? Maybe I'm misunderstanding or misjudging this trope, The Ace, but I wonder if he really belongs there. His spot under Real Life (and his own article) seems a bit like it was written by an overeager fan. I would place this under his main article discussion, but really it's more about his spot in this article.
Edited by cocarnage
currently it simply covers both. E.g.: Jones.
...And even I make no pretense Of having more than common sense - R.W.Wood
Linking to a past Trope Repair Shop thread that dealt with this page: Misused everywhere
, started by mousefire on May 13th 2011 at 4:56:26 AM
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman