Sum This Up in One Trope

Some works are really complex. Trying to explain them is like trying to tell the sky stop raining purple droplets of sugar-coated chocolate pieces go very nicely when you crush them through a toothpaste tube.

Then, there are these. A work with a single trope so central to it, that when said trope is mentioned, the work is the first thing that comes to mind. Enjoy!

Note: Very often, these will be Trope Codifiers or Trope Namers.

Compare X Meets Y.

Sorted by Trope.

Aliens in Cardiff

 * Torchwood

Almighty Janitor

 * Space Quest

And Then What?

 * Megamind

AI Is a Crapshoot

 * 2001: A Space Odyssey
 * GLaDOS

Bacon Addiction

 * EPICMEALTIME

Badass Boast

 * Doctor Who
 * Duke Nukem
 * Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

Badass Pacifist

 * Black Lagoon
 * Doctor Who
 * Trigun

Bug War

 * Starship Troopers
 * Starcraft

Born Detective

 * Veronica Mars

Bunny Ears Lawyer

 * Boston Legal

Captain Ersatz

 * Billy vs. SNAKEMAN

The Chosen One

 * Harry Potter
 * Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Complete Monster

 * Monster

Cool Gate

 * Stargate

Cool Plane

 * Blackhawk
 * Swat Kats

Crapsack World

 * Now and Then Here and There

Darker and Edgier

 * Warhammer 40000

Deadpan Snarker

 * Blackadder

Deadly Decadent Court

 * Game of Thrones

Defective Detective

 * Monk

Destructive Savior

 * Megas XLR
 * Ghostbusters

Double Jump

 * Jumper

Dungeon Crawl

 * Diablo
 * Torchlight

Dr. Jerk

 * House MD

Everything Is Online

 * Mega Man Battle Network

Evil Is Not a Toy

 * Hell Girl

Extranormal Institute

 * Gunnerkrigg Court

Fake Ultimate Hero

 * Ciaphas Cain, HERO OF THE IMPERIUM!
 * Flashman

Fantasy Counterpart Culture

 * Discworld

Food Porn

 * Tampopo

For Science!!

 * Girl Genius
 * Dexter's Laboratory

Gambit Pileup

 * Death Note
 * Mirai Nikki

Guile Hero

 * Code Geass

Going Native

 * Avatar
 * Dances with Wolves

Heroic Comedic Sociopath

 * Sam and Max

Highly-Visible Ninja

 * Naruto

Humongous Mecha

 * Gundam
 * Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
 * Voltron
 * Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
 * Sym-Bionic Titan

Information Wants to Be Free

 * Tron

Insufferable Genius

 * The Big Bang Theory

Intrepid Reporter

 * The Adventures of Tintin
 * Beyond Good and Evil
 * Transmetropolitan

Journey to the Center of the Mind

 * Psychonauts

Katanas Are Just Better

 * The Sacred Blacksmith

Le Parkour

 * Mirrors Edge
 * Banlieue 13
 * Prince of Persia

Living Lie Detector

 * Lie to Me
 * The Mentalist

Lolicon

 * Lolita

MacGyvering

 * MacGyver

Magic Versus Science

 * Arcanum

Magical Girl Warrior

 * Sailor Moon
 * Cardcaptor Sakura
 * Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Martial Arts and Crafts

 * Ranma One Half

The Messiah

 * Mahou Sensei Negima
 * Avatar: The Last Airbender
 * The Matrix
 * The Bible

The Men in Black

 * Men in Black

Mind Screw

 * Serial Experiments Lain
 * Doom Patrol
 * Neon Genesis Evangelion
 * Higurashi no Naku Koro ni

Mons

 * Digimon
 * Pokémon

Monster Clown

 * The Dark Knight
 * IT
 * Final Fantasy VI

Nigh Invulnerable

 * Superman
 * The Tick

Nintendo Hard

 * I Wanna Be the Guy
 * Demons Souls, Dark Souls
 * Ninja Gaiden

Noble Demon

 * Disgaea

Obfuscating Stupidity

 * Columbo
 * Dumbledore

Pay Evil Unto Evil

 * Inglorious Basterds

The Power of Friendship

 * Sonic Heroes
 * My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic

The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything

 * Monkey Island
 * One Piece

Roaring Rampage of Revenge

 * Afro Samurai
 * Kill Bill

Sanity Slippage

 * Eternal Darkness

Scenery Porn

 * Aria
 * Okami
 * Legend of Mana
 * Baten Kaitos

Schoolgirl Lesbians

 * Simoun

Scry vs. Scry

 * Mirai Nikki

The Snark Knight

 * Daria

Song Parody

 * Weird Al Yankovic

Sociopathic Hero

 * The Punisher

Space Western

 * Trigun
 * Cowboy Bebop
 * Firefly
 * Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers
 * Bravestarr
 * Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs

Tank Goodness

 * World of Tanks

Tear Jerker

 * Saikano

There Can Be Only One

 * Highlander

Unstoppable Rage

 * Asura's Wrath

Video Game Cruelty Potential

 * The Sims
 * Dwarf Fortress

Video Game Caring Potential

 * Anything from BioWare

Waif Fu

 * Battle Angel Alita

Yandere

 * Mirai Nikki

You Are Already Dead

 * Fist of the North Star

Zombie Apocalypse

 * Dawn of the Dead
 * The Walking Dead