Character Trope Tier List!

Let's talk about character tropes!

Lawful Times Series:

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P.O. Box: PO Box 7874 Henrico, VA 23231

[DanielGreeneReviews]

Thank you everyone for suggesting tropes on twitter! ❤

[sernoddicusthegallant]

I think when people complain about stupid characters theyre more so complaining about out of character stupidity that exists only to make the plot go in a certain way. Look at Game of Thrones, Ned and Sansa both make some very stupid decisions in the first season and nobody complains about that because it fits in with what we know about their characters, but in later seasons when Littlefinger and Tyron, characters who are supposed to be smart, start making bad decisions to move the plot in the way D&D want almost everybody hated it.

[MTG_Scribe]

I'm not sure what to call it, but I love it when an unrepentant villain has been defeated or retires and tires to live a quiet life only to start caring about their little community and begrudgingly becomes a hero to defend them against a lesser evil than they were. It also ties into my love for the Bully Meets A True Nightmare trope.

[SarahSRD]

I would love to see a tier list video where you pick a trope, and then rank character examples within that trope based on how well or how poorly they were done in popular media.

[aaronharvey]

This is going to sound stupid, but I’ve NEVER heard the “Anti-Villain” name put to that trope. It’s always been called the anti-hero and that has made me uneasy, but when the real name, anti-villain, is put to it it makes me realize how much I love it.

[sammountford]

A growing favourite for me is the knowing fool. I've not seen it that much but the characters that you slowly realise know more about the conflicts and setting that anyone around them but sell themselves as something less to achieve their goals like wit from stormlight or kruppe from malazan.

[gregpallen]

My favorite trope is a version of the sympathetic villain that breaks and becomes a full psychopath. That dichotomy of understanding and sympathizing with the villain while also being absolutely repulsed by their actions just stays in your head forever.

[rosie]

Daniels reaction to femme fatales is the most realistic and relatable thing I’ve ever seen

[kamakazines]

I have a love/hate relationship with the miscommunicator trope...

When it is lazy or contrived for the drama, I hate it.

When it is deliverate deceit, it depends on the execution.

When it's a character that sees the hard truths, but doesn't know how to convince others that sacrifices must be made, so is compelled to act alone... often villainized or shunned in the process, and may or may not be vindicated in the end... I LIVE FOR THAT 💖💖

[ThePeoplzDragons]

Yo Daniel, you inspired me to begin my journey into writing fiction. Specifically your videos/productive criticisms directed to authors. Vids like those and this one helped me understand the "meta" of this medium. Salute.

[highgrove]

I don't know if there is a particular name for this trope, but I am very fascinated by the (as I call it) "nobody trope".
Where a character doesn't really have a backstory and is just thrust into the main story. I can easily see this being difficult to execute, but when done well I really love it.
An example of this trope would be Rango, the surprisingly good animated western movie by nickelodeon.

[jablesrolland]

Just want to say how much this channel has developed my passion for fantasy and reading. I had read others but Dresden, first law, and now wheel of time are all due to you mang. Thanks!

[samanthaa.]

I think Mirri Maz Duur from Game of Thrones was the last "villain because you were mean to me" that I liked. I think the key to pulling it off is having the hero completely shift their understanding/world view at the time of the betrayal, and making the villain seem like more than just a whiny brat. You are appalled by Mirri's actions, but you understand her hatred and unforgiveness 100%

[thewritestuffofficial]

It’s fun to go back through my own stuff and see which tropes my characters have landed in because I never (and I don’t think most writers) sat down to write characters to fit within a specific trope.

[joehutson]

Tywin Lannister is probably my favorite hyper-focused character. His obsession with legacy and continuing the family name, and not necessarily the individual family members, is just *chef's kiss*

[fantasymagic]

With redeemed heroes, I saw something once that said everyone wants what Zuko had, but very few people put in the work that AtLA did. I agree with your ranking for it. When it is done well, it’s amazing, but it frequently feels a little forced or too convenient.

[FreshZCORD]

13:34 I will say this character is also great when they lose that one thing drive them in, they breakdown and/or have to discover a new motive and truly found themselves.

[nizunia]

I LOVE the wise old mentor trope, but I love it even more when the wise old mentor is powerful as shit in the world. This is very common in anime. Like the character doesn't even have to be good, just give him grey hair and make him absurdly powerful and you got me

[ladrac]

I've said it before and I'll say it a thousand times: Malazan has the BEST duos in all of fantasy. Quick Ben and Kalam, Tehol and Bugg, Karsa and Samar Dev, Trull and Onrack, Shadowthrone and Cotillion, Tool and Toc, Icarium and Mappo, and the list goes on.

[otisrulling]

I’ve been recently watching BB for the first time and one thing that impressed me is how, in a way, the same thing that makes Jesse so sympathetic is the same thing that makes him a villain. After his first kill he goes on a soul-crushing self-hate spiral (which had been simmering for a while) which explodes during his final AA meeting, there you can see how the contept he feels about himself is transefered to those he sees as the lowest kind of being with whom he identifies: aka the drug addicts, he sees them being as weak and as perverse as he sees himself. “He should know, he is a Junkie and he “knows” he is terrible”. So whatever he does to them (be it cooking, selling or enabling) they “had it coming”. By devouring his victims he attemps to canibalize himself and his ever-increasing mistakes. Since he doesn’t feel he can ever be forgiven there’s nothing he can do but punish himself, the ones with whom Jesse identifies get sucked into his auto-destructive journey. They are all “dog killers”.
Sorry for the rant, I had to get it out😚
I love/hate Jesse!❤️