Super-Trope
Some tropes can be pretty broad in scope, enough to cover one or more Sub-Tropes under them.
Let's say you have tropes for "Scarf Juggling" and "Knife Juggling". Just plain "Juggling" would be the Super-Trope for both of them.
In short, if you took every example of a super-trope and combined with every example of its sub tropes, they would all count as examples of the super trope.
This is also important, as a Missing Supertrope can lead to people thinking a trope is broader than it is.
In logic terms, the Super-Trope would be the genus, and the sub-tropes the differentia.
Do not confuse this with different tropes simply having a common element. That is a standard index. Although a super trope can be an index if it has enough sub tropes.
Compare Sister Trope.
Not to be confused with The Same but More, Exaggerated Trope, Superhero Tropes.
- Idiot Ball covers tropes like Hero Ball, Villain Ball, and Distress Ball. Conflict Ball isn't a Sub-Trope, but a Sister Trope.
- Chekhov's Gun covers quite a few tropes, as does its evil twin, Ass Pull, which covers tropes like Deus Ex Machina (an Ass Pull to resolve the story).
- Bigger Is Better covers a... big collection of tropes.
- Trying to Catch Me Fighting Dirty covers a number of tropes that are both Combat Tropes (like TTCMFD itself) and not necessarily related to combat. One of those second tropes, We Need a Distraction, is a Super-Trope with a number of sub-tropes of its own.
- Which makes Trying to Catch Me Fighting Dirty a Super Duper Trope, obviously.
- Conflict is one of the most super of all tropes, given any story needs it in some form.
- Characters is another.
- So is Plot.
- Show, Don't Tell covers tropes such as Informed Attribute and That Makes Me Feel Angry.
- Badass can come in so many forms, because Badass is just too awesome to contain in one.
- Shades of Conflict covers the various forms of morality vs. morality, from Black and White Morality to Grey and Gray Morality and everything in between.
- Many of the Rule of Index tropes are super-tropes.
- Living a Double Life covers several tropes, notably Secret Identity, which in itself is a super trope.
- Pink Means Feminine covers tropes such as Pink Girl, Blue Boy and Princesses Prefer Pink.
- Ideal Hero covers pure-hearted heroes such as The Cape (trope), Knight in Shining Armor, Captain Patriotic and The Messiah.
- Appropriate Animal Attire covers all the animal clothing tropes.
- Closer to Earth covers all tropes where minorities are there to inspire and prop up the White Male Lead, such as Women Are Wiser and Magical Negro.
- The Face covers all ensemble characters whose speciality is social skills whether its as The Chick, The Social Expert, The Heart or Team Parent.
- Screw the Rules, I Have Money
By the way, have you ever seen Super-Trope and Trope-tan in the same place at the same time?
- ↑ Pictured, from left to right: "Happy Holidays" Dress (from Disney Princess), Sexy Santa Dress (from Batman Returns), Going Fur a Swim (unknown), Fur Bikini (from Dungeons and Dragons), Naked in Mink (from Playboy).