10 Worst Action and Fight Scene Tropes in Books

[@dracosolis7956]

Regarding #10 It's even worse when the MC just spent the last several minutes/pages/etc. completely slaughtering the bad guy's henchmen without a single shred of remorse. Ok so, you just slaughtered dozens of dudes without any regards to who they were or why they were there, THEN decide the big bad guy deserves mercy? Sure, whatever makes you feel better...

[@odinson2273]

-cough- LOU2 -Cough- That cognitive dissonance is something else.

[@autisticdancer]

I feel like it only really works if your MC has shown themself to be merciful, naive, or otherwise against killing beforehand for the rest of the book. If that’s the case I will believe the MC not killing the villain because that’s a crucial part of their character. BUT if the MC has had no problem killing before and suddenly thinks killing is wrong then that is just bad writing.

[@amrys_argent]

Yeah, this was gonna be my complaint. Spoilers for an 18-year-old game I guess, but as much as I love Sid Meier's Pirates!, it always bothered me that I ended hundreds of sailors without a second thought just for having the bad luck to sign up with the wrong captain's crew, but when I finally find the guy who enslaved my family? Nah, I'll let him live.

[@zakosist]

It could be that they only kill when truly necessary (which IS consistent, moral and logical). And killing those henchmen was necessary to get there and maybe even in pure self defense or protecting others on their team. But when they get to the point where they actually have full advantage its no longer necessary to kill (assuming they can realistically prevent the villain from doing more damage in the future, eg. by sending them to prison). I think that actually can make sense in the right situation. Although it makes far less sense again if the villain has superpowers or something else that could foresee they probably would break out of prison again and continue to wreak havoc if they aren't killed.

[@christiegreenwood2642]

I'd rather have a hero be pro proletariat and anti oppressive ruling class, i.e., the actual villain.

[@Cy_Cyborg]

As an amputee and someone who's worked with other trauma amputees (people who lost limbs in accidents and other "sudden" ways) #2 isn't entirely correct for limb-loss specifically. traumatic limb loss sends the body into shock, like most sevear injuries, but when part/the entire limb goes, something weird sometimes happens. the adrenaline numbs the pain, but your brain also has a mapping system that's responsible for telling you where your body parts are even when you can't see them. when that part of the brain stops getting signals from a body part, it doesn't know what to do and just fills in the gaps on its own, creating something called phantom limb sensation where it feels like the limb is still there and moving in the way you think it is. Which means that if you don't see the limb come off, its actually very common to not realise you lost it for a while afterwards. A lot of shark attack survivors in particular talk about how they didn't realise the shark took their leg until they got back to shore or saw the blood and looked. To be clear, almost all amputees experience Phantom limb sensation (or phantom limb pain) and it hangs around for years afterwards, unlike shock, even when someone is consciously aware the leg/arm is gone, but its usually way more intense and takes longer to leave for trauma amputees. in the case of trauma amputees thoguh, it has an actual purpose: to get you out of the bad situation before you freak out/pass out. A person experiencing shock+Phantom Limb won't be a good fighter, they'd be disorientated and probably light headed from blood loss, but if they were already fighting when the injury happened, its not unrealistic for them to go into "auto-pilot" mode until the fight is finished or they can escape (depending on the limb of course, might be a bit hard if it was their sword arm or leg).

[@Thenoobestgirl]

Interesting! On another note - I have chronic pain and whenever I complain about my legs or arms hurting my mom suggests I "pluck them out from thee" and my response is always that with my luck I'd develop phantom limb pain lol

[@chrisrudolf9839]

Very true. The way Jenna put it, she comes across as seriously underestimating the power of an adrenaline rush. A trained fighter who keeps on fighting while bleeding from multiple superficial wounds and being able to almost completely ignore the pain is not unrealistic at all, as long as he is pumped up with adrenaline and doesn't get a moment of rest (as soon as the immediate fight or flight situation is over and they get a moment to breathe, there's a good chance they'll drop unconcious). Not saying that it's the most likely scenario for your average John Doe, but action heroes are allowed to be bad-ass and to manage pulling off things that are exceptional. Jenna does have a point though that often times authors don't handle the consequences of injuries as severely as they should, decribing grave injuries for shock value, but letting the injured character fight on almost unimpeded by the wound (Or let them get incapacitated by the wound, but have them patched up and then run around at peak fighting condition a day later without magic involved). The adrenaline rush effect is amazing to ignore pain as long as it lasts, but comes to its limits where body parts are functionally damaged. You can maybe run with a flesh wound in your thigh, but not with a completely severed sinew or major muscle. A completely shatttered (not only partially fractured) bone would also cause the limb to simply bend and not work if you tried to put pressure on it. A thing that also often gets ignored in badly done action media is that even a minor flesh wound starts a short countdown for you if it's bleeding heavily and the bleeding isn't stopped. You can only lose about 1 to 1.5 liters of blood (maybe 2 liters in very extreme cases) before your blood cycle collapses and you pass out. Also there's the system shock effect that likely makes you pass out instantly when your blood pressure suddenly drops from sustaining a big wound or your blood pressure gets pushed to an extreme high for a brief instant by a high velocity impact (e.g. if you receive a full shotgun load to your thigh or stomach at relatively close disctance, the impact is likely to just stop your heart even if the wounds torn by the buckshot wouldn't be lethal by themselves).

[@joshridinger3407]

a lot of people who practice historical swordsmanship do something called training for the afterblow because even a mortal wound isn't guaranteed to stop an opponent instantly. that is, when someone receives a hit, the bout continues for a few more moves, so that people don't pick up bad habits, like dropping their guard the instant they 'kill' their opponent. instead, they train to hit their opponent while keeping up their defenses and martial mindset. the converse is of course that even a wound that doesn't immediately debilitate can be absolutely debilitating ,or even lethal, hours, minutes, or seconds later.

[@allisonbelter1286]

I'm taking notes from this comment for a character I am writing who becomes an amputee.

[@cynthiapeters7230]

Completely agree. This makes sense

[@ZeoffArcaneOfficial]

#10: "No, don't kill him, then you'll be just like him! Ignore the dozens/hundreds we slaughtered to get here."

[@majlordag1889]

Damn I hate that trope even if they didn't kill anyone else, nothing objective wrong with it I guess if you want to display the hero's morals I just personally find it so cheesy and annoying

[@badbirdkc]

Gotham City would be a far better place if Batman didn't have this policy.

[@avelongreed3132]

My oc’s after this sentence: “ Why the fuck won’t we kill him? He’s a genocidal maniac who’s killed billions. If you think we’ll just be like him after we kill him, Then that’s YOUR problem “

[@Reformedhillbilly369]

Stupid backwards morality at its… best? Worst? I don’t know. It’s dumb and writers need to stop it.

[@Another_Hibiki]

The worst part is that it actually kinda makes sense, i guess? I mean, when you try to justify killing someone for their actions the line between when is acceptable or not to kill becomes a blur (kinda the reason to why Jin and Omega should never kill a human, and how Jin killing a human (even if an awful person), made him lose himself even deeper).

[@adde9506]

I have heard someone IN REAL LIFE do the "No scream." It is gut wrenching. She came home unaware that the fire department was extinguishing a fire IN her house. It stopped everyone cold. Didn't sound the least little bit like the movies and would be out of place in a fight scene. Someone getting told their child was one of the ones shot? Sure, but not while they're busy trying to avoid getting shot themselves.

[@caiolucas8257]

I think the no scream needs to be justified if it's supposed to be taken seriously. It shouldn't be in a dramatic death scene or villain defeat scene, but as a shock thing definitely, fits very well with torture scenes as well.

[@kunolacarai]

I’m imagining a scene where the female warrior is having a difficult time fighting a monster, and her male companion shows up to help her… by revealing it’s weak spot and distracting it long enough for her to stab it there.

[@kunolacarai]

This is more or less Tuxedo Kamen’s job description.

[@caiolucas8257]

It's not bad in my opinion, just make sure it's balanced. A lot of times in fiction the "badass women" is only in the book to be fridged, kidnapped or shown to be inferior to the the "badass men" so make sure it's equal. It's OK for her to get some vital assistance from a male character, just makes sure the other way also happens and that she also helps a male character suceed.

[@benjaminthibieroz4155]

@@caiolucas8257 Personnaly I more often have the impression that stories featuring "badass women" have all men be conveniently weaker for them to shine, which I hate. A character strength should be shown by her own struggles and accomplishements, not at the expense of the others characters' ability to be taken seriously.

[@KohanKilletz]

This is literally what happens in the baal cycle. Baal distracts the dragon lotan with a thunderbolt and the goddess Anat (the og baddass woman warrior) goes for the kill

[@Milkymalk]

There will still be someone calling this "mansplaining" :D

[@karabearcomics]

I think a much more realistic alternative to number 5 is a quick, whispered "No." Often quiet and silence can be quite effective, because a character is so in shock, the words just can't come out. Or make them a blubbering, crying mess, any vocalizations being inarticulate. That also works.

[@Phantom_Fireside]

Agreed, they way I wrote it is my MC freezes in shock before they are overwhelmed by anger, they don't say anything other than the characters name softly before taking up the fallen characters weapons and moving on.. MC knows they'll have time to mourn the dead later but right now theyres a battle to win

[@ViridianCrisis7]

Kinda in line with the mercy thing: Let your MC kill for less than noble reasons. The shady guy who’s only our for himself withheld info that could have saved someone? Throw him overboard. Someone betrayed and tried to kill the group and was subsequently captured? Let the MC stare them in the eyes as they slice their throat.

[@robertagu5533]

Sounds like a few TWD or GOT plots. Or whole episodes

[@amberdawn868]

One reason I loved Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao. The MC and her boyfriends definitely killed for less than noble reasons lol

[@Moonlit-Demon]

I would love to read a book like that, where the MC is just plain up savage.

[@zakosist]

Partially agree, but I dont think its wrong if they DON'T kill anyone or only do when completely necessary. It doesn't make someone "unrealistically good", just ask yourself how many people do you know who have actually killed someone (and if you do, how many were NOT in self defense/protecting someone, and NOT in the military either). Most people have a strong aversion to killing others, and its abnormal to kill for revenge (although understandable in some cases). Also consider someone may avoid killing because they dont want themself in prison or similar consequences, and not necessarily just to show mercy

[@robertagu5533]

@@zakosist like ya said situations, circumstances and sometimes specific requirements of ones job dictate. There's times places and reasons for basically EVERYTHING. Even the extremes

[@bobvalentino3710]

There was only one time that I had genuinely said, “Nooooooo!” It was just a few years ago when I had accidentally dropped a key lime pie on my kitchen floor... and yes I debated whether I could somehow eat the parts that didn’t touch the floor but I aborted that train of thought and said what my dad always used to say, “fuck it.”

[@amrys_argent]

I mean, that *is* a tragedy. Poor key lime pie.

[@bobvalentino3710]

Thank you. I’m glad someone understands.

[@tami7992]

I would've screamed no too, that's truly a tragedy

[@wilddragonsong2994]

I've screamed "Noooooo!" in anguish because my dragon wings costume that I felt like was a part of me snapped into three pieces in my bicycle wheel.

[@bobvalentino3710]

Did you take those broken wings and learn to fly?

[@-mangozandbananaz-1410]

“If they get stabbed in the leg, they’re fucked.” Jenna is telepathic. I was just writing a fight scene where the MC gets severely wounded under the knee. Was wondering if that was enough. Thanks Jenna, even though you probably just made up an idea in your head and had no idea I existed.

[@shade08538]

If they lost an artery, they’re done they’re never walking again

[@huldanoren951]

@@shade08538 Depends on what artery

[@s8theninjawarrior916]

All I'll say is, a wound on the outer thigh is very survivable, you're kinda screwed if in the middle of a battle and the wound if too much to handle but you'll be surprised at how much the body numbs your pain when adrenaline is high as hell... A wound in the inner thigh... you're pretty dead... same thing for the adrenaline but when you're out the fight.... you'll realise quickly the damage and die pretty fast. Edit: (if the wound damaged the main artery that travels down the leg, otherwise its the same as outer thigh) Also, bones and muscles are not as long to heal as a tendon or a ligament.

[@TheOvalOwl]

Jimmy's entire leg came off below the knee when the cannonball struck. "No, I'll keep on fighting!" he shouted. Then another cannonball struck him in the left arm, severing it completely. "That's not enough, I'll still fight!" Jimmy hobbled forward, landing his one good leg on a hidden landmine. The landmine blew his good leg off at middle thigh. He writhed in pain but still righted himself and kept crawling with his one good arm. I have to keep fighting, he thought. An enemy soldier fired his weapon at Jimmy, striking him dead center in the head. His brains erupted from his skull. "Not enough! I'll never stop fighting!" God itself descended from the heavens and cast Jimmy into Oblivion where he disintegrated and became dust and Jimmy's words echoed in the darkness "not even YOU can kill me!" Jimmy killed everyone on the field that day. And then married Elanor, his highschool sweetheart who he later saved from the clutches of evil with his one good pinky finger and what was left of the 3rd vertebrae in his neck. He later succumbed to his wounds.

[@Raycheetah]

Ever bang your knee on something hard? Stub your toe really badly? It took you out of the moment, didn't it? But that's NOTHING compared to being stabbed, or even being struck very hard in combat. Krav Maga (Israeli martial art) trains practitioners to take hits, because you will get hit, and no matter how good you are at fighting, pain can still stop you in your tracks. And that wound (if it doesn't kill you or get you killed) will hamper you for a very long time, which can potentially derail the character's usefulness to the plot if handled realistically. ='[.]'=

[@Kamenriderneo]

3:20 In Power Rangers' defense, the reason why they don't call their robots to just stomp on the bad guys instead of fighting them in human form is that they can't. The rangers have three rules they must follow otherwise they risk loosing their powers for ever. Rule 1- Use your power for good, never evil or personnal gain. Rule 2- Never escalate a battle, use only the amount of force necessary. Rule 3- Keep your identity a secret from the general public. So you see, because of rule number 2, they can't just stomp on bad guys using their giant robots.

[@kimifw58]

And giant robots consume energy.

[@Soveliss74]

At least they have that in the rules. Some are just... because.

[@Kamenriderneo]

@@Soveliss74 True

[@benjisaac]

Does voltron have rules like this? Or do they just do it to lengthen the scene

[@Soveliss74]

@@benjisaac does it depend on the series? Some of the scenes in the Netflix series, they're in some tight corridors that the lions can't get in to

[@CaptainAndy]

Suppressive fire is one of my favourites. Ie. When the bad guys aren’t actually shooting anyone, just relentlessly firing shots in order to stop the good guys from being officially safe. Also, the way some people die instantly whereas other people die slowly enough to give a long drawn out emotive speech… usually while suppressive fire is going on all around them.

[@AlistairZands]

While not a book, my favorite example of being referential to the villain soliloquy is The Incredibles where Syndrome stops halfway through to defend himself and claims "You got me monologue-ing!" It's funny, but also, in one short bit, it let's us know that Syndrome is knowledgeable about tropes, will try to avoid tropes but is still susceptible to them (*cough* cape foreshadowing *cough*), and that supers in this world seem to actually consider manipulating the egos of villains to get them talking like that an actual skill.

[@sarahackroyd2150]

my favorite subversion of the "Bad Guy Solliloque" trope was in watchmen, where Ozymandias reveals his entire plan, and when nite owl tells him he's crazy and that the plan will never work, Ozymandias reveals that the plan was completed a full half an hour ago. half of New York is dead and the doomsday clock has finally reached midnight after all the times we've seen it nearing twelve. it's fantastic and chilling.

[@WendyWinchester]

#4- Reminds me of in Naruto where the bad guys (And in some cases even the good guys) will always take time out of their busy fight schedule to explain the "science" and/or physics of their attacks to their opponent. #10- OMG. I agree so much. Every time I hear the line "Because if you kill her, you're as bad as she is." I want to throw things... violently.

[@Moonlit-Demon]

I want to throw things.. at the book.

[@nicholascauton9648]

Seriously. Batman is prime suspect of this stupidly senseless trope. Sometimes killing is warranted in the context of self defense most especially. Someone like the Joker has escaped prison again and is out in society murdering everyday citizens. And Batman refuses to see the forest for the trees considering he’s facing what is essentially a rabid dog that needs to be put down. The Punisher actually makes far more sense because when a mass murderer gets shot dead (by Frank Castle/The Punisher no less) that puts an end to their malicious murder spree.

[@randeknight]

Yelling out their moves as they do them. Sure, in a team/army battle, this can be really useful to avoid friendly fire accidents. eg. yelling 'Rasengan' is going to help your teammates get out of the way of the splash damage. But in a one-on-one fight with someone you want to kill, yelling out your moves is stupid.

[@guicaldo7164]

I disagree with #8. Immortal characters can work just fine in fights as long as the stakes of the fight are something other than their death. There are many, many things that can be at stake during a fight. For example, I know it's a videogame, but what about the climax of Jedi: Fallen Order? Yes, Vader isn't technically immortal, but for the purposes of the story he might as well be. And that makes him fucking _terrifying._ You're not fighting to win, you're fighting to stay alive for another second, hoping to find a way to get out alive somehow. Immortal villains can be awesome because all the heroes can hope for is slow them down long enough to get the orphans to safety. Or the immortal hero can be trying to reach the self-destruct button of the superweapon before it blows up his friends. Basically, make sure that the stakes of your fight are things that can actually happen. If you do that, immortal characters are no problem at all. Also I disagree with #10. People can be merciful without being idiots about it. When there is a safe way to defeat the villain without killing them, why would it be bad for the heroes to take it? Regardless of whether the villain deserves to live, does the hero really need to live with that mental toll? (This is assuming they didn't just slaughter a bunch of henchmen of course, I hate it when mooks are treated as less human than the main villains) Nothing wrong with a morally ambiguous anti-hero, but not every hero needs to be grey. There's been an increasing push against heroes just trying to be good people lately, and I don't want writers to feel like their heroes need to be grey to be taken seriously. There's still a place for kindhearted heroes, and they don't have to be naive! Just look at Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

[@DarthBiomech]

Yes, if immortal characters are supposed to be not a good thing in fights, then why Hellsing is so fun to read?

[@Moonlit-Demon]

And in Heroes of Olympus, the seven fight not to kill Gaia, but to put her back to sleep, as they know she is immortal. *Spoilers!* Same with Tartarus, as Percy and Annabeth just need to hold him back, not kill him.

[@therealmaizing5328]

I agree with you on both points. Especially on #10. I have a story where the heroes grant mercy to the villain, but see to it that the villain is unable to do any more damage while they're at it. Admittedly, he's not a genocidal maniac and is the grandfather of one of the protagonists.

[@zionleach3001]

Yeah even though a character is immortal they could lose it or are fighting to get thier mortal friends away from danger. Like Kaulder of The Last Witch Hunter. You live for so long you start getting reckless and see time differently. A character remembers the small beginnings of a city and maybe seen worlds or civilizations rise then fall.

[@jaginaiaelectrizs6341]

THANK YOU🤍👏

[@samuelzuleger5134]

I can understand the "giant morphin' robot" option in a VERY specific way. In some of the original power rangers shows, as well as some other mecha manga and anime, the Super Mech (or other weapon), is just that. A super weapon (AKA, Weapon of Mass Destruction). Think of it like "Balefire" in WoT. If you can use it, why not? Because it can have serious ramifications beyond just the fight. Balefire can screw up time, the super-mech can screw up the entire city, not just the villain. The power rangers really only pull out the super mech when the baddie gets that size and the city is getting screwed up anyway. Its like a real-world military using nuclear weapons. Why doesn't Russia just use nukes in Ukraine right now? The answer is pretty obvious. They want to capture Ukraine, not destroy it (and get a bunch of countries "returning fire" at the same time).

[@chrisrudolf9839]

Well, Jenna doesn't say never to such a last resort morphing into super form / pulling out the superweapon. You just need a sensible reason not to use that stuff from the start and the reason should be shown or at least implied for the reader.

[@KallichoreMoth]

Oh my God, Jenna is telepathic! I was just now struggling to write a fight scene!

[@-nolimitkae-1090]

Swear to god

[@christinakozmas]

Long live the cyber queen!

[@dazmaster22]

Point 2 makes me happy that I thought ahead for a big fight scene in my manuscript. The MC is severely wounded, like loses a few limbs, but I also went out of my way to establish that the machine he is fighting in essentially forces him to be alive long enough to keep him fighting until shock finally makes him black out. Then he is unconscious for about a week recovering. But yeah, big injuries require big explanations for why your hero can keep going

[@s8theninjawarrior916]

Excuse me... the MC LOSES a few LIMBS and recovers in A WEEK... I hope there are big explanations there cause oof😅

[@selfboredom3025]

@@s8theninjawarrior916 well technically they said he was unconscious for a week he might still be recovering after he comes to

[@alexandernorman5337]

@@s8theninjawarrior916 Futuristic scifi where hospitals can 3d print new limbs? It's actually more realistic than FTL travel.

[@dazmaster22]

@@s8theninjawarrior916 the MC is unconcious for a week recovering, in that time limbs are cleaned up and the stumps stabilized to a decent degree. Doesn't get them back right away or anything. Eventually he does get metal replacements, but the time scale between getting injured and getting back to fighting is around 5 months, which in universe is very rushed, but lots of determination and a few questionable steroids explain getting back at it as relatively quickly as he does.

[@dazmaster22]

@@alexandernorman5337 cybernetic replacement limbs with good nerve interface tech is what I was going for, lol

[@Shatterverse]

My favorite Villain Monologue gag was when they hung an enormous lampshade on it in Star Trek VI, when they beamed Kirk & McCoy off Rura Penthe just before the warden could lay out the whole plan, and Kirk materializes on the pad cursing a blue streak, then Checkov is all "you want to go back?" LMAO

[@flamethatsings-witchcraft5893]

"Good guys don't kill people." My current main character who turn to murder before the second act: 👁👄👁

[@jenniferdaniels701]

I thought of Avatar: The Last Airbender on that one. Aang- I don't want to kill Ozai. There has to be a better way. All the past avatars while advising him- Kill him.

[@zionleach3001]

🤷 whoops. Well nothing wrong with a little moral greyness.

[@britt6184]

Protagonist is not synonymous with hero/good guy so have at it.

[@nicholascauton9648]

I wouldn’t call it murder if the person that gets killed was a murderer themselves.

[@avelongreed3132]

My morally grey main character’s: 👁👄👁

[@mildlyobesegoat7262]

#6 I usually see the opposite happening in modern fiction. Like a swing, we went from Damsel's in distress to Mary Sues all over the place

[@imperfectwaffles5688]

I think she’s saying we need to find the middle ground between those two tropes. No OP Mary Sues and no “competent assassins.”

[@mildlyobesegoat7262]

@@imperfectwaffles5688 I think I added the „Strong Disagree“ after writing the comment and without second thought😂 Of course I don‘t disagree, I just don‘t think that falsely strong female characters are one of the worst tropes in action since their counterpart is far more common.

[@ludovico6890]

It is true, but there are still many instances when a seemingly perfectly capable female fighter suddenly loses her skills and turns damsel in distress when the plot requires it.

[@caiolucas8257]

These are 2 different issues tho: 1 - Female characters that have no weaknesses and can always handle everything on their own (Rey, Captain Marvel) 2 - The badass female character we're sold yet in no moment proves herself to be badass, she can struggle, she can need help, but you can't simply tell us she's a badass yet in no moment she shows that (Anna Valerious in Van Helsing, Sonja in Underworld, Yara Greyjoy in Game of Thrones, The Baroness in G.I Joe comics). A good example of a female character who doesn't fit in neither trope is Beatrix Kiddo A.K.A The Bride from Kill Bill. While she is depicted as a badass, she is not flawless, she gets her ass beat quite a couple of times, is in vulnerable position several times and struggles without losing her dignity as a badass.

[@mildlyobesegoat7262]

@@caiolucas8257 Yara Greyjoy was as badass as promised though. She got into Ramsay's Castle an would have freed Theon if he would have come with her. Just because she was caught later on doesn't mean she's a terrible fighter

[@hazelmaylebrun6243]

Mercy is included because it's part of being human. It's also what sets your 'good guy' apart from the villain. They might both be shooting and killing and maiming, so what makes one good and the other bad... the good guy's conscience and sense of right and wrong sometimes kicks in and gives him/her pause before passing an arbritrary sentence. That's not a weakness, regardless of what the villain has done. If there is a justice system in your story, the hero, like regular people, has an ingrained sense of protocol. I don't walk out my door and shoot somebody if they are a criminal (unless they're coming right at me or my kids, then all bets are off). I seek police or whatever legal means is available to me first... unless I have no choice. Just having your hero be able to switch that on and off without any thought is just as bad a trope as the ones you are complaining about. In literature, you've got man against man(kind), man against nature, and you've got man against himself. These are the basic conflicts in any story. Having the hero hesitate to just mete out justice, pausing to consider mercy is man against himself playing out. If you don't have that in you, that's fine, but most of us do, and we don't apologize for it or care if you approve.

[@bloop6111]

The only good “nooooo” I can think of is in Midsommar, the opening scene (I think?) But it works because she says it while crying/mourning. And it’s one hell of an intense moment because it doesn’t come off as a dropping to your knees and yelling into the sky kind of melodrama. Edit: that wasn’t an action scene but still

[@mastertofu]

I've written the "strong female character" and put her in a situation where she needs saving and my work-around to avoid making her look weak is having the male MC rescue her through wit rather than brute strength. It doesn't undermine her strength, she's still strong, but that's not what she needs right now.

[@mastertofu]

@@tetrapharmakos8868 I never said there's anything wrong with making protagonists look weak, in fact the entire point of this book I'm writing is that the protagonists are massively weak compared to the villains so they're usually forced to be on the run. By "look weak", I mean making her a damsel in distress, like someone who's completely useless. "Look weak" and "be weak" are different things. Someone can show vulnerability in a way that makes them _look_ strong. Since her character is _about_ being strong, that's the perspective of the book and thus would always frame her to look strong even if she's being weak.

[@randeknight]

@@tetrapharmakos8868 It's a modern thing that _female_ protagonists aren't allowed to look weak, but must instead rescue themselves if they are ever captured. Captured male protagonists can be rescued by anyone - plucky sidekick, tamed rat, female love interest, or a literal deus ex machina.

[@isabellamartinico3153]

"Bullets are flying People are dying" Jenna be making winning rhymes and quotes on the spot *queen moments*

[@rodrigocazanova1407]

#10 annoys me as hell. That and the villain dying because of their own actions and not by the hands of the MC. What a unsatisfying way to keep the MC's hands "Clean". Or like in TLOF2: Forgiving the villain after murdering hordes of her followers in cold blood.

[@soren3569]

My issue is about 8 of these are 'Bad Tropes" but "Tropes that some writers use badly". Even in most of the examples, Jenna acknowledges that there are ways to do these right. The big exception to this is "NOOOOOooooooo", which is pretty much always unrealistic, as she notes.

[@SadieParker799]

It's so frustrating when you're reading or watching something and the heroes just let the villains go because "killing is wrong". Like seriously, it's okay for the good guys to delve into morally grey actions, it doesn't mean they're not still good people. And besides, moral complexity is far more engaging then the classic 'good vs evil' dynamic

[@CollinBuckman]

There's nothing wrong with a hero who kills, but there's also nothing wrong with a hero who thinks killing is wrong. I feel like a lotta people online overrate heroes who kill and it's really kinda annoying- if the author wants to make a story about someone who refuses to kill throughout the whole thing that's perfectly fine, it's only an issue when the no killing feels forced or hypocritical.

[@SadieParker799]

Yeah this is true. My issue isn't so much with characters who think killing is wrong, but rather when those characters are so unwilling to cross that line that they do something stupid like letting the villains go free

[@irreliventable]

Injuries to the leg are weird. I've heard stories of soldiers being shot in the leg and not noticing till later and stories of them dropping in excruciating pain instantly. I've heard that when it comes to a knives the sharper the knife is the less you feel the cut (unless it nicks bone). In my own experience I have managed to burn a leg with boiling water on one occasion and tear it open on an old water cap on another. On the later I didn't realize what had happened until I stood up and the other kids around me started freaking out. It was not painful. The former hurt like hell at the time then subsided like a lot of bumps and scrapes do as you're going through childhood. It was when it started hurting more later that I started to realize I had done some real damage. Where am I going with this? This video just made me think about these things that I hadn't considered in years. I will mention one thing though. What is the tone of the fight? People fight for a lot of reasons. For anger, for control, for fun or because it's their job. A villain who's standing in the way of the hero because he likes a good fight but the hero just wants to get to their child who's in danger is going to dictate a lot of how the fight plays out.

[@nyrael9117]

Overhearing the villain's plot is still cheap. Discovering it by seeing the villain taking action to prepare it is way more satisfying. And please, please, please, writers, subvert the mercy trope !

[@nicholascauton9648]

Seriously, the mercy trope has to stop. Mercy has its place in the world and it should be there. However when someone has repeatedly murdered innocent people just for laughs (looking at the Joker as an example), that maniac should be put down to the ground PERIOD. Seriously I won’t even allow a debate for this. It’s something like this where I’m fully convinced Batman is just as insane as the Joker is for refusing to kill his adversaries even though he is clearly capable of doing so.

[@GetWellSoonR.E.M.]

@@nicholascauton9648 That’s why I enjoy stories where Batman is pushed to FINALLY killing the Joker in some fashion and/or has his moral code constantly being pushed until he finally snaps and has enough of it

[@the.duck.is.ronin.]

The story I'm writing actually does subvert the mercy trope. The MC stops attacking when the antagonist is one spell away from death, she walks up to her, only to stomp her into the ground instead of using magic.

[@ArabellaTurner]

I will say, it wasn’t a bad guy doing it, but when a character LITERARILY whipped out a PowerPoint to explain his mech suit to his opponent, it was one of the greatest battle moments ever. And it did do an excellent job of explaining his suit’s significance!

[@hotcocoandart]

I'm actually working on an action scene now! I needed this lol

[@imperfectwaffles5688]

Tip 10 also needs someone to tell the main character “dOn’T! If you kill the villain you’ll be just like them!”

[@DS-mi9ru]

And all characters conveniently forgot that the main character already mercilessly butchered hundreds of goons to get to the big bad villain. For fucks sake, one more kill won't hurt you.

[@imperfectwaffles5688]

@@DS-mi9ru I’m crying it’s so true

[@amrys_argent]

Right? That drives me nuts.

[@zakosist]

A quote like that often only makes "sense" if you completely skip the context of the whole story before that

[@SpaceCowboyTrev]

I find that one annoying because if they really are the kind of hero that wouldn't kill the villain, they should already know for themselves that it's wrong and not have to be told if that truly is what they believe in.

[@ludovico6890]

Regarding the last one, I can see how the hero giving mercy to the villain (or a villain) can work, especially in contemporary fiction: when said villain can be a witness in a criminal case, when killing him would make him a martyr in the eyes of his supporters, when the hero thinks killing him would be too small a punishment for the villain's crimes, or simply when killing the villain when he's defenseless would be considered murder. The hero would then spare the villain's life not out of principle, but for practical reasons, and reluctantly. That can be a great way yo introduce suspense: will the MC go for justice, or revenge? Will he listen to reason or will his hatred of the villain be too much?

[@caiolucas8257]

I definitely get your point, but IMO it depends on what limits can be put on the villain and what good could his death bring. Ain't not way a hero should spare a dictator or a genocidal, that's some dumb sh-t.

[@ludovico6890]

@@caiolucas8257 Even for a genocidal dictator you may want to keep him alive for a public trial. The Mossad captured Eichmann and brought him in Israel for trial, then they executed him once he's been condemned. In contemporary fiction (crime fiction especially), just killing the villain can actually be problematic on many levels. My main character in my stories only kills in self-defence and aims to have the villain arrested, not out of moral considerations, but because he considers it more satisfying to outwit the villain and have him humiliated.

[@britt6184]

I hate the last trope with a passion. In one of my stories, the antagonist causes a ton of people to be killed indirectly and directly kills someone important to the protagonist. At the same time, the antagonist is also someone the protagonist cares for but she comes to realize that to end the event killing people, she has to kill him. She tries to reason with him first but it doesn't work so she does what needs to be done. This is at the beginning of the series where the protagonist has never directly killed anyone before and the fact that she had to kill someone who she thought of as family deeply traumatizes her. This series isn't all doom and gloom but it does delve into more mature topics. There's no room for that whole show the villains/antagonists mercy touchy feely nonsense.

[@XZeroDragoonX]

I think OP and Immortal characters work just fine. The stakes of action just can't be in their well-being. Someone/something to protect or something to save is just fine as a motivator to get into a fight. Part of the reason why OP characters tend to be boring af is because they don't have something to fight for, they just *fight.* Or, conversely, what they're fighting for is rather unimportant (Like a hot girl, unspecified amounts of money, etc). Example of a good OP character is Raiden from Metal Gear Rising or Bayonetta. Both are insanely strong, but the stakes aren't always about THEM, it's about what happens if they're too late or if they don't do what's right when it matters most. Example of a good Immortal character is probably Dante. He's funny, edgy, but also on a quest to slay demons and deliver the world from demons. The action doesn't hinge on "can he make it?" it's more about the overarching mission that may or may not be time sensitive.

[@Shatterverse]

You seem to be overlooking the fact that _spectacle_ can be fun too. A fight that looks cool can coexist with fights that kick ass. They just can't all be spectacle. It's like candy. Scratch that, it's like drugs; you probably won't get hooked from one hit of it, but it'll be nice while it lasts.

[@caiolucas8257]

I do agree on that, but even that has it's limitations. We enjoy seeing Batman whooping regular criminals with no struggle, but if it's a baddie on his level like Ra's Al Ghul we want struggle.

[@emmasilver2332]

#1: I write the "almost" scene in one of two ways: either the powerup requires a certain artifact/material that both the hero and the villain are trying to get, or the powerup has some significant down sides that make the hero reluctant to use it (i.e. volatile magic that could easily go horribly wrong, the powerup requires a blood sacrifice, the magic is so powerful that it has a high probability of costing many innocent lives in collateral damage, etc.) #2: The way I handle a character getting injured varies based on the nature of the injury, whether or not the character has supernatural abilities to counteract it, what events occurred in their past, what's motivating them, and whether or not they have allies fighting alongside them. A character who experienced physical abuse as a child may have higher pain tolerance, but if the blow hits them in a certain spot or if a certain weapon is used to make the blow, they may suffer a PTSD flashback that could completely shut them down in a fight. Conversely, if a character grew up with everything handed to them, they may faint at the sight of their own blood being spilled, even if the wound is superficial. A character with more altruistic motivation will be able to shrug off more pain than a character who is more self-centered. A character who has access to fire (be it a torch, magic, or another source), may be able to quickly cauterize their own wounds in order to keep fighting a little longer, but any seasoned medic will know that cauterization is usually only a temporary solution, so the character may still die if they don't get access to adequate medical care in a timely manner. #3: I don't really have anything to add here. This particular trope is so dumb. don't use it. #4: I do have a villain in one of my books with the habit of monologuing, but he still has enough sense to be smart about it. He typically does it with the objective to decrease the heroes' morale (i.e. one time he revealed that a protagonist's family member is already dead, and another will shortly follow if the hero doesn't cooperate.). He reveals just enough to mess with the protagonists' heads, while keeping safe the crucial elements of their plan so the protagonists can't exploit it. #5: Yeah, I can agree that this trope is WAYY overused and not at all realistic. #6: Again, nothing to add here. You hit all the points I would've hit. #7: The way I handle this is that the heroes must figure out a way to outsmart and/or avoid their opponents instead of defeat them with brute force. They may try to turn the villain's henchmen against each other and/or against the villain himself. They may try to flee into the thick forest surroundings in order to make it difficult for large hordes of enemies to follow them. They may try to lure their enemies into a trap (such as thorny briars, an oncoming flash flood or avalanche, a wasp infestation, a pride of lions, etc.) in order to slow/whittle them down. They may try to infiltrate the enemy compound with the goal of getting as much information about the villain as possible while still remaining undetected. They may try to disorient their enemies, creating illusory sights/sounds to make it seem like the heroes aren't quite as outnumbered as they truly are, with the goal of decreasing enemy morale. #8: So long as the immortal character A: has a weakness or B: has something to lose that they feel is worse than death, then immortality is fine. #9: If I don't want the characters getting outside help and they're in a modern or futuristic setting, I can do that in a few ways. The police force may be corrupt, so the characters believe calling them will do more harm than good. The ambulance could get in a crash along the way to the dying character. The characters may be in an area with poor cell reception. The cops could be preoccupied with something that's deemed to be a "more serious issue". The character's phone could run out of battery right before they're able to notify emergency services of their location. The villain's henchmen may wrench the characters' phones out of their hands before they're able to call anyone. The weather might make it impossible for emergency services to get there on time. These are what I could think of off the top of my head. #10: I have a protagonist that does tend to show mercy, as she hates the thought of someone's blood being on her hands. She sees the good in everyone and believes everyone's deserving of a second chance. If she must kill in order to protect her friends and/or other innocents, she tries to inflict as little pain as possible while doing so. She tries to use kindness and diplomacy in order to invoke sympathy in her enemies. If this doesn't work, she tries to incapacitate them without killing them. She always leaves killing as a last resort, often relying on her allies to finish the job for her so she doesn't feel as guilty about it afterwards.

[@arigato2281]

I've followed you for awhile. This video popped up on my feed, thankfully, and I couldn't agree more with all the tropes but also how amazingly hilarious you are. Glad to be reacquainted with you again. Much love.

[@CandyThePuppy]

10:06 Lol, I found a way around this once by just having them all fighting in a very crampt hallway where you physically can't fight more than one at a time. Plus added to the clostrophobia feeling and the fact that there is only one way to go...and it's got some obstacles in the way!

[@zionleach3001]

Just came back from Writer Dojo Steve Diamond says when adrenaline kicks in "the body shuts-down emotions and focuses on function." Ask anyone who's been in a fight. There more focused on what or who's attacking then "how they feel."

[@fangsofthefenrir0027]

I agree with the horde fighting you brought up in #7. That being said, there definitely are some elements to worldbuilding (particularly in high fantasy) that can justify specific moments when one or even two characters can wipe out legions of enemies or even best a multitude in combat.

[@ttchme9816]

About that mercy part, I have seen well done stories where the MC spares a villain to feel good about themselves, but the villain goes on to kill innocents again, making the MC having a reason to actually kill cold bloodedly in the future.

[@jonathonriddle9922]

My favorite subversion of the "bad guy soliloquy" is from the movie Goldfinger. In it, James Bond figures out Goldfinger's plan by talking it out in front of the villain himself. It spells out the plot to the audience while also showing how capable a secret agent Bond is.

[@julias5980]

I had to laugh at #1: one of my all-time favorite movies, Pacific Rim, is sooooo guilty of this trope. The ammo is spent, the enemy has just revealed their own morphin' secret, our heroes have surely lost ... wait, you had *that* weapon the whole time?

[@dragonmaster3099]

There was this one joke on immortality that a KZbinr named Solid jj jested about in one of his recent videos parodying Dragonball Z, and it's the concept of immortality prolonging your life indefinitely but not actually preventing you from getting injured horrifically. I think that's one way to make immortality more interesting (like Mortal Kombat X with Shinnok) rather than having someone not being able to die by natural or artificial means. I also find the last trope hilarious considering how you're simply just pointing out oversimplified good characters being unable to kill the bad guy because, essentially, the plot prevents him to (Batman and Joker being an annoying example). Although I don't find it entirely bad for writers to write good characters unwilling to murder because it would make them like the bad guy, I think it should come with some kind of intense internal struggle, overpowering character trait, narrative reason, character relationship, etc. rather than holding back simply because they know they're the good guy of the story. The oversimplification disregards the complexity of humanity while also watering down what makes not killing the bad guy the right thing to do. It's not a horrendous trope, but at least put effort into having it make sense.

[@DarkPegasus87]

#3 is EXACTLY why Superman has his weakness to Kryptonite. Eventually, the plot became "God wins. The End." They stopped selling issues, so they needed to give him a weakness. Personally, I have 3 Laws of Action like Sanderson has 3 Laws of Magic: 1) The value of action is in the effect, not in the effort. As amazing as it may be to see a swordsman swinging like a maelstrom at a foe, it's far more awesome to see the foe never taking a scratch. 2) The impact of the action is inversely proportional to the amount of effort put into it. Generally, more effect for less effort results in a greater impact. 3) Anyone can wield their own power against an opponent. True beauty in an action scene comes from subduing your opponent's power with ease or using their power to your advantage.

[@mindofthelion712]

4:26 Stranger Things 4 drove me nuts because for the entire second half of the season Hopper is running around on a broken leg and NO DO YOU WANT TO KEEP THAT FOOT

[@AyDeeAichDee]

Hi Jenna, I don't think you'll see this, but I wanted to say that since I've discovered your channel, I've really gotten far with my writing. You are so unbelievably inspiring. Your videos are beyond helpful and I know you put so much effort into making them for us, you have tips for EVERYTHING! I love watching you because you have such positive energy and that just makes your videos so much more engaging and enjoyable. Keep going, you're doing freaking incredible.

[@butcher1117]

currently writing a mystery that involves fight scenes. this is gonna be *really* helpful, thanks jenna!! ❤

[@TheVortex808]

When she went into the male power fantasy part, she obviously hasn’t seen jjk, but Gojo is ENTERTAINING when he’s fighting

[@americanronin4633]

Thanks, Jenna! I appreciate your blunt AF tips. I'm writing and on KZbin about writing, also, and am trying to carve my niche for videos.

[@averygracemusic]

Jenna is the Gordon Ramsay of writing in the best way possible

[@CandyThePuppy]

12:10 Ohhh, that would be such a cool scene though if a friend is down, mumbling the other's name gruffly as they cough up blood. Meanwhile, their friend is pacing beside them, a phone glued to their cheek as they panic, trying to comprehend their surroundings well enough to tell those on the 911 line what street they're on. Their friend bleeds out slowly, reaching out for the other...desperately wanting someone to comfort them in their last minutes..as the world slowly fades away... Finally, the frantic person puts away their phone and falls to their knees to check on their friend. "..No....." they whisper softly, finding that there is no pulse. That friend then goes on to forever have guilt about being on the phone instead of comforting their friend in their last minutes on Earth...

[@Wright805]

3:05-3:27 I apologise if I'm flogging a dead horse here, but there is another VERY good reason why the Power Rangers trope exists in-story. If the Power Rangers immediately bust out the giant robots, then how do you think the villains will respond? Answer; they'll stop sending out human-sized monsters and start sending them out as giants from the start. This will mean more civilian casualties as there won't be time for people to get to shelter. Hence the need to avoid escalation.

[@dottyspot]

9:45 Jenna: "If your character is a magical ninja..." Me: *Ninjago flashbacks* .___.

[@tonyflamingo3444]

Im noticing a disconcerting trend of people treating these types of videos as gospel. Please don't, it's your world and book at the end of the day, and if you do or use any of the tropes that doesn't make it a bad scene or novel it's all in the context and is established by what is "Normal" in your book.

[@Alias_Anybody]

Tipp about writing #1 - ask yourself three questions: 1. Can the "super attack" currently be performed? 2. Is there a penalty for the user? 3. Does environmental damage matter? 1. is the easiest but also the cheapest reason why it's not done yet. Need the McGuffin? The power of friendship? Fine but predictable. 2. Is more interesting. If it for example has a recharge time it adds a strategic element (saving it for a counter of a stronger opponent?), if it may turn the user evil a moral one. 3. Pretty intuitive - maybe start with some sword strikes and not the plasma wave which would level the city? A protagonist NOT caring about stuff like that is a good indicator for a moral dissonance, especially when writing "ends justify means" characters.

[@benjaminthibieroz4155]

1) One isn't necesseraly cheap. If a character power is established to work only under specific circumstances that are clear and objectives (means: not subject to emotions), which are currently unacessible because the character had to take the risk of acting without them or was deprived by prepared foes, that's a good way to increase tension and make the characters more grounded.

[@Alias_Anybody]

@@benjaminthibieroz4155 Cheap in the sense of "not very creative/groundbreaking". It's a one-time roadblock like needing a key in a puzzle game. Of course you can make getting it interesting, but that's kind of it.

[@caiolucas8257]

3. is not necessarily about the environment, it can be, but a lot of times it's about damage control. The hero wants to pull a major blast, but he can't control his powers and there's too many people nearby so he rather go light while leading the villain to a place he can pull the major blast without collateral damage.

[@DS-mi9ru]

I only love #1 in Morbius when he yells 'Its Morbin' time' in the middle of a fight scene.

[@NosferatuWickedTTRPG]

The only time I've seen 'Sounds Fake But Ok' done well was the 100 Man Fight in Berserk. Since the guy was almost dead by the end of it

[@andeeharry]

7:53 A lot of movies have done this ''nooooo'' type of thing, slows everything down for emotional thing. Witcher did it and I know loads of films/tv shows do it just because. They are hugging it out in a middle of a battle and then go berskerk in battle.

[@syrliawarrior]

I much prefer the broken hearted, shell shocked heroes freeze leaving me biting my nail going "oh man don't give up now!" Or the savage power up that the loss brings. Nothing like seeing the soft spoken one flip like a light & go on a blood bathing killing spree. If you're going to kill a character make it matter.

[@andeeharry]

@@syrliawarrior I like this and my MC has done this a few times

[@CandyThePuppy]

3:59 Or, the tragic twist! Have them try to convert this villain from the darkness (even better if they're an old friend or family member) before they finally realize at the end, when they are just about to die...that this person simply won't change their ways. It is then that they finally pull out the gun and fire, ending the battle suddenly with a slow, bitter end as the body of their old pal drops to the ground, not even able to say their final words because their head's just exploded...

[@abeclark524]

You mention the "Noooooooo......." which is why I loved the film 13th Warrior. When Ahmed Fadlan relayed the news to Herger that his friend Helfdane wasn't going to make it he didn't do this, but you did see his face drop, he was hurt, he just didn't wail about it.

[@mhmmhm5995]

I’m not even interested in writing, your videos are just too funny! Seriously, I wish you had more views

[@tracylamb2971]

Very late to the party, but thank you for the laughs!! It's always nice to know I haven't fallen into a trope! I've tried hard to make my fight scenes make sense.

[@Moonlit-Demon]

"Gods are immortal until their power source is-" PERCY JACKSON

[@DomesticatedGoth]

I am very proud now to have written a scene where my deuteragonist is panicking about how to call for an ambulance in a foreign country after my protagonist gets shot. He actually remembers he has a mobile phone.

[@kimifw58]

When your hero is OP, how about endangering _other_ people and making the audience _care_ about them? Crazy, I know.

[@longarrowthegreat5230]

04:35 Batman, Punisher, Joker: Are we jokes to you? 05:26 UNSC Spartans and Doom Slayer: Are we jokes to you? 09:29 Doom Slayer and Master Chief: Are we jokes to you? 11:18: Soldiers who are in a battle field where either comms are down or broken and they can’t call for help: Bruh 12:19 Batman: Am I a joke to you? Almost every other hero is existents: Wait, heroes aren’t supposed to kill people? *Entire cities burning in the background.*

[@johmlemon532]

4:20 the amount of times she says “your fucked” is hilarious idk why

[@SysterYster]

Don't know if it's coming in the video yet, but another thing is that the "Man saves woman, woman falls in love with man" trope. Like, I'd be glad if someone saved me, right, but would I fall in love automatically and have sex with that guy? Most likely not. Also, more than likely, he wouldn't either. That's one thing I like about the move Final Call (I think the name was) where a woman calls a guy through a broken phone (aka she doesn't know who she calls) after being kidnapped. He has to save her, and in the end he does, but they are not at all interested in being together. He even says in the end. "Never call me again" with a laugh. Then they go their separate ways. That's how it would be 90% of the time.

[@writethepath8354]

Oo, your action scenes are the best part, I definitely remember enjoying Tobias in beast mode at 3 am. I mean, poor baby....

[@pokemongirl5674]

Here is my comment on each of these. I have numbered it accordingly with each point. 1) I agree granted I am kind of using this trope but only when its the mc not knowing that he had this power at first. 2) I always said "really? You lost an arm and a leg and you're still okay!?" Sure that was an example but it does get on my nerves a bit, probably more if it gets used a lot in a story 3) I agree that it gets boring, especially worse if you called on who would win once the fight begins 4) I 100% agree with this. I get on why it's a thing but come on, it ruins the pacing for me. Especially worse when it's during the climax of the story or a story arc 5) I like it best when the person's name gets said in that tone instead of just a nooooo, it makes me feel emotionally invested in the scene 6) Assassin ladies are indeed something cool to me, let them kick butt every so often😔 7) It just slows the pacing for me whenever this happens or it just feels like a waste of energy for both me and the character doing the killing 8) By pure coincidence I'm writing a vampire but I ofc gave the vampires restrictions. 9) I am writing a story where you can't use cell phones in the bounded area that the cast are in so I probably escaped that issue 10) characters that are gray more than just pure good are more of my style anyways, I am dodging this as well due to well you can't have a "100% good" person easily survive as a protagonist in a survival game story after all. In short: many of these tropes just bother the heck out of me

[@MaceTLOF]

(Just commenting for the algorithm) I actually changed a character because I didn't like how their immortality worked and now he's immortal, but his weakness is the one thing that the villain specializes in.

[@damiondevault3874]

My favorite immortal example is a manga series called "To Your Eternity" where the main character is immortal, but the characters around them are the ones who die, so it still gives risk ro the fight scene, because you get really attached to the characters TWT

[@danthalios]

I'm with you on number 10, Jenna. In my latest novel, one of the main villains sets up a genocide plot, gets caught and is defeated after a short battle sequence. As he's dying, he essentially asks the protagonist for a light. She immediately shoots him through the head and steals his cigarette.

[@rickhaydan3433]

No one calls for an ambulance because they can't afford the ambulance bill. 😱

[@TheBusySimmer]

This video gave me confidence in my final action sequence lol. MC is in the middle of neutralizing a threat, his best friend drops beside him and instead of stopping to grieve right away, he has to keep going

[@SystemofEleven]

#8 -- "I got into this combat-heavy job because I'm an adrenaline junky who enjoys the rush of coming a hair's breadth from death. And now I'm immortal. WHAT IS THE POINT OF MY EXISTENCE NOW??" *Proceeds to turn into an emotionally wrecked drunk who can't be bothered to help fight the bad guys*

[@britt6184]

I have an immortal who made it his purpose to help/protect the last of his kin/family line. They don't see eye to eye on everything but they still care about each other.

[@caiolucas8257]

An immortal's reason to live can be done pretty easily: Love, power, making the world a better place, etc.

[@raina1848]

I can't help it; I love that "Noooooooooo!" whenever it happens. 🤣

[@shadowscribe]

First of all, there's other strengths besides being good in a fight. No easier answer to "why didn't they" if it's the opposite of her wheelhouse. BUT if she is good in a fight, you're open to so many options over the classic damseling. I'm partial to them getting their own fight scene where they lose. NOW you have stakes the hero has to overcome

[@lucasbechtol4126]

I don't think you need to be a magical ninja to beat off 20 guys. Fairly certain I've seen videos of that.

[@selfpubwithdale]

7:30 That needed to be said. That trope is WAY overplayed and makes zero sense. Another killer list. You always crack me up.

[@jerseyboyce1]

the video actually starts at 2:57

[@phillipbernhardt-house6907]

I am writing a story currently with various "immortal" characters...in the sense that they can literally live forever and will never die or suffer the effects of age naturally, but they can certainly be killed in all the conventional ways that people can be (including accidents, infected wounds, direct attacks, drowning and burning, and so forth), which means that if they're warriors, they have to be pretty damned good at it, or they're just as likely to get killed as anyone else. It's worked so far, and has made for a semblance of "realism" despite some of the other fantastic elements of the story. So, I'm glad you made a note of that! :)

[@sxwriter8569]

1: Uhh Jenna, that depends. Power Rangers has a code to not escalate a fight unless needed, if they're incapacitated the zords could get stolen or used against them (it's happened in 5 different seasons) and the villains could easily take them out if they're not careful, hell in the reboot movie, one of them took out the zord on a joy ride and almost completely wrecked it, plus they take time to repair. But in general, I agree, though if the reader justifies it it shouldn't be a problem. 2: Yeah that's gonna hurt. 3: Just make everyone else overpowered as well. A hero with all the skills but none of the finese against multiple people with equally dangerous powers but more skill absolutely knows what the hell they're doing. 4: True, although the hero could just ask and the villain just says, "nope," a brief explanation "cuz it's fun, deal with it," or something vague. "to save humanity" or something to leave. 5: Fair. 6: Faux Action Girl. It sucks. Show, don't tell. There's a reason people hate part 1 Sakura, but love part 2 and Boruto Sakura. 7: Fair enough. Although it's something like superpowers via an army, there's some leeway. 8: Valid. 9: Wait that's a trend/trope? What the hell? 10: I have an idea to fix that: if the villain is forced to join the hero, let the heroes use the villains, claim they'll forgive them, then by the end of the series, through them in jail.

[@caiolucas8257]

10 is a bit of a tricky one, if the villain's crimes are severe enough, it's not a good look on the villain.

[@GadzWolf11]

9:48 In a fight, right?

[@Shatterverse]

"You can't kill me; after all, we're not so different, don't you think?" "You know, you're right!" **BANG!**

[@tymitch95]

#5 was hilarious to me on so many levels LoL. The way you sold it killed me with the black and white screen

[@robinschicha4712]

That‘s why I love ❤️ Moon Knight. It breaks every of this Tropes. „Show Mercy?“ 😈Well, there is always a friend who can do it.

[@Buzzactly]

I am not the greatest writer in the world, but there are a lot of fight scenes in my books. Each one is actually based on incidents that actually occurred. The time is different, and the combatants were different, but the action was based on real fights and actual battles. I am pretty sure I haven't violated any of the tropes you mentioned. thanks.

[@caiolucas8257]

I do agree with Jenna on everything, but i think she did a mistake on no.8: There's a difference between Immortality and Invulnerability, the two can be confusing and sometimes are depicted as the same, but they're not. Immortality is being capable of never aging, Invulnerability is being pretty much unkillable, the first one can work on a fight scene given the immortal character can be killed, the second however is pointless.

[@huldanoren951]

My biggest problem with the mercy on the villain trope is that the hero is ALWAYS a complete hypocrite, since they have always mercilessly killed off hundreds of the villain's minions throughout their journey. Why the fuck does the big bad's life matter more than the little guys'? Shouldn't it be the other way around? (Spoiler alert for Avatar the last airbender, if you somehow haven't watched the show yet) A prime example of this is Aang sparing Ozai's life by taking away his bending at the end of Avatar the last airbender. Aang says that he hasn't killed anybody in the past, but that is blatantly false. He had in fact killed hundreds of Fire Nation soldiers by dropping tons of snow on them and blowing up their vehicles, and he even drowned some Earth Kingdom soldiers once. Needless to say, Aang, and any other hero who has done this, is a complete hypocrite.

[@yangtze2000]

1. It isn't in my pocket, I'm watching you on it. 2. The badass heroine that needs saving every episode works well for Sailor Moon, but admittedly even the other sailor guardians think she's hopeless. 3. Thank you for empowering me by telling me it's MY sh!tty book! Hell yeah! 3. Thank you for another great, thought-proving, instructive, and inspiring video! 😊

[@lilijennings7316]

Let's not forget the "you should have gone for the head" moment. Idk if that's what it's called, but I absolutely hate it. If your hero needs to kill the villain, don't make them stab the bad guy in the chest, especially if they'll still be able to move and do things to go against the hero!! Go for the head, and completely incapacitate them!

[@caiolucas8257]

Yep, i do get your point, but that Thor scene worked, it would be a cop out if it was done in Ragnarok because the stakes were much higher in Infinity War and the scene established Thanos's power. IW builds up Thanos perfectly, he's supposed to be unstoppable, a never seen before threat, therefore the movie establishes that with several moments (the initial Mantis scene where Starlord puts everything to lose, the Thor scene, the Wanda vs Thanos scene, the scene where Doctor Strange has to simply give him the time stone) where he almost loses. Also that scene wasn't supposed to be Thanos death, just an "almost" scene. There are better examples of this trope being done in fiction and simply boring us to death with the stupid morality. Black Panther's ending is a better example of that, there's also Spider Man: Far From Home, Josstice League, etc.

[@bouncerblake]

When you get to the part when the heroes comrade falls in battle and screams "No(ox20)!" I can't help but think back to the time when my mother-in-law had a near fatal motorcycle accident. When my wife got the call she almost dropped our newborn baby and screamed for a much longer time than I've heard any other human being scream. So now when I see it in books and movies (as long as it's not absolutely ridiculous) I can't help but be called back to that moment and have to relive how real that can be, even as rare as it is. Also, the I Love Lucy reference to the one against many was absolute gold, and how I would want any of the number of action sequences I've seen to go. I am about to write a scene that contains a fight between a mortal and a werewolf, where the mortal knows. And even vocally addresses that he knows he can't win, but has never backed down from a fight, and won't just let himself take it. It's also being done to make the werewolf restrain himself, and reveal to another character what he is and why he won't fight his own brother back, even though it was a cheap shot and he should at least maim him for taking the shot. 😂

[@flamethatsings-witchcraft5893]

I have very few fight scenes in my books, but I do have a few.

[@Crowelephant]

Shredder: You will never defeat me, Turtles! Ninja Turtles, all holding M4 rifles: BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAT!.. Well, that was easy.

[@steakismeat177]

First time I think I've completely agreed with everything you've said. I'm gearing up to write a fight scene and you've raised some good food for thought. Either figure out some good medical care or risk having the character come out unscathed in some weird, possibly contrived way.

[@danielcopeland3544]

Injuries don't always hurt immediately. Pain evolved to prevent us from further damaging injured body parts, but we also evolved not to collapse in the middle of fighting off (or running away from) a bear. Consequently, quite often people who suffer flesh wounds in action don't notice anything has happened until they stop and cool off. (There are limits, of course. This won't work for broken bones.)