Main list of book tropes: (2023)

This is a growing list of book tropes that are commonly used plot devices or character attributes. Book tropes are often genre-specific, part of era-specific trends, and evolve over time.

The tropes of the book can vary widely, from the protagonist's main motivation for having an affair to romantic interests. They can be very general, like The Chosen One trope found in most fantasy novels, or very specific, like There Is Only One Bed trope, which brings two characters together in their romantic arc.

One of my favorites is the Enemies for Lovers trope found in many recent fantasy books, includingSarah J. Maas'A Court of Thorns and Roses series,Jennifer L. ArmentroutvonDie Serie Blood and Ash.

Some of the book tropes on this list have racist, capable, or bigoted origins, but they're included in this list so viewers can make their own informed choices to avoid them, and so I can make more relevant comments in my own book. Reviews 🇧🇷

Examples include marginal characters where a woman or person of color is killed to further motivation of a man or white person respectively, or subjugated races often portrayed as people of color or using the rhetoric used. in life. real life to justify slavery.

I recommend using this feature by using the filter option without looking at the "Book tropes" column which is on the far right of the database. Instead, stay on the far left where "Title" and "Author" are and use the "Filter" feature at the top of the page. If you add a filter, the lists will change based on your criteria and therefore all titles will have the trope of the book you are looking for without you seeing all the other tropes that each of those books deal with and spoil the experience.

If you are looking for a specific trope (or more), go to "Filter" and select "Add condition". From there, select "Book Tropes" from the information list and "Has All," then select all the book tropes you want a book to have. This option applies to books containing all of the book tropes you select, while "Has one of" will provide you with books containing one or more of the book tropes you select.

If you don't want to see a specific trope, follow the steps above, but select "Never mind" to deselect content you don't like.

You can add multiple filters until you find a book you love!

Also below is a list of all the book tropes I've included in my Airtable database, broken down by character, setting, and story based book tropes. Please note that this list is not exhaustive as there are literally thousands of different tropes in the media, but I've done my best to include many that I see or talk about frequently!

Characters:

These tropes are based on character or personality attributes.

Held:

(The main character of the story. Example:Percy Jackson in the series Percy Jackson and the OlympiansthroughRick Riordan)

• Fear of commitment: The protagonist is not ready to get involved in a romantic relationship. Usually part of the romance genre.

• Antihero: A protagonist who lacks conventional heroic qualities such as courage or morality, and who are usually morally gray characters. Their motivations are often more for their own agenda than for the good of the world.

• Chosen One: The protagonist is the only one who can save the world, often due to a prophecy, special powers, or other circumstances. Usually part of the fantasy genre.

• Emotional scars: The protagonist has a traumatic history that left him with post-traumatic stress disorder.

• Heroic Seductress: The protagonist uses her sensuality or her own gender as a tool to achieve her goal, often as a bargaining chip, a distraction, part of the espionage, or an incentive to bring the villain to the good side.

• Orphan: The protagonist's parents have died or abandoned him.

• Rejected as unworthy: The protagonist is rejected by his family, friends or lovers.

• Reluctant Hero: The protagonist doesn't want to be the protagonist but can't help but get caught up in the conflict.

• Royal: The protagonist is a member of the royal family.

• Fiancé in a relationship: The protagonist, for one reason or another, has decided that he never wants to be in a relationship.

• Ugly Duckling: The love interest or protagonist thinks they are unattractive but turns out to be pretty.

• Wallflower: The protagonist is an outsider or someone who is not usually the center of attention.

• Widow: The protagonist had a previous partner who he married and who died.

Opponent:

(The villain of the story. Example: Amarantha inA dish of thorns and roses, Book 1 ofA Court of Thorns and Roses seriesthroughSarah J. Maas)

• Dark Lord: (also referred to as the Evil Overlord trope) The antagonist is a villain who controls forces of darkness that no one else can defeat, often paired with the chosen and good guy tropes against the Dark Lord. diabolical

• Femme Fatale: A villainous woman who seduces and then betrays the protagonist. Usually, the protagonist knows from the start that he is dangerous, but he doesn't care.

• If I Can't Have You, Nobody Will: The antagonist is a jealous ex-lover or someone who claims to have fallen in love with the protagonist and wants revenge for his rejection.

• Literal Man-Eater: A femme fatale who eats the targets of her manipulations, usually males.

• Put them all out of my misery: The antagonist is unhappy and blames everyone else and wants to destroy his community or world.

• The Waiting Evil - An evil force was defeated and imprisoned long ago, but has now been set free.

• Vampire: Unlike femme fatales, who can sometimes be swayed to be good, the vampire is completely evil and often invents a traumatic story to gain the protagonist's sympathy.

• Despised Woman: A woman wronged andcouldbe a little crazy

Dear Interest:

(The protagonist's romantic interest. Example: Hawke offof blood and ashes, the first book ofDie Serie Blood and AshthroughJennifer L. Armentrout)

• Age Difference: The protagonist and the love interest have a significant age difference that creates conflict.

  (Video) RANKING EVERY ROMANCE BOOK TROPE

• All Grown Up: The protagonist meets someone from their childhood who is now a love interest as an adult. Usually part of the romance genre.

• Barbarian: The love interest is barbaric or primitive to the protagonist. Often involved in time travel and interspecies romance.

• Best Friend's Ex: The love interest starts in a romantic relationship with the best friend and after they break up he starts a romantic relationship with the protagonist. Usually part of the romance genre.

• Best Friend Lover: Love interest starts in a romantic relationship with best friend.

• Best Friend's Brother: The love interest starts as the best friend's brother.

• Beauty and the Beast: The love interest is not conventionally handsome or attractive, but the protagonist falls in love with her, usually some sort of monster.

• Billionaire: The love interest is incredibly wealthy, which may be known to the protagonist or a secret that will be revealed later.

• Bodyguard/Protector: The love interest is initially responsible for protecting the protagonist.

• Bully Turned Good Guy - The love interest begins the story as a bully but is reintroduced as a good guy.

• Enemies for Lovers: The love interest begins as the protagonist's enemy and is usually not the true antagonist of the story.

  See Also

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• Fling: The love interest comes during a one night stand or fling.

• Forbidden Love: The love interest and the protagonist are not allowed to be together.

• Friends of Lovers: The love interest begins as the protagonist's friend and their relationship becomes romantic over time.

• In love with the groomsman: The protagonist is in love with someone from the bridal party, not the bride and groom.

• Interspecies Romance: The love interest belongs to a different species.

• Love Interest Reminiscent of a Distant Family Member: The love interest reminds the protagonist of a family member with whom they no longer speak.

• Love Interest Has a Job the Protagonist Hates: The love interest works in a generally dangerous job that the protagonist hates.

• Love-Hate: The love interest and the protagonist get angry and take care of each other.

• Lovable Villain: The love interest is someone who breaks the law but is charming.

• Lovers in Denial: The love interest and the protagonist refuse to admit that they are attracted to each other.

• Mafia: The love interest is part of the mafia.

• Marriage Before Romance: The love interest and the protagonist get married and then fall in love.

• Marriage of Purpose: The love interest and the protagonist marry for a mutually beneficial reason, often involving social status, money, citizenship, politics, or to be a "beard" for a gay person for a while, or in a place where being gay is not socially acceptable or safe.

• Matchmaker Gone Wrong: The Love Interest begins as the protagonist's matchmaker. Usually part of the romance genre.

• Men in Uniform: The love interest has a job that involves wearing a uniform, such as a firefighter, police officer, or military officer.

• Love oblivion: The love interest or protagonist is unaware of the other's attraction.

• Office Romance: The love interest is someone the protagonist works with.

• Former Enemies: The love interest and leads have been enemies in the past

• Opposites attract: The love interest and the protagonist are very different. Examples of this could be Sunny vs. Grumpy or Beauty and the Beast.

• Parent with Child's Caregiver: The love interest is the child's caregiver when the protagonist is the father, or vice versa when the roles are reversed.

• Father with New Love: The love interest falls in love with the protagonist who is a father.

• Lover Pen Pals: The love interest begins as a pen pal with the protagonist. Usually part of the romance genre.

• Physically Different: The love interest and the protagonist are physically very different.

• Playboy: The love interest is a playboy.

• Politician: The love interest is a politician.

• Priest: The love interest is a priest.

• Reunion Romance: The love interest and the protagonist met in the past and now that they meet again, they fall in love.

• Rich vs. Poor: The love interest and the protagonist come from different wealth classes.

• Rivals: The love interest or role begins as the protagonist's rival.

• Real: The love interest is real.

• Second Chance Romance: The love interest and the protagonist dated in the past and got back together.

  (Video) RANKING YOUR FAVORITE FANFICTION TROPES 😜 (and exposing myself for being a fu... i can't say it)

• Secret Admirer: The love interest is a secret admirer.

• Brother's Ex: The love interest is a brother's ex.

• Brothers for Lovers: The love interest is the protagonist's brother, usually as a surprise to both of them after they fall in love.

• She Sleeps With Everyone But You: The love interest is a playboy and makes the protagonist feel inferior.

• Socially Inferior: The love interest is socially inferior to the protagonist or vice versa.

• Soulmate: The love interest is the protagonist's soulmate.

• Sports Love Interest: The love interest takes part in sports.

• Star Crossed Lovers: The love interest and the protagonist are unable to merge.

• Half-Sibling: The love interest is the protagonist's half-brother.

• Strangers to Lovers: The love interest is completely alien to the protagonist.

• Sunny vs. Grumpy: The love interest and the protagonist have very opposite personalities.

• The One That Got Away: A great love from the protagonist's life was long lost.

• Ugly Duckling: The love interest or protagonist thinks they are unattractive but turns out to be pretty.

• Unreachable Love Interest: The love interest or protagonist is someone who is in a very different social position than the other.

• Hidden Lover: The love interest or protagonist hides their identity from the other.

• Unrequited Love: The love interest or protagonist loves the other but the feelings are unrequited.

• Virgo/Virgo Surprise: The love interest or protagonist is a Virgo or doesn't know the other is a Virgo.

Familiar:

(The protagonist's best friend or assistant. An example of this is Macy outlongs for the seriesthroughTracy Lobowho is the protagonist Grace's cousin and becomes her best friend at her new school).

• family found:

Deuteragonists:

(A character who is close to the main character, but the main storyline doesn't fit their character arc. Familiars are always deuteragonists too, but deuteragonists aren't always familiars. An example of this is Samwise Gamgee from theThe Lord of the Rings TrilogythroughJ. R. R. Tolkeinis a deuteragonist but not a familiar.)

• Ach Mentor:

Tertiary Characters:

(These characters populate the world of the story, but have no significant impact on the plot or characters.)

thwart:

(A character that exists to contrast the protagonist. An example of this is Draco Malfoy inSerie Harry PotterthroughJK Rowlingbecause the true antagonist is always Voldemort, but Draco is so antithetical to Harry Potter that it's easier to discern his character traits).

• Rivals: The love interest or role begins as the protagonist's rival.

Context:

These tropes are based on where and when the story takes place.

• Aliens Built the Earth: The world was built on the premise that aliens built great examples of human ingenuity like the pyramids. Usually part of the science fiction genre.

• Alone in a Dark House: The story takes place in a haunted or haunted house, usually with the protagonist alone or with a small group of deuteragonists.

• Ancient Locations: The story takes place in ancient times, usually medieval Europe.

• Pseudo Medieval Europe Setting: Same as ancient settings, except that it is specific to medieval Europe.

• Taverns:

Chart:

These tropes are based on common plot twists used to create conflict or advance the plot.

• Alien Pregnancy: The protagonist or deuteragonist becomes pregnant by an alien species. Usually part of the science fiction genre.

• All Powerful Artifacts: An unusual and extremely powerful magical artifact begins the storyline and usually requires the protagonist to go in search of the magical artifact. Usually part of the fantasy genre.

• Altar Diplomacy: An arranged marriage is meant to seal a political alliance.

• Amnesia: The protagonist or love interest suffers from amnesia and needs to remember or relearn why they were in love.

• An Inheritance: The protagonist turns out to be no ordinary when he discovers the truth through an inheritance, discovering who his real parents are, or an accidental discovery of magical powers.

• Ancient Secrets - The protagonist uncovers a conspiracy to prevent a long-kept secret, such as a prophecy, from being revealed.

• Arranged Marriage: The protagonist must marry someone chosen by someone else.

• Delayed Love Enlightenment: The protagonist realizes that he was in love with another character, either the love affair or a deuteragonist, after his chance to be with him is over.

• Bet: The protagonist starts a love affair from a bet.

• Blackmail: The protagonist is forced into a love relationship because the love interest is blackmailing them.

  (Video) tier ranking romance book tropes

• Blind Date: The protagonist meets his beloved on a blind date.

• Separate to Save Them: The protagonist or love interest leaves the other, believing it will save them from pain or save their life.

• Can't spit it out: The protagonist or love interest can't admit that he or she loves the other.

• Changing Sexual Preference: The protagonist's sexual orientation changes through self-discovery within the story, often leading to conflict.

• Summon Evil: A demon or evil spirit is summoned in some way, usually through the use of a Ouija board or through sorcery, resulting in possession or haunting.

• Countdown to Destruction: Something bad will happen if the protagonist doesn't resolve the conflict within a certain time.

• Jungfrau (Person) in Not:

• dance with aliens

• dark secret:

• Dead Cell Phones:

• Disguise:

• Married couple:

• dragons:

• Everyone can see:

• Retell fairy tales:

• Mock Relationship: The protagonist and love interest agree to pretend to be in a relationship. Usually part of the romance genre.

• Fall in love with the wrong person:

• Faster than light:

• First Contact: Humans encounter aliens for the first time. Usually part of the science fiction genre.

• Fish Out of Water - The protagonist finds himself in a completely new situation.

• Food Replicators:

• forced marriage:

• Images found:

• Refrigerator:

• Good people have good sex:

• Good versus Evil: The protagonist must fight against a great and powerful evil. Usually part of the fantasy genre.

• It worked terribly well: When the plan works but has unintended consequences.

• Hidden Treasure:

• Hidden Truth:

• honorable marriage:

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• Loss:

• Innocent Cohabitation: The protagonist and love interest are forced to live together despite their platonic intention to do so.

• Rejected Girlfriend: Often, as part of a revenge plan or good-for-her conspiracy, a woman is wronged by her love interest and pursues her. The scorned friend may be the protagonist of a good-for-her conspiracy or the antagonist of a romantic conspiracy, and she is often a despised woman as well.

• Kidnapped:

• Last to know:

• Long-distance relationship:

• Love at first sight:

• love potion:

• love triangle:

• Beginner's Luck:

• Magic:

  (Video) a (definitive) tier ranking of book tropes

• magic school:

• Marriage Pact: The protagonist and love interest agree to marry if any circumstances arise. Usually part of the romance genre.

• Wrong declaration of love: The protagonist accidentally declares his love to the wrong person, which leads to a conflict.

• Wrong identification:

• Peso no Halloween:

• No One Believes It Will Work: The protagonist and love interest or other deuteragonists do not believe that a relationship between the protagonist and love interest will work, leading to conflict.

• Not good enough for you:

• Suppressed Robots:

• Super qualified party:

• Parallelwelten:

• Powerful Artifact:

• Breed Homogenization:

• Rags to Riches - One of the characters, usually the protagonist, gains a large amount of wealth

• Repayment:

• Revenge: Revenge creates a relationship.

• Travel:

• The Runaway Bride:

• Science-Fiction-Westen:

• Secret Baby:

• Secret/Lost Heir:

• Sorry I'm in a relationship:

• sound in the room:

• Soylent Green is people:

• Sharing the party:

• spontaneous marriage:

• Stranded:

• surprise pregnancy:

• Incomprehensible technical jargon:

• Teenager directed das Universum:

• Der "Here Comes the Cavalry"-Twist:

• The bandit will not die:

• The Hero Quest:

• There is only one bed:

• time travel:

• Too stupid to live:

• Training schedule:

• Stuck in an elevator:

• They want different things:

• Working with Ex:

• Has changed:

  See Also

  Predation interaction: definition and types with examplesThe best Starbucks frappuccinos12 Best Keyword Rank Tracking Software (2023)Best names of the siren and its meanings

I found a great source for information on common media tropestropes on TVwhich I often use to add tropes or to learn more about the tropes I want to talk about.