Forums » Smalltalk » What are your favorite tropes/cliches?

Rolling around with characters and book plots, and I was curious to see what kind of tropes and cliches love to see. It books, movies or tv shows. I know one of the favorites running around is Enemies to lovers, I'm also a good fan of that, naturally. But I wanted to see what everyone else likes. And as a little extra, do you ever put your own spin on things if you use them in role-plays?

I think my little doe has become the biggest trope, an ever returning cliché.
No seriously (if ever) I love to have a play in the forest with her, her little hut and be that shy deer she is. It's maybe really a cliché, a warily deer in the forest...

My favorite cliche - overdone (rarely right) - are vampires. I grew up reading Anne Rice and then the whole True Blood phenomenon. I just love to play vampires.


My favorite troupe - I have never had a successful enemies to lovers storyline and I would love to try it one day. But my favorite troupe is the redemption story. Taking a destroyed character with no hope and reviving them.

I do love vampires. Some of my favorite versions are Van Helsing (2004) and Dracula Untold. More animalistic is far more interesting than the overdramatized ones we see on tv for me personally. But definitely love the Vampire scene. And Werewolves, heh. Particularly (again) Van Helsing. That is still one of my favorite versions of werewolves both in appearance and transformation.

Enemies/Rivals to Lovers/Friends! I love everything from a cheeky but ultimately friendly rivalmance, to a full blown toxic love/hate relationship.

Sunshine Character + Stormy Character. Bonus if the Sunshiney character is secretly just as, if not more, messed up than the Stormy character!

I also am in love with the trope of immortal/long lived beings falling in love with mortals, and all the emotional fall out that comes with that.

and finally...I'm always a sucker for a good rags to riches (and so on and so forth, bonus if they lose their riches/power and have to earn them back again, or better yet, learn to live without them) story.

I love big softy bim/him/them-bos and zesty little chaos gremlins.

Love these all so much!!

Some I've had the most fun with in RPs, at least, has been exploring what it takes for a given character to show some form of stance reversal. I think more often that's been redemption arcs and heel-face turns, but there's also been at least moments of fall from grace and face-heel turns - though usually those are temporary or otherwise limited and tend to be part of a trial by fire. May have even inched a little into revolving door. I've also explored some blue-orange morality and ways it can look like black-white-grey morality.

I've also found that I can really enjoy a good himbo. Kronk from The Emperor's New Groove is an excellent example - but then, who doesn't like Kronk?

A very recurring theme for me is found family (yes I’m traumatised lol shhhh). And coupled with an underdog hero is just *chef kiss*

Enemies to Lovers is another I’ve sorta fallen into (cough Kellie and Jackson cough) but it needs to be done right. Love me a broken and traumatised relationship healing together uwu

We were so sure it was just a question of which would end up killing the other first, and now they have three kids and counting.

I am definitely, undeniably, and unendingly a huge fan of "tough/standoffish/maybe even scary person has a soft-spot for one (1) other person because that other person is soft and fragile and must be protected." (Bonus points if both characters are deeply traumatized and they help each other cope in their own ways. Bonus points also for a lot of things that can make this darker, really. But it's fun if it's lighthearted too.)
I think this is usually a romance trope but I don't enjoy reading or writing romance, so I really like this if it's applied to best friends or found family (I adore found family), like the first character becoming a big sibling figure to the other (regardless of their actual ages.)
On the topic of found family, I also love "semi-unqualified adult has to care for this kid they found, isn't great at parenting/doesn't know what they're doing but tries their best" and pretty much any instance of "friends who are so close they're like siblings."
Another one I love is "person with some kind of weird creature (alien, magical being, etc) who insists this is their totally normal pet and you're the weird one for looking at them funny (either as a bit or because they're genuinely oblivious.)"

I also agree with those who mentioned the classic himbo
Edit: Oh, and isekai

Me SOBBING through s2 Last of Us.....

Found family is becoming a favorite very much

Friends to lovers, enemies to friends, like watching the dynamic change for the better whatever that better is for them.


I will always love chosen one tropes, one person who needs to save the world and funnier if they just do not freaking one to (I wants a gold star for not dropping the f bomb because I always get called out for it 😆)

I do also very much like isekai, underdog tales, and watching very successful people getting a wake up call (which is at least 3 of my characters lmfao)

Eta: I also like forced proximity where two people have to deal with each other for whatever reason and they end up as friends / partners or a bad ass fighting duo.

i like to keep it pretty typical but once in a While a great opportunity for twisting tropes pops up and it's greeaaatttt

A lot of my favorite tropes are related to being a magical girl or being strong in your own way while rocking cute/beautiful fashion. The pairing of femininity with power hits me where I live.

Comedy wise I always laugh like a complete dork at butt slams, bombers, and opponents being sat on in combat. Am I 2 for finding it that funny? The world may never know.