Deadly Change-of-Heart/Playing With

    Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


    Basic Trope: A character who attempts to be redeemed gets killed.

    • Straight: John is about to help Bob, but he is killed by Jason.
    • Exaggerated: John gets a heart attack the millisecond he even considers repenting.
    • Downplayed: John thinks about helping Bob, but does not. John goes on to live a full life for many years and to a ripe old age but dies of heart attack caused the guilt of not helping Bob once he gives it a thought one day.
    • Justified: John's evil ways was leading up to his own demise. By the time he realized it, it was too late.
    • Inverted: Bob, the hero, realizes he wants to be bad, but is killed before he can do anything evil.
    • Subverted: Jason brutally attacks John but he survived his injuries and pulls an official Heel Face Turn.
    • Double Subverted: But John dies due to his injuries before he is able to help Bob.
    • Parodied: ???
    • Zig Zagged: ???
    • Averted: John successfully becomes good without dying.
    • Enforced: Jason is paranoid about betrayal and is secretly watching John. The second John tries to help Bob, Jason activates a secret kill switch that kills John.'s
    • Lampshaded: ???
    • Invoked: Jason gave John a serum that when he is about to betray him, activates and kills John.
    • Exploited: John's rival, Jacob, realizes that he can get John killed and himself promoted without blood on his hands by subtly making it easier for John to try helping Bob.
    • Defied: Bob revives John, realizing he could use his help.
    • Discussed: ???
    • Conversed: ???

    Back to Deadly Change-of-Heart