Cynicism Tropes - TV Tropes

We have done with Hope and Honour, we are lost to Love and Truth,
We are dropping down the ladder rung by rung,
And the measure of our torment is the measure of our youth.
God help us, for we knew the worst too young!

— Rudyard Kipling, "Gentleman-Rankers"

Tropes entailing pessimism, distrust, and negativity in general. A few clues as to which end of the Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism you are — or the characters think they are. It should be noted that some of these tropes can qualify as Idealism Tropes and vice versa, depending on the writer's handling.

Compare Despair Tropes. Contrast Idealism Tropes.

Don't expect these tropes to be all sunshine and rainbows:

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Sub-Categories

A-C

Abomination Accusation Attack: Want to make someone look really bad? Accuse them of being some kind of monster!
Absolute Xenophobe: Kill everything that isn't us!
Abusive Offspring: Children who hate and abuse their parents.
Abusive Parents: Some parents don't love you, or have a particularly ugly idea of love.
Abusive Personality Shift: A previously caring person becomes abusive to their loved ones.
Abusive Workplace: A horrible workplace.
Accentuate the Negative: There's nothing good about anything.
Adults Are Useless: Adults hardly help children with their issues.
Agent Provocateur: Someone who tries to incite the other side into doing something that makes the other side look bad.
Albinos Are Freaks: People with albinism are considered freaks.
Aliens Are Bastards: Aliens are all out to kill us.
All Are Equal in Death: Cynical interpretation: only in death are people equal.
All Crimes Are Equal: You did something minor? Death!
Allegedly Optimistic Ending: The creator is presumed to be the only one who considers the ending to be at least somewhat idealistic.
All for Nothing: A story's buildup gets its payoff. A later event renders it meaningless.
All Girls Want Bad Boys: A woman is attracted to a man because he's 'bad'.
All Issues Are Political Issues: Have something? Let me ruin it by inserting politics into it!
All of the Other Reindeer: Everyone hates you for some reason.
All Take and No Give: Someone who takes everything but doesn't give anything in return.
Always Chaotic Evil: Some people/creatures are just evil by nature.
Ambition Is Evil: Wanting to improve your standing in life will ultimately corrupt you and turn you evil.
The American Dream: Flavor 2: America is a place full of jerks where dreams come to die.
Americans Hate Tingle: A work or person is not as received abroad as it is at home.
Amoral Talent Agent: Talent agents are not trustworthy.
Anarchy Is Chaos: No government means no order.
And There Was Much Rejoicing: Your absence will not be missed. In fact, it will be celebrated.
- Speak Ill of the Dead: People talking shit about another person’s death.
"Angry Black Man" Stereotype: Black people who are always angry at white people.
Angry White Man: White people who think they're being marginalized by society in favor of minorities.
Animation Age Ghetto: Animation can only be enjoyed by children, so there's no point in making any for anyone else.
Anti-Escapism Aesop: Escaping reality because your reality is painful is weak, immature and pathetic. (Though this can also be an idealism trope Depending on the Writer).
Anti-Hero: It doesn't matter whether they are in an idealistic or a cynical setting, this hero fervently believes that the world they live in is one where morally dubious methods are the only way to get the job done.
- Byronic Hero: This hero is cynical, brooding, and deeply-flawed, but is somewhat sympathetic.
- '90s Anti-Hero: A specific anti-hero from The '90s who is gritty, dark, and violent in contrast to The Cape.
- Nominal Hero: Known as the "Hero" In Name Only because they do heroic deeds for personal reasons.
- Pragmatic Hero: Getting their hands dirty even if they hold themselves to a strict moral code.
- Unscrupulous Hero: A morally abhorrent hero who fights off villains worse than him.
Anti-Villain: Sometimes people who are considered evil are opposed to society for some good reasons and those in power are just labelling said person as evil to hide their own motives from the public. (Can also be an Idealism Trope, depending on how it's written.)
Apathetic Citizens: There's a disaster happening, but none of the citizens seem to care.
Appeal to Force: I'm right! If you disagree, I will hurt you.
Appeal to Inherent Nature: That's just the way things are. It cannot and will not change.
Appeal to Nature: It's good because it happens in nature and/or bad because it doesn't happen in nature.
Appeal to Worse Problems: You're concerned about that? There are far worse problems in the world!
Aristocrats Are Evil: Royalty is evil.
Arranged Friendship: Friendship built on an arrangement rather than genuine companionship.
Arrested for Heroism: The police try to arrest you for doing the right thing because it's not exactly the way they want it.
Ashcan Copy: We didn't care about the artistic merit, we just had a legal obligation to do so.
Asinine Activist Group: A stupid activist group.
Asshole Victim: Bad person becomes the victim of a crime for reasons unrelated to their nature. Because he was bad, no one cares.
At Least I Admit It: Being open about your flaws doesn't make you a bad person, and let's leave it at that.
Awful Wedded Life: Marriage isn't all it was cracked up to be, is it?
Bad Boss: Bosses treat their employees like crap.
The Bad Guy Wins: Sometimes good doesn't triumph. In fact, victory favors villainy in dark times.
- Pyrrhic Victory: ...But the villain paid a price for winning.
Bad Influencer: A social media influencer who is bad.
Bad Reason to Do Good: When someone does a good deed not because it's right, but because they hope to benefit from it in some way.
Bad Review Threat: Threatening to give a business a bad review to get what you want.
The Barnum: A conman who gleefully takes advantage of peoples' gullibility.
Beautiful Sexual Assault Victim: Only beautiful people are at risk of being sexually assaulted.
Beauty Is Bad: Very attractive characters are usually evil or mean.
Be Careful What You Wish For: Wishes have a dark side that would make things worse, not better, if granted.
Being Good Sucks: Doing the right thing is always difficult.
Being Human Sucks: Being a human being sucks so much that being a non-human is preferable.
Being Tortured Makes You Evil: Being tortured will turn you evil.
Being Unambitious Is Bad: Being content and not chasing greater things is a bad thing.
Belief Makes You Stupid: Believing in something that cannot be proven can make us do stupid things.
"Better If Not Born" Plot: You don't exist, and the world is better off because of it.
Beware the Living: In a Zombie Apocalypse, everyone's your enemy, and not just the zombies.
Beware the Superman: When a superhero becomes a tyrant.
Be Yourself: Can be cynical if it suggests one should not change oneself at all, even for the better.
Beyond Redemption: This jerk is never going to see the light, so you might as well stop trying.
The Big Rotten Apple: New York City is a shithole.
Bigot with a Badge: A racist law enforcement official.
Bigotry Before Reason: Someone would rather stick to their prejudices then do the logical thing.
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: That person isn't as nice as you thought.
Bittersweet Ending: Where an ending is mixed with happiness and sadness.
Black-and-Gray Morality: There are no pure good guys, just bad guys and worse guys.
Black-and-White Insanity: Real-life society is not as clear cut as we would like it to be. Therefore, don't expect everyone to meet your definition of good and refuse to adapt to the way that society exists and thus turn into an Ideological Extremist.
Black-and-White Morality: Portraying one side as completely good and one side as completely evil.
Blame Game: The search for a scapegoat that completely spirals out of control.
Blaming the Victim: You must have done something to deserve it!
- Blaming the Cuckold: Maybe it's your fault that your partner cheated?
Bleak Abyss Retirement Home: Life at retirement homes is miserable for the elderly people who live there.
Blessed with Suck: Maybe that curse will come in handy.
Blind Obedience: Doing whatever you're told, no matter what the intent of the one ordering.
Bodyguard Betrayal: You're betrayed by the people who were supposed to protect you.
Book Burning: Burning books you don't like.
Boomerang Bigot: Someone who is racist against their own kind.
Born Unlucky: This person has suffered misfortune their entire life.
Bread and Circuses: As long as the government keeps the citizens happy and distracted, they can get away with anything.
Break the Badass: A hard-working character through hell.
Break the Comedian: Yes, even a funny, comedic character were put through awful experiences.
Break the Cutie: Put a happy and cheerful person through hell.
Break the Motivational Speaker: A motivational speaker wants to give people hope and optimism. Another character easily disproves him.
Bridezilla: Impending marriage can bring out the worst in you.
Bright Is Not Good: Bright colors are evil/dangerous.
Broken Bird: Trauma will make you a bitter, distant person.
Broken Pedestal: Your heroes are anything but heroic.
Broken-System Dogmatist: Continuing to believe in a broken system, even though it's clearly broken.
Brutal Honesty: Screw sensitivity, I'm telling the truth!
Bullying the Disabled: Bullying someone, because they're crippled.
Buses Are for Freaks: Public transportation is shit.
Business Rival Sabotage: A businessperson chooses to sabotage their rivals rather than compete fairly.
But for Me, It Was Tuesday: The villain commits so many horrible crimes that one particular atrocity that the heroes remember was just part of the villain's routine.
Butt-Monkey: This guy is constantly put through hell.
Buy or Get Lost: If you're not even here for business, you're not worth dealing with for anything else.
Bystander Syndrome: No one will bother to help you when you're in trouble.
Callously Casual Cheating: Someone who openly cheats on their partner and doesn't care that their partner knows.
Callousness Towards Emergency: People who could help in an emergency don't because they don't care.
Can't Take Criticism: Someone who can't accept being criticized.
Card-Carrying Jerkass: I'm proud to be a jerk!
Card-Carrying Villain: I know I'm a villain, and I'm proud of it!
Cartesian Karma: Someone is blamed for something they did while brainwashed, even though they had no control over their body.
Casting Couch: The only way to make it in the film industry is by sleeping with the director/producer.
Catholic-Hating Christian: Christians who hate Catholics.
Category Traitor: Being considered a traitor to a group you belong for selling out/not holding a relevant opinion.
Cavalry Betrayal: Apparent rescuers attack the heroes.
The Chain of Harm: Someone abuses another which leads to the abused abusing the next person, and the cycle perpetuates.
Child Abuse Is a Special Kind of Evil: There are many bad things you can do, but child abuse is particularly bad.
Child Hater: A character who really hates children.
Children Are a Waste: Children are seen as inconvenient and burdensome.
Chilly Reception: Newcomers are treated coldly and unfairly.
Choosy Beggar: Beggars can't be choosers, but this guy clearly didn't get that message.
Cleveland Sucks: Cleveland is a shithole.
Comedic Sociopathy: Suffering is hilarious!
- Kafka Komedy: Especially if it happens to innocent people!
The Complainer Is Always Wrong: Complaining will cause everyone to look down on you for not agreeing with them.
Complete Monster: Terrifyingly heinous and violent, too evil to be forgiven or redeemed. The only cure to this filth of humanity is a bullet in the head or their very thorough ruin.
Condemned by History: Something that was accepted back then is now frowned upon.
Condescending Compassion: One only feels compassionate when one is in a superior position to the victim.
Conditioned to Accept Horror: Someone has witnessed so many horrible things that it doesn't bother them anymore.
Conspiracy Theorist: Some nebulous conspiracy must be behind this, I swear!
Contempt Crossfire: Someone is hated by both sides for not completely siding with either.
Convicted by Public Opinion: The public has already decided that a suspect is guilty, regardless of actual facts.
Corrupt Bureaucrat: A greedy, lazy and self-centered civil servant.
Corrupt Church: The church isn't all that saintly.
Corrupt Corporate Executive: This guy will cross any line, as long as it makes him more money.
Corrupt Politician: A person who abuses his political power for personal gain.
Corrupt Quartermaster: A corrupt quartermaster who sells the supplies he's supposed to be watching on the black market.
Corrupt the Cutie: Turning a good-hearted character into a jerk.
Cosmic Horror Story: Humanity doesn't matter in the grand cosmos at large.
Could This Happen to You?: Sensationalized reporting about things that could possibly be bad for you.
Cowardice Callout: Someone gets called out on their cowardly behavior/conduct.
Crapsack World: The world is a terrible, shitty place. No one wants to be here.
- Crapsaccharine World: The world looks like a shiny happy paradise. It's anything but.
Crappy Holidays: A normally happy holiday sucks for somebody.
Crass Canuck: A Canadian jerk.
Create Your Own Villain: The Hero and/or Big Good's actions lead to the origin story of the villain.
Creating Life Is Bad: Humans creating intelligent life is wrong.
Creator Backlash: You guys hated my work? Good. Because I hated it too, and I regret ever making this!
Criminal Record Stigma: A person is treated like a pariah because they have a criminal record.
Crowning the Criminal: A crook becomes an elected leader, often due to the gullibility of the populace who helped get them into power.
Cruel to Be Kind: Sometimes, helping people can require you to do something terrible to them.
Cruel Twist Ending: A Twist Ending that is mean-spirited rather than ironic.
Crushing the Populace: Repressing a conquered territory.
Cult of Personality: The worship of an idealized image of a political figure.
Cultural Posturing: My culture is better than yours.
Culture-Averse Tourist: Sure I'm visiting a foreign country, but don't expect me to try the local cuisine, learn the local history or in any way show interest in the local culture.
Culture Justifies Anything: I can do this bad thing because it's okay in my culture.
Culture Police: This art doesn't match our values, censor it!
Cycle of Revenge: Taking vengeance will only lead to more vengeance. It may begin with you, but it won't end with you.
The Cynic: The character with a negative view on the world.
Cynical Mentor: I'm mentoring you, but I don't give a crap whether or not you'll succeed.
Cynic–Idealist Duo: The cynic and the idealist are a duo.
Cynicism Catalyst: A traumatic event makes a character more cynical than before.

D-F

Daddy Had a Good Reason for Abandoning You: A parent gives an excuse for why they left their child.
Darker and Edgier: Turn a Lighter and Softer program into something dark and more "adult".
Dark Shepherd: Someone who keeps the sheep to the straight and narrow through threats of punishments.
Dear Negative Reader:...I don't care about your criticism!
Death by Despair: Falling to the Despair Event Horizon so badly it literally kills you.
A Degree in Useless: A college degree, particularly in certain subjects, won't help you lead a better life; you'd be better off just sticking with that fast-food job you had in high school.
Demiurge Archetype: The supposed supreme deity of the setting is a faker and a tyrant.
Democracy Is Bad: Letting the people vote won't get you anywhere. Authoritarianism is the only thing that works.
Democracy Is Flawed: Democracy has problems.
Demonization: Making someone or something look bad.
Deranged Park Ranger: An evil ranger.
Designated Hero: (when used in-universe) We're the good guys because those in authority said so.
Designated Villain: (when used in-universe) You people are the bad guys because your goals are an inconvenience to those in authority.
Despair Event Horizon: What's the use of it? I give up!
Despair Speech: My life is completely hopeless, and the only thing I can do now is to monologue about it.
Despotism Justifies the Means: I don't care what happens to my planet and its inhabitants as long as I'm in control of it all.
Destructive Romance: Love can lead to very bad things not only to yourself, but for everyone around you.
Dethroning Moment of Suck: The point seen as the absolute nadir in quality for a work or a franchise.
Detrimental Determination: Sometimes, being the Determinator is self-destructive and endangers others.
Deus Angst Machina: Bad things will just happen to people repeatedly for no real reason.
Devil, but No God: A Big Bad exists; a Big Good does not.
Diabolus ex Machina: A happy ending is ruined by an unexpected development.
Diagnosis: Knowing Too Much: Forcibly medicating someone to keep them silent.
Did Not Get the Girl: The one you love ends up with someone else instead of you.
Dirty Cop: A cop who abuses his power for personal gain.
Dirty Coward: When there's danger, I'm willing to abandon others to save myself.
Disability as an Excuse for Jerkassery: I'm disabled, so I get a free pass on being a jerk!
Disappointed in You: I'm not angry, I'm just very disappointed.
Disappointing Older Sibling: An older sibling lets down and loses the respect of his younger siblings.
Dislikes the New Guy: No new friends.
Disturbed by Not Being Disturbed: A character feels guilty or upset at their lack of guilt, disgust, or other "normal" reaction to something tragic or horrifying.
Dismotivation: I don't want to change the status quo.
Disowned Parent: Someone disowns their parents.
Disproportionate Retribution: You're going to suffer, and we don't care how insignificant your offense may be!
Diversionary Foreign Policy: Going to war with another country to divert attention from internal problems.
Divide and Conquer: Keeping potential allies in discord to prevent them from working together.
Divided We Fall: Dissension between the heroes gets in the way stopping the villain.
Divorce Requires Death: A person ends their marriage by killing their spouse.
Divorce Stigma: Divorce is frowned upon.
Documentary of Lies: A documentary filled with lies.
Does Not Like Men: Someone who has a negative attitude about the male gender.
Dogged Nice Guy: Can also be an idealism trope, Depending on the Writer.
Dog-Kicking Excuse: Because the only way you can bring yourself to be a Jerkass to the Friend to All Living Things is to find something about them to get peeved over. Something of a Zig-Zagged Trope in terms of cynicism, as it takes quite a bit of cynicism to look for one, but the fact that you need one implies that you aren't a Complete Monster.
Domestic Abuse: Violence in the family, friends, etc.
Doomed Defeatist: If you're a defeatist, you'll die.
Doomed Moral Victor: Can be played more idealistically for a Bittersweet Ending.
A Doormat to His Men: Being kind and lenient isn't a good idea when you're a commander.
Double Standard: Abuse, Female on Male: It's bad when men abuse women, but somehow not when women abuse men.
Do Unto Others Before They Do Unto Us: We must use our superweapon before others find it and use it against us!
Downer Beginning: A bad start causes half the failure.
Downer Ending: No happy ending.
Dreaded Kids' Party Entertainer Job: Entertainers at kids' parties tend to suffer a lot, and as such it's not a desirable job.
Dude, Where's My Respect?: No one will show you any gratitude for your good deeds.
Dysfunction Junction: Everyone in a story/setting is messed up and has deep-seated issues.
Dystopia: This society is absolutely horrible.
Dystopia Justifies the Means: Deliberately creating a horrible society.
Dystopian Oz: Oz is not a perfect utopia just over the rainbow after all.
Driven to Suicide: A character attempts suicide.
Dystopian Detroit: Detroit is a shithole.
Eagleland (Type 2 version): America is a wretched society full of jerks.
Easily Condemned: Even when it just looks like you did something evil, everyone around you will automatically assume you are evil.
Easily Swayed Population: These people are stupid enough that you can just tell them something and they'll believe it.
Easy Road to Hell: The path to hell is easy, and decided by factors beyond your control.
Eat the Rich: We should kill the rich!
Eco-Terrorist: Saving the planet requires punishing all of humanity for their crimes against nature.
Eight Deadly Words: A Fan Speak term for when characters are so unlikable/underdeveloped that it's impossible to care about them and/or the story.
Elder Abandonment: Abandoning the elderly.
Elder Abuse: Abusing the elderly.
Election Denial: I didn't lose the vote! ...no, you're the one in denial!
The Elites Jump Ship: The rich and powerful don't care about you! They'll leave you to rot when things get tough!
Empowered by Negativity: A Power Source that takes energy from negative emotions.
Enemies List: Someone makes a list of people they don't like.
Enemy Mine: Sometimes you have to work with your usual enemies to stop an even greater threat. Can be an idealism trope depending on the handling.
Entitled Bastard: I want your help, even though I've made your life a living hell.
Et Tu, Brute?: Your loved ones will abandon you.
Even the Loving Hero Has Hated Ones: You know you're a loathsome scumbag when even the All-Loving Hero hates you.
Everything Is Racist: Anything and everything can be taken as racist and/or discriminatory.
Evil All Along: Oh no! It turns out the person I thought was my friend was actually a villain the whole time!
Evil Brit: An evil British person.
Evil Cripple: An evil crippled person.
Evil Feels Good: Doing malevolent acts makes you feel good.
- Evil Pays Better: Doing evil not only feels good, it's more rewarding than doing good.
Evil Is Cool: Bad guys are way cooler than these goody-two shoes!
Evil Is Easy: Doing evil is far easier and more convenient than doing good.
Evil Is Petty: Evil people do evil things for petty reasons.
Evil Reactionary: I will make things as they were in the past, when they were better!
The Evils of Free Will: Free will causes people to do evil. Eliminate it.
Evil States of America: The United States of America is evil.
Evil Stole My Faith: Being teased and mocked forces you to abandon your faith.
Evilutionary Biologist: I will use science to better humanity, regardless of any morals or consequences!
Evil Versus Evil: Villains are fighting each other with no heroes in sight.
- Eviler than Thou: A villain defeats another villain, often to prove how much more evil and/or dangerous he/she is.
Executive Excess: An executive wastes their money on luxuries.
Executive Meddling: The higher-ups interfere with one's creative work.
- Screwed by the Network: The network's Executive Meddling puts an impact onto the show's potential success, thus leading to its cancellation.
Expert in Underwater Basket Weaving: Cool talent! Too bad it's totally useless.
Exploitative Big Oil: Big oil corporations are greedy and destructive.
Extreme Doormat: Willing to have others step over them.
The Extremist Was Right: Extremism works.
Face–Heel Turn: The Hero turns evil.
Failed Rescue Attempt: An attempted rescue operation fails.
Failed State: A country that is unable to take care of its citizens.
Failure Hero: The hero can't succeed at anything important.
Failure Is the Only Option: We're all bound to failure.
Fair for Its Day: A work is horribly racist, sexist, or otherwise bigoted, but is still considered progressive because mainstream society at the time the work was made was even worse.
Fair-Weather Ex: A character wants to get back with their ex only because it's convenient, not out of love.
Fair-Weather Family: A character will associate with a family member they dislike or cut ties with if they need/want something out of them.
Fair-Weather Friend: Where are they when you really need them?
Fair-Weather Foe: People who hate you will be nice to you if it suits them to do so.
Fallen Angel: An angel rebels against Heaven, often becoming evil in the process, and is cast out.
Fallen Creator: A creator who was once liked now has little fans.
Fallen Hero: He used to be a hero, but not anymore.
False Abuse Accusation: A character falsely accuses another of abuse.
False Flag Operation: Pretending to be the enemy to attack yourself to have an excuse to start something.
False Friend: Someone you thought was your friend actually wasn't.
False Rape Accusation: Falsely accusing someone of sexual assault.
False Utopia: This place is absolutely perfect, right? Wrong!
Family-Values Villain: A villain with traditionalist views.
Fandom Heresy: Have an opinion you wanna share without making fans upset? Good luck with that.
The Farmer and the Viper: Good deeds are not always repaid with good — in fact, the person you tried to help may well end up betraying you.
Fat Bastard: You thought all overweight people are likable? Well, not with this guy.
The Fatalist: Believes there's no point in fighting your fate.
Faux Affably Evil: Villains are more vile if they feign friendliness.
Feeling Oppressed by Their Existence: The mere fact they exist is my problem!
Feet of Clay
Felony Misdemeanor: Overreacting to a minor crime.
Female Misogynist: A woman who hates other women.
Fetishes Are Weird: People with fetishes are freaks.
Fiendish Fraternity: An evil fraternity.
Fierce Unicorn: Unicorns are portrayed as aggressive, dangerous, and ferocious.
Fighting Back Is Wrong: Trying to fight back makes you just as bad as the aggressor.
Finagle's Law: Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.
Final Solution: Genocide as the last resort to deal with a race or species.
First-World Problems: Blowing small problems out of proportion because they bother you due to your privilege.
Flat-Earth Atheist: Deny the existence of an almighty deity despite said deity actually existing.
Flaw Exploitation: Exploiting someone's flaws for profit.
Forever War: There can literally be NO end to this war.
Forgiven, but Not Forgotten: Just because I've forgiven you doesn't mean I will get over what you've done.
Former Child Star: Enjoy your youth, kid. You're better off seeing movies than being in movies, because if you are an child actor or actress and you turn 18, it all goes downhill from there.
For Science!: Performing scientific research and experimentation without regard for morals or ethics.
For the Evulz: Doing evil things just for the fun of it.
For Your Own Good: Rationalizing bad deeds because they're done out of concern for one's wellbeing.
The Fourth Wall Will Not Protect You: A villain attacks the viewer by Breaking the Fourth Wall.
Franchise Original Sin: Even during the peak of a franchise, it always had something that would be a major problem later on.
Franchise Zombie: When Executive Meddling causes a series that should have ended well to go wrong.
Freedom from Choice: Too much freedom to choose is bad.
Friendship-Hating Antagonist: A antagonist who serves as the antithesis to the Power of Friendship.
Frequently-Broken Unbreakable Vow: Promises don't last, and you will be forced to break them. Again, and again and again.
Freudian Excuse: I'm evil because something horrible happened to me in the past!
Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse: Having a shitty past doesn't absolve you of your shitty behavior in the present.
Fridge Horror: The negative aspects to Fridge Logic.
- Ascended Fridge Horror: ...which further gets incorporated into the story.
From Bad to Worse: You expect to recover from a bad situation, but it took the inverse to your hope.
Full-Circle Revolution: La Résistance overthrows an oppressive government, only to become an oppressive government themselves.
Fully-Embraced Fiend: A character embraces their monstrous (and usually evil) side rather than resist it.
The Fundamentalist: My religious beliefs are right, everyone else's are wrong!
Fun-Hating Confiscating Adult: An adult who confiscates children's toys.
Fun-Hating Villain: A villain who hates fun so much, to the point of stopping and preventing anyone from having it.

G-I

Gaia's Lament: The natural world isn't looking very good.
Generational Trauma: Conflict arises due to unresolved baggage passed down from generation to generation.
Gentle Touch vs. Firm Hand (the latter): Giving guidance to others by treating them harshly.
Girlboss Feminist: A female character, usually a High-Powered Career Woman, and often Token Girl, who uses the language of feminism, but doesn't live up to it in practice.
Girl-Show Ghetto: While men's entertainment can appeal to all audiences, women's entertainment can only be aimed at women, with no crossover potential.
God and Satan Are Both Jerks: Both the devil and the supreme deity are evil.
God Is Displeased: The supreme deity withdraws their protection of mortals over a slight.
God Is Evil: The supreme deity is a monster.
God Is Flawed: The supreme deity isn't perfect.
Godwin's Law: Want to make someone look really bad? Compare them to the Nazis!
Gold Digger: I'm not here for a relationship. I just want your money.
Golden Mean Fallacy: The middle of two extremes isn't always the right answer.
Good Cannot Comprehend Evil: Good people can't understand why people are evil.
Good Capitalism, Evil Capitalism: The evil side: capitalism causes people to be greedy and shady.
Good Is Boring: The only thing you goody-two-shoes are good at is making people fall asleep. Also portraying virtues and harmony as inherently dull.
Good Is Dumb: Good people are naive idiots.
Good Is Impotent: Good is inherently weaker than Evil itself.
Good Is Not Nice: Goodness and heroism aren't always about kindness, sweetness, and light, despite doing good.
Good Is Old-Fashioned: Idealism is yesterday's news.
Good Needs Evil: The complete elimination of deviance (i.e., evil) would end up making those whose jobs it is to enforce society's norms (i.e., good) obsolete.
Good Powers, Bad People: Bright powers don't always equal to a bright person.
Good Victims, Bad Victims: Classifying people on whether or not they deserve their misfortune depending on their circumstances.
Government-Exploited Crisis: A government is either antagonistic to its own citizens during a disaster or uses it to further their own interests.
Go, Ye Heroes, Go and Die: A speech that tries to be motivational, but ends up being the opposite.
Graying Morality: The heroes become less idealistic. Of course, this can also be an idealistic trope if it tends toward White-and-Grey Morality.
"Great Replacement" Conspiracy Theory: Classical nativist conspiracy theory arguing that minorities, esp. immigrants, are conspiring to replace and subjugate the current majority.
Greedy Jew: Jewish people are stereotyped as greedy.
Greedy Televangelist: A televangelist who fleeces his flock.
Greenwashed Villainy: A villain pretends to be eco-friendly.
Growing Up Sucks: Life will suck when you get older.
Guilt by Association Gag: Even if you didn't participate, you're still held responsible for a problem by mere association with whoever started it.
Guilt-Free Extermination War: Kill the other side! None of them matter! Kill them all!
Guilty Until Someone Else Is Guilty: No evidence proving someone's innocence ever matters except for one: exposing the true criminal.
Gullible Lemmings: Stupidly naïve people who actively help bad people.
Happiness Is Mandatory: You see all of those happy people? They are forced to be Stepford Smilers by an oppressive government.
Happy Ending Override: Thought your happy ending would last? Just wait until the sequel!
Happy Marriage Charade: They have the perfect marriage...or, at least, it seems so.
Hard Truth Aesop: Aesops that tend to lean towards the cynical side of life.
Hard Work Hardly Works: Some people can work all their lives and never get what they want. Others can get what they want without any effort.
Harsher in Hindsight: An element of a work that isn't easy to look at now after a later event.
Hate at First Sight: Two characters meet and instantly hate each other.
Hated by All: Someone who is hated by everyone.
Hate Crimes Are a Special Kind of Evil: There are many bad things you can do, but hate crimes are particularly bad.
Hates Everyone Equally: You're not biased if you hate everyone.
Hates Reading: Someone who hates reading.
Hates Rich People: Someone who hates rich people.
Hate Sink: The writers create a character whose job it is to be hated by the audience.
Hates the Job, Loves the Limelight: Someone in the Show Business is cynical about their occupation but enjoys the perks nonetheless.
Hatred Makes You Dumb: Hate makes you stupid.
Headbutting Heroes: Not all heroes get along.
Head-in-the-Sand Management: I see the problem, but I don't think it is a problem, so I'll ignore it until it's too late!
He Knows Too Much: This guy knows too much...we gotta kill him to protect our secrets.
Hellish L.A.: Los Angeles is a shithole.
He-Man Woman Hater: A man who hates women.
Henpecked Husband: A man who is often pushed around by his wife.
Heroic Fatigue: A hero suffering the breaking point of being a hero.
Hero with Bad Publicity: Good guys get undeserved hate from the public, despite their good deeds.
Heteronormative Crusader: Anyone who isn't straight is bad!
He Who Fights Monsters: Fighting evil will often see you becoming evil in the process.
Hiding Behind Religion: Using religion to conceal a sinister or ulterior motive.
Historical Hero Upgrade: Making a historical person look better than they actually were.
Historical Villain Upgrade: Making a historical person look worse than they actually were.
Hitler Ate Sugar: Something is bad simply because a bad person did/liked doing it.
Hobbes Was Right: Ruling through fear always works.
Hollywood Atheist: This one can be an idealism trope, Depending on the Writer.
Hollywood Hype Machine: Hollywood plugs a potential star. If they succeed, great. If not, dump them and move on to the next one.
Honor Before Reason (when used in cynical contexts; e.g., "The right thing isn't always the smart thing").
Honor-Related Abuse: A character is mistreated or killed by their family for the sake of preserving the family's honor.
Hope Crusher: A villain who enjoys taking away hope from their victims.
Hopeless War: A war with no hope of victory or end.
Horrible Hollywood: Hollywood and everyone in it is shit.
Hope Is Scary (Played straight mostly by cynical characters in idealistic worlds; invoked by cynical characters in cynical worlds.)
Hope Spot: It looked hopeful for a second, but it didn't last.
Humanity Is Insane: Humans are the craziest fuckers you can ever find. Yes, even normal people.
Humans Are Bastards: Humans are cruel and evil to each other.
Humans Are Morons: Humans are stupid and incompetent.
Humans Are the Real Monsters: Whereas other species are morally superior.
Humans Kill Wantonly: Humans kill for petty/frivolous reasons because that's human nature.
I Can Live With That (Type 1): Willing to accept a negative situation.
I Coulda Been a Contender!: Being forced to give up on your dream before it became reality.
Idealist vs. Pragmatist: A person with ideals vs. someone who's willing to do whatever it takes to get results.
I Did What I Had to Do: It was dirty business, but necessary.
I Don't Pay You to Think: Don't question my orders, just follow them!
I Reject Your Reality: I don't care about the facts, what I believe is true, and I respect just that!
If It Bleeds, It Leads: The news media prioritizes bloody stories over all else because it brings in money.
Ignorance Is Bliss: Sometimes it is better NOT to know about things.
"I Hate" Song: A song expressing cynicism and hatred for something or someone.
"I Have a Boyfriend" Excuse: Someone says they have a partner to make someone go away.
I Have No Son!: Getting disowned by your family.
Illegal Religion: A religion (or religions) is banned.
Immoral Journalist: A journalist that doesn't care about writing the truth.
I'm Not Here to Make Friends: Winning a competition is more important than making friends!
Inappropriate Pride: Being proud of something you're not really supposed to be proud of.
Incriminating Indifference: Someone who's apathetic about a crime is often the one who committed it.
Infamous, but in Charge: The person who is known to have done bad things is in charge regardless.
Inferred Holocaust: Signs of destruction picked up by audience, but not mentioned in the work itself.
Innocent Means Naïve: The innocent don't know what time it is.
Inherent in the System: The way things are in the world is the problem and improving the problem makes them worse.
In Love with Looks: Some people choose their romantic partners based entirely on their looks.
Insane Equals Violent: Insane people are stereotyped as violent.
Insidious Rumor Mill: Lying to family and friends to make them turn against someone.
Insignificant Little Blue Planet: Oh, you humans think you're so special? You're not. Deal with it.
Internet Jerk: Anonymity on the Internet encourages people to be assholes.
In Your Nature to Destroy Yourselves: Humanity is doomed to destroy itself through violence against its fellow man.
The Irredeemable Exception: Most villains can redeem/reform themselves for the better or, at the very least, have sympathetic or humanizing traits in the slightest, but certainly not this guy.
It Gets Easier: Doing bad things like killing gets easier the more you do them.
It Is Beyond Saving: When the current society is too corrupt to be worth it, destroy it.
It's Not Supposed to Win Oscars: Justifying the low quality of a work by saying it wasn't meant to be high quality in the first place.
It Sucks to Be the Chosen One: Being the world's savior is not fun.
I've Come Too Far: It's too late for redemption.
I Will Punish Your Friend for Your Failure: If you fail me, I won't hurt you, but rather, someone you care about.
Invincible Villain: The villain is unstoppable.

J-L

Jade-Colored Glasses: Cynics wear them.
Jaded Professional: They used to enjoy their job, but now hate it.
Jaded Washout: Used to be a successful person, but has become something of a failure.
Jerkass: That person is an asshole.
- It's All About Me: Oh, and he’s a self-centered jerk as well.
Jerk Justifications (Type 1 version): To get ahead in this Crapsack World, you must be an asshole.
Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: There is goodness in that person — NOT!
Jerks Are Worse Than Villains: Being a villain is pretty bad, but being a jerk is even worse.
Joker Immunity: Sorry, but we can't have the Big Bad be Killed Off for Real. Not because of the whole If You Kill Him, You Will Be Just Like Him! nonsense, but if the villain dies, we the writers would be out of jobs.
Jumping the Shark: When a Long Runner tries to be more 'hip', but ends up pushing viewers away.
Just Following Orders: Justifying one's horrible actions by saying they were ordered to do it by a superior.
Just Giving Orders: Deflecting blame by stating that one just gave orders to subordinates, who did the bad things.
Kangaroo Court: A court that ignores the rule of law and due process.
Karma Houdini: Justice is not served.
Karmic Butt-Monkey: A horrible person who deserves what it takes, but doesn't learn from it (or doesn't want to).
Karmic Misfire: An innocent party is punished in place of a guilty party who goes scot free.
Kick the Dog: People doing cruel and insensitive things to show how rotten they are.
Kick Them While They Are Down: Attacking people who are unable to fight back.
Kids Are Cruel: Children aren't nice and good-mannered.
Kill All Humans: All humans must die.
The Killjoy: Someone who always likes to ruin happy moods.
Kill the Poor: Ending poverty by killing those who are poor.
Kinslaying Is a Special Kind of Evil: There are many bad things you can do, but killing your own family is particularly bad.
Klingon Scientists Get No Respect: An individual is looked down upon because they don't follow the career society expects them to do, despite it being important.
Knight in Sour Armor: Doing the right thing while being a cynic.
Knight Templar (when idealism goes terribly wrong)
Know When to Fold 'Em: You just got to quit trying.
Lack of Empathy: Not caring about what others feel.
Leave No Survivors: Don't take any prisoners. Kill them all!
Lethal Negligence: Someone's negligence gets people hurt or killed.
Let No Crisis Go to Waste: Someone takes advantage of a crisis for their own gain. May also be an idealistic trope, depending on how it is used.
Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics: Manipulating statistics to mislead people.
Life Isn't Fair: Telling everyone that life isn't as great as expected, usually in a cruel tone.
Light Is Not Good: The traditionally "good" forces aren't that benevolent.
A Lighter Shade of Grey: The closest thing to "good guys" in this setting.
Lingering Social Tensions: Social division is no more, but tensions between the affected parties remain.
Listing the Forms of Degenerates: A list of types of people someone hates.
Lonely at the Top: I've gotten what I wanted, although I've lost everything else along the way.
Loners Are Freaks: Being a loner will get you the reputation of being a sociopath or just a weird loser.
Losing the Team Spirit: Something causes a team to lose their cohesion.
Love Cannot Overcome: Sometimes, The Power of Love just isn't enough.
Love Hurts: Falling in love will lead you getting hurt.
Love Is a Weakness: Falling in love makes you weak.
Love Makes You Crazy: Falling in love will cost your sanity.
Love Makes You Dumb: Falling in love will cost your intelligence.
Love Makes You Evil: Falling in love will cost you your own morality.
Love Makes You Uncreative: Falling in love will cost your artistry.
Loving Parent, Cruel Parent: One of your parents loves you but the other is cruel and abusive, and both you and the loving parent can suffer for it.
Lower-Class Lout: Lower-class people are scum.
Lowest Common Denominator: In order for our work to appeal to a wider audience, we need to dumb it down.
Lowly Job Mockery: A character is insulted for their "lowly" job.
Ludd Was Right: Technology is bad and we shouldn't use it!
Lonely Funeral: Very little people will attend your funeral. Maybe even none at all.
Love Takes Work: Love is something that takes work and isn't easy.

M-O

Madden Into Misanthropy: A decent person becomes misanthropic and withdraws himself from society.
Made Out to Be a Jerkass: Calling out a jerk will make you look like a jerk instead.
Malevolent Mormon: Mormons are evil.
Manipulative Bastard: A character manipulates others in order to further their goals.
Mark of Shame: A mark of dishonor.
Martyrdom Culture: A culture focused around dying for a purpose.
Mass Mercy Killer: Someone who thinks life is so awful that they try to kill large amounts of people "for their own good".
Media Scaremongering: Media plays up something that you should fear.
Mediation Backfire: Bringing peace on both sides will cause them to attack you.
Memetic Loser: Accentuate the Negative in the fandom.
Menagerie of Misery: Zoos are terrible places.
Mental Handicap, Moral Deficiency: Mentally-challenged people are portrayed as having trouble with morals.
Mentor in Sour Armor: A world-weary mentor figure who shows their students Tough Love.
Merchandise-Driven: Who cares about the artistic value? We made it because it would sell toys and make us rich!
Mercy Backfire: Showing mercy can lead to negative consequences.
Merit, Not Bigotry Explanation: Discrimination is the only reason why you can't be successful, and not your attitude or absence of talent or skill.
Middle School Is Miserable: Middle school is portrayed as a cesspool.
Might Makes Right: Force will get things done.
A Million Is a Statistic: Human sympathy and compassion can only go so far: the more people die, the less sympathy we can give.
A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Read: Be careful about whose mind you poke around in — you may not like what you see.
Minority Show Ghetto: Films featuring racial minorities can only be aimed at said racial minorities, with no crossover potential.
Minority Supremacist: Someone who believes the only way to uplift a marginalized group is to tear down the ones currently in power, and become just as oppressive.
Misanthrope Supreme: A human who hates humanity.
Miscarriage of Justice: Someone is wrongly convicted.
Misery Builds Character: Only people who suffer become stronger, because who cares about the weak?
Misplaced Nationalism: Nationalism causes people to argue with each other.
Misplaced Retribution: Someone is unfairly blamed for something that was someone else's fault.
Missing White Woman Syndrome: The world only cares about missing people if they are white, female, pretty, and upper class.
Mistaken for Faked Disability: Someone believes someone who is disabled is faking their disability.
Mistaken for Terrorist: Someone is mistaken for a terrorist.
Mocking the Mourner: Mocking someone for their loss.
Money, Dear Boy: An actor, writer, director, etc. does sub-par work simply to make money.
Monkey Morality Pose: The cynical interpretation: you choose to ignore something you should be paying attention to or acting on.
Moral Event Horizon: Once you cross this point, you're beyond redemption.
Moral Myopia: When we do bad things, it's justified. When you do bad things, it's an atrocity.
Moral Pragmatist: They don't care about doing good or evil. They just want to get the job done, and sometimes that means being evil.
More Despicable Minion: A minion with no redeeming qualities who is worse than his boss.
More Hateable Minor Villain: This minor villain, while not affiliated with the main villain, was portrayed to be more detestable.
Morton's Fork: Whether you take option A, option B, C, or what have you, you're doomed.
Murder Is the Best Solution: Wanna know the easiest solution? Just kill them!
Murphy's Law: Anything, and I mean anything, definitely will go wrong.
Music Is Politics: Music isn't some happy business, it's loaded with political machinations.
My Country, Right or Wrong: I am loyal to my country, even if what they do is bad.
My Master, Right or Wrong: I am loyal to my superior, even if what he does is bad.
Myopic Conqueror: When The Conqueror has no plans or interests for a place he conquers.
Nature Is Not Nice: Nature is coldly indifferent to you and everything else.
Nay-Theist: Doesn't like the concept of gods, even if they might be real.
Necessarily Evil: You have to be evil for the greater good.
The Needs of the Many: You have to let some people die in order to save many others.
Nepotism: Favoritism based on a person's relationship rather than any skill.
Neurodivergence Stigma: Someone is persecuted because they are neurodivergent.
Never My Fault: Nothing is ever my fault, someone/something else made me do it!
Never Trust a Title: The title of an episode or work can't be trusted because the title is deceptive.
New Era Speech: A person (usually a villain) declares that the world will change for the better. But you know it won't.
New Media Are Evil: New forms of media are bad for society.
Nice Character, Mean Actor: Sorry, kid, but those heroes you see in TV and movies are just cynical jerks in Real Life. They literally act nice because it's their job.
Nice Guys Finish Last: Women only love mean and aggressive men and vice versa.
No Accounting for Taste: Marriage isn't ideal.
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Doing the right thing will get you punished.
No Honor Among Thieves: "Every man for himself."
No Mercy for Murderers: Even the Sympathetic Murderer has to be punished.
No Sense of Humor: Someone with no sense of humor.
No Sympathy: I don't care what you're going through!
- No Sympathy for Grudgeholders: We don’t care on how much he made you suffer! How dare you exact revenge on him/not forgive him!
Nobody Likes a Tattletale: Snitches wind up in ditches.
Not Blood, Not Family: A family member is considered to not belong by the other members because they aren't blood related.
The Nothing After Death: There is nothing in the afterlife.
"Not Illegal" Justification: They might have done something immoral, but it wasn't illegal, so they can't face punishment for it.
Not in My Backyard!: I support something, as long as it doesn't affect me or require me to do anything big!
Not in This for Your Revolution: Someone is in a revolution for personal, often selfish reasons, not because they actually care about the revolution.
"Not So Different" Remark: Sure, you might think that we are as different as night and day. Boy, are you mistaken... Can also be an Idealism Trope depending on the story.
Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist: Turns out the villain, who commits awful acts that are supposedly for noble causes, actually cares more about himself than about others.
Not Wanting Kids Is Weird: Someone is frowned upon for not wanting to have children.
Not Your Problem: What you idealists are doing shouldn't be your problem.
Obnoxious Entitled Housewife: An entitled privileged woman who treats everyone like dirt.
Obstructive Bureaucrat: A bureaucrat who keeps getting in the way.
Obstructive Zealot: Someone who zealously pursues a goal, and refuses to believe anything telling him otherwise.
Offended by an Inferior's Success: That so-called inferior has no right to be more successful than me, a supposed superior!
Offing the Offspring: Parent kills their child.
Omnicidal Maniac: The universe needs to perish. Every single last living being deserves nothing less but an early grave.
Only Cares About Inheritance: A character is only interested in someone's death because of the inheritance.
Only in It for the Money: I don't actually care about what I do, I just care that I'm paid for doing it.
Only the Leads Get a Happy Ending: The main characters get a happy ending, but the minor characters don't.
- Only the Leads Get a Downer Ending: The main characters get a Downer Ending, while the other characters are fine.
Opinion Override: I find that offensive, even though I'm not part of the group it's supposedly offending!
Oppressive States of America: Portraying the United States as a repressive dictatorship.
Outgrown Such Silly Superstitions (Note that this can also be an idealism trope, depending on the context)
Outside/Inside Slur: Pejorative slam for people who seem to be part of one group, but shares some traits with another group that the first group hates.
Overly Generous Fool: Generosity leading to financial problems.
Overshadowed by Controversy: The only thing a work is known for is the unintended controversy it caused.

P-R

Pacifism Backfire: When choosing nonviolence ends up creating more problems.
Pacifism Breaking Point: When an In-Universe Pacifist realizes peace and nonviolence with their opposition is no longer viable.
Pacifism Is Cowardice: Pacifism is either portrayed as cowardice by the narrative or viewed as such by certain characters In-Universe.
Pale and Fey: When Fate itself proves blind as well as stupid.
Parental Neglect: Your parents don't pay attention, or just don't really care about you.
Parents as People: Some parents may mean well, but they sure don't realize that their "existing" children needs attention.
Pariah State: A state whose beliefs and/or actions have made it the target of hostility from all others.
Path of Inspiration: This religion is a lie meant to control you, and it always has been.
Pay Evil unto Evil: An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. Revenge is good.
Peer Pressure Makes You Evil
Periphery Hatedom: A work is hated by a group that the work isn't meant to appeal to.
Persecuted Intellectuals: Intellectuals are persecuted.
Personal Hate Before Common Goals: We should be working together, but I just hate that guy too much, so nope!
Petty Childhood Grudge: Someone holds a grudge from childhood into their adult years.
Picky About Validation: A character is motivated by the desire for love, attention, and respect, but is not ready to accept them from a certain other character.
Playing the Family Card: Family ties are used a means to manipulate people.
Playing the Victim Card: I am a victim! Therefore, I cannot be wrong!
Plutocratic Pervert Parties: Rich people can get away with anything, including debauched sex orgies.
Police Are Useless: Don't count on the cops to help you or save you.
- Police Brutality: In fact, they're just as likely to beat you or worse as help you.
Political Correctness Is Evil: Disaster strikes only from being merely offended and nothing else!
Politically Motivated Teacher: A teacher with a political agenda.
Popular Is Evil: Popular people are evil.
Post-Historical Trauma: Some events are so horrible that it is difficult for anyone who lived afterward to ever be idealistic about human nature again.
Posthumous Villain Victory: The villain died, but they still manage to accomplish their goal anyway.
Pounds Are Animal Prisons: Portraying animal shelters/pounds like they are prisons for animals.
P.O.W. Abuse: The killing or abuse of prisoners-of-war.
Powder Keg Crowd: Only a small push is needed to turn a gathering into a riot.
The Power of Apathy: Strength in not giving a crap about anything.
The Power of Hate: Fast, easy, and seductive, but destructive to those who use and indulge in it.
Pragmatic Villainy: I only do nice things because they help me in the long run, not because I care for anyone.
Predatory Big Pharma: A corrupt pharmaceutical corporation.
Predatory Business: A corporate business that drives out smaller businesses.
Predatory Pervert: A pervert is portrayed as being a terrible person because of their pervertedness.
Preemptive Threat Elimination: A non-enemy is killed because someone could possibly become an enemy in the future.
Principles Zealot: Fear and refusal to accept the big picture to something that they follow will lead to disaster.
Prisoner's Dilemma: Who will betray who?
The Promised Land (Cynical flavor): Promises never last.
Propaganda Machine: Influencing the people to promote an agenda.
Propping Up Their Patsy: A culprit proclaims the innocence of another suspect to conceal their own culpability or further their own agenda.
Psychological Projection: I'm not flawed, you are!
Pulling Your Child Away: If you look scary enough, parents will tell their children to stay away from you.
Punished for Sympathy: You do not show sympathy to the enemy, or I will punish you!
Puny Earthlings: Humans are weak and pathetic compared to other beings.
Pure Is Not Good: Trying to be Incorruptible Pure Pureness will turn you into a distant, inhuman, and utterly unsympathetic person at the mildest and a fanatical extremist at worst.
Pyrrhic Victory: Victory at a ruinous cost.
Quit Your Whining: Telling someone to stop wallowing in despair in a harsh manner.
Quote Mine: Splicing/using quotes out of context to skew opinions.
Rap Is Crap: Rap music is garbage.
Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil: There are many bad things you can do, but rape is particularly bad.
Rationalizing the Overkill: My revenge ended up going too far, but they really deserved it!
Realism-Induced Horror: Horrific things that are possible in real life.
Realpolitik: A country has to be ruthless, manipulative bastards.
"The Reason You Suck" Speech: You are completely worthless!
Redemption Equals Affliction: Convert and you will suffer.
Redemption Equals Death: People who redeem will instantly die.
Redemption Failure: Circumstances will turn you back to the dark side.
Redemption Rejection: Rejecting the opportunity to redeem themselves.
Reformed, but Rejected: No one will trust or forgive you even if you've changed.
- Heel–Face Door-Slam: You want to change your ways? You're too late!
Refuse to Rescue the Disliked: Refusing to rescue or help someone you personally dislike.
Reign of Terror: A resistance movement begins purging parts of the old order.
Rejected Apology: No one will accept your apology.
Religion Is Wrong: Believing in higher powers is wrong.
Repressive, but Efficient: The government may be repressive and cruel, but it gets things done well.
The Resenter: Someone hates another person because the other person has something the first doesn't have.
Resignations Not Accepted: Once you're in, you never leave alive.
Restricted Rescue Operation: There are restriction on what you can do to help people.
Revenge: Paying back someone who did you wrong.
Revenge Is Sweet: The enjoyment of Revenge morally corrupts or showcases a character's depravity. An idealistic trope if the target deserved the punishment and revenge helps the avenger move on.
The Revolution Will Not Be Civilized: In the end, the revolutionaries are just as brutal as the people they were overthrowing.
The Rich Want to Be Richer: The rich are only concerned with getting even richer.
Riches to Rags: A wealthy person becomes poor.
The Right of a Superior Species: An advanced species justifies its mistreatment of "lower" species because they consider themselves superior.
Robosexuals Are Creeps: People who love artificial beings are creeps.
Rooting for the Empire: Rooting for villains to win, even if you're aware of their evil character and intentions.
Rotten Reincarnation: The cycle of death and rebirth is terrible.
Ruder and Cruder: A tame work is reworked to have more profanity.
Ruined FOREVER: Initial fan overreaction to sudden controversial developments.

S-U

Sadist: Someone who enjoys seeing others in pain.
Sadistic Choice: Either way you choose, you're going to lose something important to you.
- Suicidal Sadistic Choice: One of the choices is committing suicide.
Safety in Indifference: My indifference will protect me from getting hurt.
Sarcastic Clapping: Allow me to congratulate your failure.
Sarcastic Well Wishing: You've ruined everything. I hope you're proud of yourself.
Satanic Archetype: A villain is so sinister that they serve as an analogue to the devil.
Scare Campaign: Using fear, uncertainty, and doubt about a candidate and/or policies to manipulate voters.
School Is for Losers: Education is worthless.
Science Is Bad: Forget advancing technology, it only makes things worse.
Science Is Wrong: Science is all wrong!
Screw Politeness, I'm a Senior!: I'm a senior citizen, so this means I can act like an asshole however I want!
Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: I don't have to follow the rules, I've got connections to powerful people!
Screw the Rules, I Have Money!: I have money, so I don't have to follow the rules!
Screw the Rules, I Make Them!: I make the rules, so I can say I don't have to follow them!
Screw the Rules, I'm Beautiful!: I look good, so I get a free pass on the rules!
Screw the Rules, I'm Famous!: I'm famous, so I don't have to follow the rules!
Screw the Rules, They're Not Real!: A character abandons or ignores rules they have no external reason to obey.
Secretly Selfish: Even if you're pursuing an altruistic goal, you may yet have a selfish ulterior motive.
Seinfeld Is Unfunny: Groundbreaking and popular thing fades into irrelevance due to many imitators or improving technology.
Selective Enforcement: Only enforcing a rule when you feel like it/for certain people.
Self-Defense Ruse: Justifying a killing by claiming it was self-defense when it actually wasn't.
Self-Made Lie: That Self-Made Man wasn't so self-made after all.
Self-Made Orphan: A child kills their parents.
Self-Serving Apology: An empty apology.
Senseless Sacrifice: That Heroic Sacrifice was in vain.
Sentenced Without Trial: The legal system is so corrupt they won't even bother with a trial for certain people before throwing them in jail.
Sex Is Evil: Enough said.
Sexual Extortion: Coercing someone into having sex by threatening them or promising them something.
Sexual Predator Boss: A higher-up who is also a sexual predator.
Shady Scalper: Selling commodities for inflated prices during a shortage of said commodity.
Shallow Judge of Character: A person judges others based on superifcal traits rather than actually get to know them.
Shoo Out the Clowns: Sorry, Plucky Comic Relief, but you're not allowed here anymore.
Shoot the Dog: Doing morally questionable acts because it has to be done.
Shoot the Shaggy Dog: The hero's efforts are rendered pointless and/or they die.
Shut Up, Kirk!: The villain rejects The Hero's idealism and/or arguments.
Silly Rabbit, Idealism Is for Kids!: Who cares about that idealistic garbage? I grew up.
Silly Rabbit, Romance Is for Kids!: I grew up from that lovey-dovey nonsense.
Silly Reason for War: Going to war for absurdly trivial reasons.
Sink the Lifeboats: We've destroyed their vessel already, but we gotta kill the survivors too!
Sinister Sorority Sisters: An evil sorority.
Sins of Our Fathers: People are punished for what their ancestors did.
Sissy Shaming: Men are looked down upon for doing feminine things.
Slavery Is a Special Kind of Evil: There are many bad things you can do, but slavery is particularly bad.
Sleazy Streamer: A pretentious streamer.
Slut-Shaming: You had lots of sex? You're a whore!
Smoking Is Edgy: A character smokes to show how edgy and cynical they are.
So Bad, It's Horrible: A work has very bad quality, it's never considered to be good at all.
The Social Darwinist: The strong survive, the weak perish, it's just the way things are.
Social Media Before Reason: Something big's happening? Lemme post it on the Web before doing anything logical!
Social Media Is Bad: Social media is a plague on society.
Soiled City on a Hill: A city that was destroyed because it was corrupt.
Someone Ruins It for Everyone: Nobody can have it because of one person's fault.
- Why Fandom Can't Have Nice Things: The creator is forced to take drastic steps against their Fan Dumb.
Sore Loser: Throwing a hissy fit for losing.
- But Not Too Challenging: A character who claims to want a challenge is too much of a Sore Loser to actually accept losing.
Soul-Sucking Suburbia: Living in Suburbia is a Fate Worse than Death
Sour Supporter: Works for a group of allies, but is doubtful.
Spared, but Not Forgiven: If you've done some wrong to someone, they may not retaliate but they'll never forget it or forgive you for it.
Spartan Sibling: This family believes in neglectful/harmful love as a way of toughening up.
Spies are Despicable: Spies are portrayed as evil.
Spiteful Suicide: Killing yourself to spite someone else.
Spreading the Misery: Someone tries to make others miserable in a way that they've suffered.
Staged Populist Uprising: That populist uprising is actually being led by someone who doesn't care about the people's cause, to fulfill their own selfish motives.
Star-Crossed Lovers: Try all they want, but these two are never going to be together.
Starter Marriage: First love rarely turns out like it's supposed to, and first marriage even more so.
Status Quo Is God: Don't bother changing things, kid. Sooner or later, everything will go back to the way it was. Can also be an idealism trope depending on the context.
Stealing the Handicapped Spot: A non-handicapped person steals a handicapped spot.
Still Fighting the Civil War: Someone is still bitter about a war they lost a long time ago.
"Stop Having Fun" Guys: You're not supposed to have fun! You're supposed to win!
Stopped Caring: Nothing matters to me anymore, and...whatever.
Straw Feminist: Portraying feminists as men-hating female supremacists.
Straw Hypocrite: We sure fooled those idiots into believing they are serving a good cause.
Straw Nihilist: Everything in life is meaningless.
Stuffed into the Fridge: A female character is killed off/maimed to motivate the male character.
Sturgeon's Law: 90% of everything is going to be crap.
Sub-Par Supremacist: A supremacist who doesn't meet their own high standards.
Subverted Suspicion Aesop: I was right to be suspicious, that guy really WAS bad all along!
"Success Through Sex" Accusation: A person is accused of using sex to achieve their success.
Sucky School: This school is a terrible place.
Sudden Downer Ending: A bad ending that comes out of nowhere.
Suicide as Comedy: Oh, some people kill themselves? Ha! Aren't those losers funny?
Suicide Dare: Telling people to kill themselves.
Suicide Is Shameful: Wanting to kill yourself because life is unpleasant makes you weak, selfish, cowardly, and pathetic.
Super Supremacist: A superpowered individual who considers themselves superior to those without powers.
The Svengali: A mentor who exploits their pupils for personal gain.
Tall Poppy Syndrome: Resenting those who are more accomplished.
Taking Advantage of Generosity: People will take others' kindness for granted.
Targeted to Hurt the Hero: A villain hurts the hero by deliberately targeting one of the hero's loved ones.
Tastes Like Disdain: If you make food for someone, they won't appreciate it.
Taught to Hate: Prejudices are taught to people by family or society.
Taunting the Unconscious: It's your fault that you're in this state.
Tautological Templar: I know that I'm good, so everything I do is good too.
Technology Breeds Dependence: People become reliant on technology to do things they could do themselves.
Teen Hater: A character who absolutely hates teenagers.
Teens Are Monsters: Teenagers are portrayed as cruel demons.
Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Teamwork doesn't mean everyone gets along.
Then Let Me Be Evil: If people are gonna treat me like the bad guy, then so be it, I'll be the bad guy!
There Are No Good Executives: All executives are rotten to the core.
Think of the Children!: This thing should be banned because it's potentially harmful to children.
DarthWiki.This Exists: The cynical counterpart to the Sugar Wiki.
This Is Unforgivable!: There's no forgiveness for what you've done.
Thoughtcrime: Merely thinking subversively is enough to be a crime, even if you don't physically do anything.
Token Evil Teammate: You thought all these people fighting for a good cause are genuinely good? Well, this guy surely is not.
Too Bleak, Stopped Caring: A work is so bleak and grim, and the characters so unlikable, that it's impossible to care about the story at all.
Too Good for Exploiters: Those who exploit a system want to keep the old system in place instead of using a newer system they can't exploit.
Too Good for This Sinful Earth: If you live in the Crapsack World, then chances are that you would not last long.
Too Happy to Live: Especially, if you become too happy, you are just asking to be killed.
Too Important to Remember You: A high-ranking person can't remember the names of anyone below him.
Too Proud for Lowly Work: This work is unbefitting of my social status!
Too Smart for Strangers: Strangers are bad.
Took a Level in Cynic: An optimistic character learns to be less trusting, generous, and caring, usually due to a betrayal.
Took a Level in Jerkass: A good-hearted character becomes mean-spirited over time.
Totalitarian Utilitarian: Leading an evil and destructive movement to bring happiness.
Tough Love: Apparently, making someone better requires you to treat them harshly.
Toxic Family Influence: Family-induced naivety.
Toxic Friend Influence: Friendship-induced naivety.
Toxic Lover Influence: A person's romantic relationship makes makes them worse rather than LoveRedeems better.
Trauma-Induced Prohibition: A personal traumatic experience causes a person or a whole group to ban the thing they blame for their trauma.
Transhuman Treachery: Uplifted people abuse their powers to oppress others, augmented or not.
Treachery Is a Special Kind of Evil: There are many bad things you can do, but treachery is particularly bad.
Treated Worse than the Pet: A person is treated worse than the family pet.
Troll: An individual who posts stuff solely to piss others off.
Troubled, but Cute: A genuinely nice and good-looking character who is rough around the edges because of a dark and troubled background.
True Art Is Angsty: Your drawing of how life is all bright-colored and sweet is unrealistic and absurd! Real art needs to be dark, gloomy, and depressing!
True Love Is Boring: If the Official Couple get together, but the story continues, expect them to be broken up by the time we get back to them.
Troubled Teen: Occasionally, the troubled teen has a pessimistic outlook on life, which is why they act out.
Trumplica: An obnoxious, greedy, and authoritarian wealthy person.
Tyrannical Town Tycoon: I own the town, so I can do whatever I want!
Tyrant Takes the Helm: An authoritarian takes over.
"Ugly American" Stereotype: Americans visiting other countries are jerks.
The Unapologetic: I'm not sorry for ruining your pathetic life!
The Unfettered: I don't care about rules or morals! I'll do whatever it takes to get what I want!
Ungrateful Bastard: You really thought that person was gonna thank you for saving his life?
Ungrateful Townsfolk: Are these people even worth saving?
Unions Suck: Labor unions are corrupt and obstructive.
Unmourned Death: A character's death that elicits only apathy.
Unsatisfiable Customer: A customer who is never satisfied.
Unstoppable Rage: Rage that can never be stopped.
Upper-Class Twit: Rich people are complete idiots.
Un-person: We will erase your history and act as if you never existed.
Unsympathetic with Added Context: A character seems sympathetic, until added context removes that sympathy.
Uriah Gambit: Deliberately sending someone you hate on a dangerous mission to get them killed.
Used to Be a Sweet Kid: A child grows up to be less innocent.
Utopia Justifies the Means: What makes a better world? Making people suffer for their own good.

V-Z

Vengeance Feels Empty: I've finally gotten my revenge... And yet, why doesn't this make me feel better?
Vicarious Gold Digger: Pushing your relative to become a Gold Digger.
Victory Is Boring: I won the battle. Now what?
Video Game Cruelty Potential: You think people play video games to be heroes? Nah.
Viewers Are Goldfish: We're gonna keep repeating this because the viewers are too simple-minded to remember!
Viewers Are Morons: My audience is stupid. I dumb down my material so their puny little minds can understand.
Vigilante Injustice: Vigilantism is a problem.
Vigilante Man: An individual who takes the law into their own hands.
Villain with Good Publicity: A villain who is popular among the general public while keeping his evil plans hidden.
Violence Is the Only Option: Don't want to truce? I'll kick your ass then.
Violence Really Is the Answer: The only way to solve this problem is by kicking someone's ass.
Virginity Makes You Stupid: Never having any sexual relations makes you a naïve fool.
Virtue Is Weakness: Compassion, kindness, generosity, or any other moral virtue are for sissies.
Vocal Minority: A few particular people within a group get the most attention, often negative.
Wangst: The minor issues of life are worth ranting about.
Wants a Prize for Basic Decency: You don't get a reward for doing/not doing something you're expected to do/not do in the first place.
War Comes Home: War will spread and it will reach your homeland, even the place you and your loved ones live, and it will become personal.
War Hawk: Someone who favors going to war.
War Is Hell: War is nothing but a hideous display of bloodshed, cruelty, and death.
Warts and All: Look, kid, there was more to the legendary heroes than what you heard. They had their shortcomings, just like you and me. Deal with it.
Weakness Is Just a State of Mind: Blaming the inability to achieve a goal on an individual by claiming they're too weak and not working hard enough.
We ARE Struggling Together: Supposed allies spend more time fighting amongst each other than their enemy.
Weeding Out Imperfections: Bad guys use flowers, weeds, and other plants as metaphors for "desirable" and "undesirable" people.
We Have Become Complacent: Society has become so used to peace it is unprepared for disaster or tragedy.
We Have Reserves: What do a few lives matter? We've got more soldiers!
Well-Intentioned Extremist: The extremist side. Utopia Justifies the Means, right? Can be idealism depending on how it's written.
- Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist: Someone who appears to do bad things for a good cause, but actually does it for selfish reasons.
We Used to Be Friends: Friendships don't last long.
What the Hell, Hero?: The Hero and/or the Anti-Hero gets called out for acting like a bad guy. Can also be an idealism trope depending on the handling.
What the Romans Have Done for Us: The empire was bad, but it did eventually make life better.
Who Needs Enemies?: The heroes' allies are willing to betray others for their own goals.
Who Wants to Live Forever?: Immortality is horrible and depressing.
Why Did You Make Me Hit You?: Using violence to end an argument, then making the victim think they were responsible.
Wide-Eyed Idealist (as opposed to the more intelligent version)
Widow Mistreatment: Widows are looked down upon by society.
Windmill Crusader: Someone who wastes their time fighting something that doesn't exist.
- Windmill Political: Someone who wastes their time fighting a political threat that doesn't exist.
Witch Hunt: The enemy is among us! We must find and destroy them all!
With Friends Like These...: You call these people friends? They're like enemies!
With Us or Against Us: You're either my friend or my enemy. There is no in between.
Witless Protection Program: Don't rely on Witness Protection, the program is an incompetent failure.
Won the War, Lost the Peace: We won the war, but there's still no peace in sight.
Working-Class People Are Morons: The proletariat is a bunch of idiots.
World Gone Mad: Everyone and everything has gone insane.
The World Is Always Doomed: There's always something threatening the world.
World of Bad Cops: The majority of personnel of a given law enforcement organization are some combination of corrupt and/or incompetent.
World of Dumbass: The world is full of idiots.
World of Jerkass: The world is full of mean people.
World of Snark: The world is full of sarcastic people.
Worst News Judgment Ever: The news is more interested in publishing unimportant fluff than things people should actually be knowing.
Would Be Rude to Say "Genocide": Denying that genocide is a bad thing.
Would Harm a Senior: No qualms about using violence against one or more elderly people.
Would Hit a Girl: No qualms about using violence against women.
Would Hurt a Child: No qualms about using violence against children.
Wounded Gazelle Gambit: Tricking others by pretending to be a victim.
Wretched Hive: Life in this place is an absolute shithole.
Written by the Winners: Our reputation is more important than facts.
X Must Not Win: We can't let them win. Do whatever it takes to keep them from winning!
Yank the Dog's Chain: Good turns don't last, and something will inevitably come to take it away.
Yoko Oh No: Fans blame a celebrity's love interest for supposedly reducing the quality of their work.
You Can't Fight Fate: You can't control your destiny.
You Can't Go Home Again: For some reason, you're not able to come back home.
You Can't Make an Omelette...: You can't achieve your goals without destroying something or someone. Pray you aren't that something or someone.
You Have Failed Me: You failed? You're dead!
You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: You will be disposed of as soon as you're no longer useful to us.
Your Terrorists Are Our Freedom Fighters: Not everything is in black and white, kid. One man's hero is another man's villain.

Cynicism Tropes
27 Following

Don't expect these tropes to be all sunshine and rainbows:

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Cynicism Tropes 27 Following

Don't expect these tropes to be all sunshine and rainbows:

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Cynicism Tropes
27 Following