Characterization Tropes

Tropes and trope categories about setting up, fleshing out, and tearing down characters.

Compare Characters and Characters and Casting (how characters are affected by being played by actors).
Contrast Characters as Device (roles that characters can be shoved into for plot reasons).

For lists of tropes as they apply to specific fictional characters, see Character Sheets.

Tropes:

• Abstract Apotheosis: Character becomes an abstract concept, often done after their death.
• AM/FM Characterization: Character's personality is introduced through their taste in music.
• Animal Metaphor: Character's personality is reflected by their animal companion.
• Backported Development: Character has the development they gain over the course of the story in flashbacks.
• Born in the Wrong Century: Character wishes they lived in a different period.
• Call to Agriculture: A badass/heroic character retires as a farmer.
• Campfire Character Exploration: Characters are explored while talking around a campfire.
• Character Check: Character who has been hit with Characterization Marches On briefly lapses back into their original characterization.
• Character Depth: A measure of how "deep" a character is.
• Character Development: A character changes and grows as they progress through the story.
• Characterisation Click Moment: A previously undeveloped character shows the starting signs of their finalised personality and role.
• Characterization Marches On: A character's personality is different in later episodes than it was in the beginning.
• Character Rerailment: Character has their original characterization restored after having previously been derailed beyond recognition.
• Chest of Medals: Character in the military whose uniform features an improbable number of medals.
• Chickification: A previously competent female character is made weaker either over time or in between adaptations.
• Chore Character Exploration: Characters (and the audience) learn about each other while doing chores together.
• Closer to Earth
• Clothing Reflects Personality: Someone's clothing suits their personality.
• Contractual Genre Blindness: A character who maintains their role because of their Genre Savviness.
• Creature of Habit: Character who likes routine.
• Crowd Pleaser: Character motivated by praise and attention.
• Cuddle Bug: Character who enjoys giving hugs.
• Cuteness Proximity: Character turns into a bowl of mush at the sight of something cute.
• Deconstructed Character Archetype: A character who deconstructs the archetype they seem to embody.
• Depending on the Writer: The way a character behaves or is treated changes depending on who is writing at the moment.
• Disco Dan: A character holds into a fad that everyone else has abandoned.
• Divergent Character Evolution: Two or more identical characters are redesigned and developed so that they're better distinguished.
• Dramatica: A theory of story forming.
• Dynamic Character: A character who becomes more layered as the story progresses.
• Earthy Barefoot Character: Character who is close to nature wears no shoes.
• Elective Mute: A character who chooses not to speak.
• Elective Unintelligible: A character who chooses to be impossible to understand.
• Elemental Personalities: Personality types stereotypically associated with certain elements.
• Elite School Means Elite Brain: A character is characterized by where they went to school.
• Establishing Character Music: A character's personality is established through music.
• Everyone Has Standards: Every character, regardless of moral alignment or clique, has at least some level of decency.
• Experienced Protagonist: The main character is already an expert when the story begins.
• Fiery Stoic: A character with Playing with Fire powers is calm and gentle rather than Hot-Blooded.
• Flat Character: Character who has barely if any characterization.
• Forgot Flanders Could Do That: Character that's been hit by Flanderization shows signs of their previous characterization.
• Friend to Bugs: A character who enjoys creepy crawlies.
• Functional Addict: A character who doesn't let their addictions affect their ability to live their lives.
• Genre Blindness: Character doesn't seem to know how certain genres work.
• Genre Refugee: A character who looks like they don't belong in this setting at all...yet is here nonetheless.
• Genre Savvy: Character is knowledgeable about how certain genres work.
• Gentleman and a Scholar
• The Gimmick: A character that uses unconventional means to stand out from the crowd.
• Grass Is Greener: A character who longs to leave their terrible life behind to go somewhere they think is better.
• Heart Trauma: A character has something physically happen to their heart, which affects their personality in drastic ways.
• Heaven Seeker: A character whose motivation is to earn a pleasant afterlife.
• Hell Seeker: A character who tries to get themselves into hell.
• Hollywood Board Games: Board Game-based characterization.
• I Thought Everyone Could Do That: A character has a special talent that they think everyone else is capable of doing.
• Indubitably Uninteresting Individual: A character and their hobbies are boring when compared to even those who live quiet, uneventful lives.
• Informed Wrongness: What this character did is supposed to be seen as wrong despite there being nothing to back it up.
• In Harmony with Nature: A character who understands the resources and rhythms of nature.
• Insists on Paying: A character who, even when offered a freebie, insists on using their money to pay for it.
• Interpretative Character: A character that can be depicted in any number of ways as long as they retain a few defining traits.
• In the Original Klingon: An ethnic character who claims an invention or artwork for their own culture.
• Jack of All Trades: A character with all the basic skills and who is able to do a little bit of everything.
• Like a Duck Takes to Water: A Fish out of Water who quickly adapts to the new environment.
• Literal Transformative Experience: A character develops as a result of a physical transformation and the experiences therein.
• Loony Friends Improve Your Personality: A stiff character grows in personality from hanging around annoying and eccentric people.
• Mischievous Body Language: A character's body language shows that they're up to something.
• Misery Builds Character: Having a character go through absolute hell as a way to strengthen them.
• Mons as Characterization: A character's choice of mons has deeper implications about their character.
• The Movie Buff: A character whose defining trait is their knowledge of film lore.
• Nature Lover: A character with a love of the great outdoors.
• Negatives as a Positive: Negative traits are portrayed in a positive light
• Office Golf: A high-powered boss plays golf in the office.
• Once Done, Never Forgotten: A character has done something in the past that no one will forget — or let them forget.
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business: If a character is behaving outside his usual characterization, the situation must be serious.
• Out-of-Character Moment: Character does something outside his usual characterization.
• Pacifist: A character who is opposed to the use of violence to resolve disputes or gain advantages.
• Pastimes Prove Personality: A character's personality can be defined based on their favorite pastime.
• Playing Catch with the Old Man: A simple game of catch establishes a parent, their child, and their relationship.
• Personality Powers: Superpowers that align with the characters' personalities.
• Power Stereotype Flip: A character's personality is different from what is expected from their superpowers.
• Putting On My Thinking Cap: A character has something they do that helps them think.
• The Quarterback: The character who is captain of the football team.
• Real Award, Fictional Character: A Non-Historical Domain Character is given a Real Life award or military decoration.
• Replacement Flat Character: After a Flat Character becomes more fleshed out, another Flat Character fills in their previous role.
• Ridiculously Successful Future Self: A character travels through time and finds out that they will eventually become very successful.
• Rounded Character: A detailed character, complete with depth and complexity.
• Rules Lawyer: A character who knows all the rules — backwards, forwards, sideways, and upside down — and uses that to their advantage.
• Self-Applied Nickname: A character adopts a nickname and insists that others refer to them by it.
• The Silent Bob: A character who never talks, but can hold an entire conversation without saying a word.
• Something about a Rose: A character who associates themselves with roses.
• Static Character: A character who doesn't go through Character Development.
• Survival Mantra: A reassuring phrase that a character speaks to gain confidence.
• Sweet Baker: Character with goodly qualities associated with food, such as sweet temper.
• Temporarily Exaggerated Trait: An individual character trait is highlighted for one episode.
• Thememobile: A vehicle based on a character's theme.
• Too Much Alike: Two characters don't get along because of their similarities.
• The Tragic Rose: Character who is a rose-themed Woobie.
• The Unwitting Comedian: A character who is the funniest person around even though they aren't trying to be funny.
• Ukefication: A previously competent male character is made more emotional and effeminate in a fanfic, often to play as "the bottom half" of a same-sex pairing.
• Wake-Up Call: A character gets put through some event that forces them to grow or otherwise get their act together.
• Work Hard, Play Hard: A character who is serious and hard working at their job, but loves to party and have fun when at home.
• Wounded Hero, Weaker Helper: A character is injured and must be healed by a weaker or more inexperienced character.
• Write Who You Know: A character is based off a Real Life person the author knows or knew.
• Wrong Genre Savvy: Genre Savvy character doesn't realize the story they're a part of isn't in the genre they thought it was.