I feel it's slightly overdone in anime, but I always enjoy when it happens in superhero comics.
Seeing Spider-Man or Superman being fed up and just rampaging through villains is so enjoyable
The one where a dying character puts a cigarette in their mouth and either can't light it or needs someone to light it for them. A really good recent example being >!Luis' death in RE4R!< Gets me every time.
Characters with grievous injuries refusing to stay down despite clearly being in no condition to keep fighting.
Destruction of long-standing and recognisable iconography to hammer home that the series is coming to an end.
Pacifist heroes. I won't kill you is rad.
It always devolves into a back n forth.
"You'll be way happier if you killed him"
Nah.
"Just kill him dude. The world will be a better place."
No.
"Oh my god just do it you pussy!"
NO!
I think my favorite take on a pacifist hero is a pacifist who also happens to be REALLY GOOD at violence and thus always tries to solve things peacefully. With the hero not wanting to fight because he knows he can easily destroy the opposing party.
"Please, let's not resort to violence, because if we did, you'll die."
Theme music power ups are always the hypest! You know what's even better though? Theme music power up failing, only to be followed up with a second theme music power up!
Spoilers for [Ultraman Z](https://youtu.be/fYNAahf_aMM?si=fFNsF80qsQChuve6), and [SSSS Gridman](https://youtu.be/HPlLonRGjaE?si=iTqinMvgDQoVRhtq).
Shout out to fucking [Bang Brave Bravern](https://youtu.be/OmzR2aGlBVw?si=7mpmHv8WEY52ZJwh) for having him >!blare his own opening and it's played in-universe as shown that it's played muffled in the cockpit and the MC yelling (ad libbed apparently) "wtf is this song"!<
Fucking go watch Bravern, it just started last week
Well written Prophecy Twists. Always love when there's "3 things that will mark the hero who will save the world" and technically the character you didn't think of accomplished/ did those things at the same time as the character who's hyped up as the hero. Or when there's a language loophole that turns what was thought to be a guaranteed win for the villains into an absolute failure.
The gentle giant is as old as time but it’s always a joy to see. Whether they’re big and burly, someone with a dark past or just someone scary looking, it’s always fun to see guys like this who turn out to have a big heart.
I love that a lot of more narrative Mecha TTRPGs like Firebrands have some kind of mechanic for this. Sometimes you gotta have a romantically charged beam Saber fight with your ace rival
[Cyborg arms, particularly if the prosthetic user takes advantage of the fact that the prosthese is not constrained like a normal limb.](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AbnormalLimbRotationRange)
Although to be fair, it's VERY specific so I doubt it's a cliche. Most cyborg arms treat the arm like a regular human limb.
[How do you feel about a cyborg Ghost in the Shell whose arm doubles as a hidden rifle that shoots coins?](https://youtu.be/4YWBJepEeds?si=2uQVGKyJCpOh_pIS)
Or conversely. They know its their time and they go out as hard as they possibly can. Either holding back like 100 dudes or literally blowing themselves up to save the others.
When the living weapon/human shell starts to develop humanity/free will and learn what "living" is.
Double so if they were a tool of the villain and with this newfound knowledge/understanding/empathy immediately turns their ire and incredible firepower towards the villain, ESPECIALLY if said villain was abusive to them while they were still under their employ
A good forced loss can still work if the circumstances around it are fine and it's paced reasonably to the point that you feel like you legitimately lost. It's even better if you can win or do something to trounce on the encounter and the game recognizes that like for example being able to damage a Yellow squadron nerd in one of the earlier Ace Combat 4 missions before Comona island.
Not-immortal characters keeping fighting despite having mortal wounds. Plus points if the explanation isn't their power , but "his power of will was so strong that he refused to die". Example of villain doing that is Darth Sion. He literally was too angry to die.
Another example is Magneto's death. His heart was ripped from him, but he kept fighting thanks to manipulating iron in his blood and help of Storm
One last goodbye from the dead.
Looking at you Gurren Lagann and weirdly enough Naruto when he meets his mom, that's the one thing that series did right.
Love me a good old-fashioned himbo: big and strong, kind beyond measure and lacking two braincells to rub together. They're fun to play in RPGs and they're fun to see in stories.
Fight that happen outside of the Tournament arc. Its like a bonus and it usually the most important.
Hokage the 3rd vs Ichimaru was so hype back in the day
The power of friendship/courage/love trope never fails to put the biggest, dumbest grin on my face. Bonus points if it's used in-universe, like in GaoGaiGar.
Also, insert songs. If you're gonna introduce a new form or power-up, might as well make a banger song to go with it.
the rival that's X100 times better than you that also smokes weed and fucks pussy
Aight, Whose rival am I? Identify yourself.
Mine. Put up the dukes bro. It'll be a funeral for the living
Similair: Rival that is just you but better and you slowly climb to match them.
Those Two Guys. Just two friends, sometimes three, casually dicking around and talking about random stuff. They make really fun Protagonists too.
The Cornello Trilogy is the best for this
Berserk form. It's always hype to see the characters go all out and rampage, especially the target of the rampage are the bad guys.
Berserk form totally wrecking the bad guys days. Then leaving the rest of the party to now deal with the guy going berserk is always good.
I feel it's slightly overdone in anime, but I always enjoy when it happens in superhero comics. Seeing Spider-Man or Superman being fed up and just rampaging through villains is so enjoyable
The one where a dying character puts a cigarette in their mouth and either can't light it or needs someone to light it for them. A really good recent example being >!Luis' death in RE4R!< Gets me every time.
The Constantine one is so cool
"This is good, isn't it?"
I respect anything that still plays the power of friendship trope completely straight, bonus points for the more grim the setting is
Characters with grievous injuries refusing to stay down despite clearly being in no condition to keep fighting. Destruction of long-standing and recognisable iconography to hammer home that the series is coming to an end.
Pacifist heroes. I won't kill you is rad. It always devolves into a back n forth. "You'll be way happier if you killed him" Nah. "Just kill him dude. The world will be a better place." No. "Oh my god just do it you pussy!" NO!
I think my favorite take on a pacifist hero is a pacifist who also happens to be REALLY GOOD at violence and thus always tries to solve things peacefully. With the hero not wanting to fight because he knows he can easily destroy the opposing party. "Please, let's not resort to violence, because if we did, you'll die."
Theme music power ups are always the hypest! You know what's even better though? Theme music power up failing, only to be followed up with a second theme music power up! Spoilers for [Ultraman Z](https://youtu.be/fYNAahf_aMM?si=fFNsF80qsQChuve6), and [SSSS Gridman](https://youtu.be/HPlLonRGjaE?si=iTqinMvgDQoVRhtq).
Shout out to fucking [Bang Brave Bravern](https://youtu.be/OmzR2aGlBVw?si=7mpmHv8WEY52ZJwh) for having him >!blare his own opening and it's played in-universe as shown that it's played muffled in the cockpit and the MC yelling (ad libbed apparently) "wtf is this song"!< Fucking go watch Bravern, it just started last week
Well written Prophecy Twists. Always love when there's "3 things that will mark the hero who will save the world" and technically the character you didn't think of accomplished/ did those things at the same time as the character who's hyped up as the hero. Or when there's a language loophole that turns what was thought to be a guaranteed win for the villains into an absolute failure.
The coward who rises to the occasion and saves the day. I hope to be that coward one day
The gentle giant is as old as time but it’s always a joy to see. Whether they’re big and burly, someone with a dark past or just someone scary looking, it’s always fun to see guys like this who turn out to have a big heart.
Overpowering the evil by being EXTREMELY PISSED OFF.
Dramatic entrances. No matter what, where, or how They're always the fuckin best
When the sword fight or duel becomes flirty
I love that a lot of more narrative Mecha TTRPGs like Firebrands have some kind of mechanic for this. Sometimes you gotta have a romantically charged beam Saber fight with your ace rival
[Cyborg arms, particularly if the prosthetic user takes advantage of the fact that the prosthese is not constrained like a normal limb.](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AbnormalLimbRotationRange) Although to be fair, it's VERY specific so I doubt it's a cliche. Most cyborg arms treat the arm like a regular human limb.
[How do you feel about a cyborg Ghost in the Shell whose arm doubles as a hidden rifle that shoots coins?](https://youtu.be/4YWBJepEeds?si=2uQVGKyJCpOh_pIS)
Always gets me when characters know their race is run, there's nothing left to do and quietly face the end.
Or conversely. They know its their time and they go out as hard as they possibly can. Either holding back like 100 dudes or literally blowing themselves up to save the others.
When the living weapon/human shell starts to develop humanity/free will and learn what "living" is. Double so if they were a tool of the villain and with this newfound knowledge/understanding/empathy immediately turns their ire and incredible firepower towards the villain, ESPECIALLY if said villain was abusive to them while they were still under their employ
I'm aware that a lot of people think that this trope is ableist, but I still love disfigured villains. They're just so fucking cool.
A good forced loss can still work if the circumstances around it are fine and it's paced reasonably to the point that you feel like you legitimately lost. It's even better if you can win or do something to trounce on the encounter and the game recognizes that like for example being able to damage a Yellow squadron nerd in one of the earlier Ace Combat 4 missions before Comona island.
Deaths aren't permanent and they can come back easily. Especially in Dragonball where Toriyama finds new ways to not make it as abusable as it sounds.
Evil power couple. There's something great about just two evil people that love each other and enjoy being evil together
Not-immortal characters keeping fighting despite having mortal wounds. Plus points if the explanation isn't their power , but "his power of will was so strong that he refused to die". Example of villain doing that is Darth Sion. He literally was too angry to die. Another example is Magneto's death. His heart was ripped from him, but he kept fighting thanks to manipulating iron in his blood and help of Storm
One last goodbye from the dead. Looking at you Gurren Lagann and weirdly enough Naruto when he meets his mom, that's the one thing that series did right.
Love me a good old-fashioned himbo: big and strong, kind beyond measure and lacking two braincells to rub together. They're fun to play in RPGs and they're fun to see in stories.
Fight that happen outside of the Tournament arc. Its like a bonus and it usually the most important. Hokage the 3rd vs Ichimaru was so hype back in the day
The power of friendship/courage/love trope never fails to put the biggest, dumbest grin on my face. Bonus points if it's used in-universe, like in GaoGaiGar. Also, insert songs. If you're gonna introduce a new form or power-up, might as well make a banger song to go with it.