Hero Ball: Difference between revisions

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Plot and devices resulting from the Hero Ball:

* [[Alone ~~With~~ the Psycho]]

* [[Alone with the Psycho]]

* [[Balance Between Good and Evil]]

* [[Cardboard Prison]]

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* [[Dumb Is Good]]

* [[If You Kill Him You Will Be Just Like Him]]

* [[~~Its~~ the Only Way]]

* [[It's the Only Way]]

* [[I Work Alone]]

* [[Joker Immunity]]

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* [[Redemption Demotion]]

* [[Save the Villain]]

* [[Sealed Evil in A Can]]

* [[Sealed Evil in a Can]]

** [[Sealed Inside a Person Shaped Can]]

* [[Slave to PR]]

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Note that some of these tropes are mutually contradictory; for example, a [[Lawful Stupid]] character carries the Hero Ball all the time, but would sooner die than [[Save the Villain]]. Apparently, there's only so many ways to be smart, but idiocy is Legion.

Modern, Western action movies usually combine the Hero Ball with some form of [[Karmic Death]]. The hero can't actually be shown executing the villain, but that doesn't mean the villain can't fall to his death, be [[Self Disposing Villain|eaten by his own monster]], crushed by his own machine, fall into nearby acid or lava, or impale himself on some nearby sharp object, or be otherwise [[Hoist By His Own Petard]].

Modern, Western action movies usually combine the Hero Ball with some form of [[Karmic Death]]. The hero can't actually be shown executing the villain, but that doesn't mean the villain can't fall to his death, be [[Self-Disposing Villain|eaten by his own monster]], crushed by his own machine, fall into nearby acid or lava, or impale himself on some nearby sharp object, or be otherwise [[Hoist by His Own Petard]].

Compare with the [[Villain Ball]] and [[Holding Back the Phlebotinum]]. Contrast [[Flaw Exploitation]] for when an antagonist exploits a heroes' flaws. Contrast [[No-Nonsense Nemesis]], who isn't prone to carrying the [[Villain Ball]].