Favourite Tropes

[Meredith]

All of us have certain tropes we hold to heart, especially when it comes to our favorite characters. Think the little girl with a big gun as in RWBY, the Amazonian beauty, the bossy rich kid.


They're stereotypes and generalizations that get twisted around, weaseling their way into many of our character sheets.


You see them everywhere - things like the absent-minded professor, the bartender (who always seems to be gruff and middle-aged), and the bodyguard butler - and this isn't a bad thing. It allows us to be given an immediate impression of a character, a first impression, that can later be either used or broken.


With that said, what are the tropes that you catch yourself using often, and what are some of your favourites to use? (I'd like to know why, as well).

 

[LegoLad659]

Coincidentally, some of my characters have actually been based off of tropes I read on TVTropes at one point or another. I don't see this as a bad thing - As the front page of the site says, tropes are tools, not cliches. Whether or not the tropes used are good or not depends on the person using them and how they represent the trope.


With that being said, I think my favorite trope would probably have to be the Badass Adorable. Mainly for the reason that they're someone that's awesomely adorable, while being adorably awesome. I have several characters that, while they look cute on the outside, aren't to be trifled with. I just find that idea to be pretty cool - Just because someone looks cute doesn't mean they're not dangerous.

 

[Saccharine Cyanide]

I'm a sucker for the Mad Scientist trope and its many variations. They're just so versatile, quirky, misguided and loveable. They can fit neatly into pretty much any genre. Plus it's so easy to play with themes like personal responsibility, morality, and the limits ethics place on scientific discovery.


I especially like when the scientist in question is a protagonist, sympathetic, or coerced to work for the baddies. Some of my favorites: Victor Frankenstein, Doc Brown, and Rintaro Okabe of Steins;Gate. Okay, I admit, I also like Rick Sanchez from Rick and Morty. I think Krieger from Archer counts? I'd also really love to see more outstanding female entries into this category.

 

[Cross]

Jerk with a Heart of Gold - TV Tropes is my guilty pleasure trope. I love characters who are pointy edges on the outside, fluffballs on the inside. Deep, deep, on the inside. Who are maybe infuriatingly abrasive but have strong morals.

 

[Bum Bear]

I will admit, I am the sucker for that good ol' Yandere - TV Tropes. I've always been one to love character with psychiatric problems, however, an obsessive girl (or boy) with the strength and insanity to follow the one they love just gets me going! Yuno Gasai for example. She loved a worthless MC, but she was by far one of the greatest characters on the entire season for me.


I mainly love yanderes because I'm a probably a big perverted bear interested in some weird guro stuff. That and they're usually strong-willed, determined (a lot of determination. Undertale has nothing on them!), and insane or bordering it. Plus, they make the show that much more entertaining to watch.

 

[Frede]

Well, I never thought of tropes before making my character and just let them grow, see how they turned to be before seeing the tropes in them. But my favorite will be Politically Active Princess and Femme Fatale

 

[call me rae]

Well I had to look it up since I don't much use TVTropes ( didn't even know it was a thing tbh ) but lately I've been working on The Reliable One - TV Tropes. I think they're a good counterbalance to the more over the top character tropes that you see in most groups and offer a simple way to get everyone involved as this character is usually very group oriented and dedicated to inclusion.


Which isn't mentioned in the description but I do kind of play them as a low-key reliable personality with a penchant for diplomacy.


They aren't meant to stand out but they are meant to bring the rest of the characters into a coehesive unit.


So if that's a different trope I'd love to know what you call it.


When I first started though I was a Drama Queen - TV Tropes aficionado. Everyone I created was some variation of this character or like socially awkward wallflower type.

 

[Grey]

I use a lot of Light Is Not Good, Dark Is Not Evil, Good People, Bad Powers/Good Powers, Bad People, What Measure A Non-Human?, The Corruption, Body Horror, High-Octane Nightmare Fuel, and Well-Intentioned Extremist.

 

[LegoLad659]

I use a lot of Light Is Not Good, Dark Is Not Evil, Good People, Bad Powers/Good Powers, Bad People, What Measure A Non-Human?, The Corruption, Body Horror, High-Octane Nightmare Fuel, and Well-Intentioned Extremist.

What does it say about me that I've read each and every one of those Trope pages at some point or another? xD

 

[Saccharine Cyanide]

Body Horror

Oooooh yes, I love this trope. There's just something about growing an extra head out of your shoulder, or having eyeballs grow out of your hand, or turning into a giant fly or cockroach that just makes my heart flutter.


...Did I just write that out loud?

 

[Dusky]

Shameless abuser of the Femme Fatale over here.

 

[yinyang64]

Super guilty of this one because I've always wanted to do a plot revolving around


Chained Heat - TV Tropes

 

[glowworms]

I like Sociopathic Hero, Mind Hive, Pint-Sized Powerhouse, Blood Knight, Family of Choice, The Chunky Salsa Rule

 

[MiracleKa]

I'm a big abuser of Red Oni/Blue Oni character pairs xD Something about that balance just really works for me. Also I'm a sucker for the whole elemental thing (a fiery person wielding fire magic and is quite self-destructive or warm and nurturing).

 

[sharkradio]

byronic hero and deus angst machina probably


sigh

 

[DikkeVetteVlinder]

Alright, so many of the tropes I secretly adore have already been mentioned here, so my apologies for repeating some of those, but here is a short list of tropes I'm just a sucker for and will probably always be:


- TemptingFate


- WhatCouldPossiblyGoWrong


- TheChessmaster (I'm shit at playing these myself. Love reading them, though)


- SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism


- HeterosexualLifePartners


- HighOctaneNightmareFuel


- CrapsackWorld


- NoHoldsBarredBeatdown


- JerkWithAHeartOfGold


- JerkassFacade

 

[Sleipnir]

Oh boy oh boy, one of my favorites is a male Mood-Swinger. I like Little Miss Badass a lot, usually teamed up with a Non-Action Guy, Dark Is Not Evil, Friend to All Animals, and Hidden Depths.

 

[ViAdvena]

I must admit I have tendencies to make my character a Sheltered Aristocrat or Spoiled Sweet, then throw them into the wilderness of the outside world. This might or might not end in Break the Cutie moment :v I also have an excessive fondness for Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass and Ditzy Genius character.

 

[Captifate]

Remember, kids, Tropes Are Not Bad.

• Jerk With A Heart Of Gold
  
• Stepford Smiler
  
• Iron Woobie
  
• Deadpan Snarker