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{{quote|''Watch The Mysterious Murderer. If you already saw it, don't spoil the ending. If you haven't seen it you will never guess until the last moment that the mysterious murderer is Jack the Stranger''|The trailer of The Mysterious Murderer routine by [[Les Luthiers]]}}
{{quote|''Watch The Mysterious Murderer. If you already saw it, don't spoil the ending. If you haven't seen it you will never guess until the last moment that the mysterious murderer is Jack the Stranger''|The trailer of The Mysterious Murderer routine by [[Les Luthiers]]}}


Movie [[Trailers]] are [[Never Trust a Trailer|known to mislead]], but sometimes they go in the opposite direction, giving away key plot points and twists (and sometimes what would have been a [[Twist Ending]]). The odds of this happening increase for the commercials aired after a movie's opening weekend.
Movie [[Trailers]] are [[Never Trust a Trailer|known to mislead]], but sometimes they go in the opposite direction, giving away key plot points and twists (and sometimes what would have been a [[Twist Ending]]). The odds of this happening increase for the commercials aired after a movie's opening weekend.


Of course some of this depends on your definition of "[[Spoiler]]". Given that a trailer consists mostly of clips from the movie itself, a fair bit of spoilerage, in this case footage from a later part in the movie, is often inevitable. There is also the matter of ''context''. An action movie, for example, may show a fight scene between two characters, then you actually see the movie itself and realize that the other dude the hero was fighting happens to be his best friend in the beginning, thus the trailer has clued you in to a betrayal of some sort occurring before you even knew it. So if you read the examples below from a movie you haven't seen (either you have no intention of seeing it, or maybe you should reconsider continuing past this part), and find yourself thinking "I didn't even know that ''was'' a spoiler", don't worry about it.
Of course some of this depends on your definition of "[[Spoiler]]". Given that a trailer consists mostly of clips from the movie itself, a fair bit of spoilerage, in this case footage from a later part in the movie, is often inevitable. There is also the matter of ''context''. An action movie, for example, may show a fight scene between two characters, then you actually see the movie itself and realize that the other dude the hero was fighting happens to be his best friend in the beginning, thus the trailer has clued you in to a betrayal of some sort occurring before you even knew it. So if you read the examples below from a movie you haven't seen (either you have no intention of seeing it, or maybe you should reconsider continuing past this part), and find yourself thinking "I didn't even know that ''was'' a spoiler", don't worry about it.


A related phenomenon often occurs with DVD menu intro screens. DVDs will often introduce their menu screens with montages from the movie/episodes, or clips of scenes that are particularly flashy or dramatic. Often these will give away major plot points before the viewer has a chance to even start the film. These can be even more effective at spoiling the film's plot than trailers, since a viewer might plausibly be expected to go days between seeing a trailer and finally seeing the related movie, which might give them a chance to forget things from the trailer. With menu intro screens, on the other hand, the viewer is being shown clips from something that they are moments away from watching.
A related phenomenon often occurs with DVD menu intro screens. DVDs will often introduce their menu screens with montages from the movie/episodes, or clips of scenes that are particularly flashy or dramatic. Often these will give away major plot points before the viewer has a chance to even start the film. These can be even more effective at spoiling the film's plot than trailers, since a viewer might plausibly be expected to go days between seeing a trailer and finally seeing the related movie, which might give them a chance to forget things from the trailer. With menu intro screens, on the other hand, the viewer is being shown clips from something that they are moments away from watching.


Also related are the trailers which run immediately previous to the show you have already sat down to watch. Some shows give a "Next, on X:" segment, spoiling you on things you would just know in the next 30-60 minutes ''on a show you have already decided to watch''. These are intended to pull in the new viewer, but can seem unfair to those already into a show as you are most likely to be already watching at the beginning of the episode.
Also related are the trailers which run immediately previous to the show you have already sat down to watch. Some shows give a "Next, on X:" segment, spoiling you on things you would just know in the next 30-60 minutes ''on a show you have already decided to watch''. These are intended to pull in the new viewer, but can seem unfair to those already into a show as you are most likely to be already watching at the beginning of the episode.


Can lead to [[Trailer Joke Decay]]. See also [[Spoiler Opening]] and [[Late Arrival Spoiler]]. Compare [[The Namesake]], when the title itself may be a spoiler. Or just see [[Spoiler Title]].
Can lead to [[Trailer Joke Decay]]. See also [[Spoiler Opening]] and [[Late Arrival Spoiler]]. Compare [[The Namesake]], when the title itself may be a spoiler. Or just see [[Spoiler Title]].


{{examples}}
{{examples}}


== Anime & Manga ==
== Anime & Manga ==
* The entire ''[[Dragon Ball]]'' metaseries (all dubs) plays with this trope, particularly at key moments. It's done as a ratings ploy: if you want people to watch, tell them exactly what they'll see. Why would I want to miss {{spoiler|Trunks kill Freeza}}? Also the manga necessarily spoiled the anime. Common to any anime closely following a manga.
* The entire ''[[Dragon Ball]]'' metaseries (all dubs) plays with this trope, particularly at key moments. It's done as a ratings ploy: if you want people to watch, tell them exactly what they'll see. Why would I want to miss {{spoiler|Trunks kill Freeza}}? Also the manga necessarily spoiled the anime. Common to any anime closely following a manga.
* The trailers for ''[[Battle Angel Alita]]'' (aka ''Gunnm'') OVA summarize the entire episode, up to and including the defeat of the major villain.
* The trailers for ''[[Battle Angel Alita]]'' (aka ''Gunnm'') OVA summarize the entire episode, up to and including the defeat of the major villain.
* ''[[Naruto]]'''s English-language release of Vol. 30 gave away a ''major'' plot point ({{spoiler|who gets the final [[Chekhov's Gun|antidote]]}}) in its choice of picture for the "In the next volume" page at the back. With a little thought, it's easy to deduce what happens.
* ''[[Naruto]]'''s English-language release of Vol. 30 gave away a ''major'' plot point ({{spoiler|who gets the final [[Chekhov's Gun|antidote]]}}) in its choice of picture for the "In the next volume" page at the back. With a little thought, it's easy to deduce what happens.
** It's something of a moot point, since it's suggested that {{spoiler|Sakura could have made it back to the Sand Village to make another antidote (the thing paralyzes instantly but takes ''3 days'' to actually kill someone)}} if not for {{spoiler|Chiyos's [[Heroic Sacrifice]]}}, which the preview for the corresponding anime episode spoils.
** It's something of a moot point, since it's suggested that {{spoiler|Sakura could have made it back to the Sand Village to make another antidote (the thing paralyzes instantly but takes ''3 days'' to actually kill someone)}} if not for {{spoiler|Chiyos's [[Heroic Sacrifice]]}}, which the preview for the corresponding anime episode spoils.
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** The preview trailers and posters for the 2007 ''[[Fist of the North Star]]'' movie ''Legend of Raoh: Chapter of Fierce Fighting'' spoils the fact that {{spoiler|Raoh dies.}} Considering the movie is an adaptation of a key story arc in a 24-year-old manga, this is a combination of [[Late Arrival Spoiler]] and [[It Was His Sled]].
** The preview trailers and posters for the 2007 ''[[Fist of the North Star]]'' movie ''Legend of Raoh: Chapter of Fierce Fighting'' spoils the fact that {{spoiler|Raoh dies.}} Considering the movie is an adaptation of a key story arc in a 24-year-old manga, this is a combination of [[Late Arrival Spoiler]] and [[It Was His Sled]].
* [http://i34.mangareader.net/shiki/9/shiki-758007.jpg This] cover for ''[[Shiki]]''. {{spoiler|Look at his eyes.}}
* [http://i34.mangareader.net/shiki/9/shiki-758007.jpg This] cover for ''[[Shiki]]''. {{spoiler|Look at his eyes.}}
* Trailers for various iterations of ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'' contain ruthless spoilerage. An [[ADV Films|ADV]] trailer briefly showed {{spoiler|Misato and Ritsuko's death scenes from Episode 25}}, and a "next episode" trailer spoils {{spoiler|Rei II's death}}; virtually every frame of the [[Manga Entertainment]] trailer for ''The End of Evangelion'' showcases massive spoilers, among them {{spoiler|the invasion of NERV HQ, the Misato-Shinji kiss scene, Asuka's death scene, and the appearance of GNR}}; even an early Japanese trailer for Death & Rebirth/EoE features a voiceover spoiling {{spoiler|Rei's betrayal of Gendo}}. Admittedly, EoE is such a spoilerific movie that it would be extremely difficult to have a trailer that spoils nothing whatsoever, but [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAMQybBc-Jk&feature=channel_page a series of Japanese TV spots] seems to have figured it out (and encapsulated the general spirit of the movie into 15 seconds, to boot:)
* Trailers for various iterations of ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'' contain ruthless spoilerage. An [[ADV Films|ADV]] trailer briefly showed {{spoiler|Misato and Ritsuko's death scenes from Episode 25}}, and a "next episode" trailer spoils {{spoiler|Rei II's death}}; virtually every frame of the [[Manga Entertainment]] trailer for ''The End of Evangelion'' showcases massive spoilers, among them {{spoiler|the invasion of NERV HQ, the Misato-Shinji kiss scene, Asuka's death scene, and the appearance of GNR}}; even an early Japanese trailer for Death & Rebirth/EoE features a voiceover spoiling {{spoiler|Rei's betrayal of Gendo}}. Admittedly, EoE is such a spoilerific movie that it would be extremely difficult to have a trailer that spoils nothing whatsoever, but [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAMQybBc-Jk&feature=channel_page a series of Japanese TV spots] seems to have figured it out (and encapsulated the general spirit of the movie into 15 seconds, to boot:)
** As [[Nightmare Fuel|awesomely disturbing]] as the DVD menu for [[Eo E]] is, it too is guilty of plenty of spoilerage as well {{spoiler|most notably Asuka's death.}}
** As [[Nightmare Fuel|awesomely disturbing]] as the DVD menu for [[Eo E]] is, it too is guilty of plenty of spoilerage as well {{spoiler|most notably Asuka's death.}}
* The preview for episode 23 of ''[[Bokurano]]'' spoils the fact that {{spoiler|Machi is the next selected pilot}}.
* The preview for episode 23 of ''[[Bokurano]]'' spoils the fact that {{spoiler|Machi is the next selected pilot}}.
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* The back of the third DVD volume for ''[[Code Geass]] R2'' shows Charles {{spoiler|with a code mark on his hand}}, as well as {{spoiler|a dying V.V.}}.
* The back of the third DVD volume for ''[[Code Geass]] R2'' shows Charles {{spoiler|with a code mark on his hand}}, as well as {{spoiler|a dying V.V.}}.
** The fourth volume shows pictures of {{spoiler|Nunnally}}, who was assumed to be dead, including one with {{spoiler|her eyes open}}, and also includes a [[Spoiler Title]] for Episode 22: {{spoiler|Emperor Lelouch}}.
** The fourth volume shows pictures of {{spoiler|Nunnally}}, who was assumed to be dead, including one with {{spoiler|her eyes open}}, and also includes a [[Spoiler Title]] for Episode 22: {{spoiler|Emperor Lelouch}}.
** The final volume of ''[[Code Geass: Nightmare of Nunnally|Code Geass Nightmare of Nunnally]]'' shows {{spoiler|Nunnally standing up alongside Alice; granted, her eyes are still closed, but so are Alice's}}, and also makes a reference to {{spoiler|Euphemia becoming Empress}}.
** The final volume of ''[[Code Geass: Nightmare of Nunnally|Code Geass Nightmare of Nunnally]]'' shows {{spoiler|Nunnally standing up alongside Alice; granted, her eyes are still closed, but so are Alice's}}, and also makes a reference to {{spoiler|Euphemia becoming Empress}}.
* Lantis' 5-minute promo for ''[[Haruhi Suzumiya|The Disappearance of Suzumiya Haruhi]]'' soundtrack spoiled THE ENTIRE MOVIE, so they had to redo it without spoilers.
* Lantis' 5-minute promo for ''[[Haruhi Suzumiya|The Disappearance of Suzumiya Haruhi]]'' soundtrack spoiled THE ENTIRE MOVIE, so they had to redo it without spoilers.
** This trope, together with [[Trailer Joke Decay]], was [[Discussed Trope]] in ''The Dissociation of Haruhi Suzumiya'' (the ninth novel), when Haruhi decides to make a sequel to "The Adventures of Mikuru Asahina". She talks about how much this annoys her and decides to avert this by producing the trailer before even starting the filming of the actual movie.
** This trope, together with [[Trailer Joke Decay]], was [[Discussed Trope]] in ''The Dissociation of Haruhi Suzumiya'' (the ninth novel), when Haruhi decides to make a sequel to "The Adventures of Mikuru Asahina". She talks about how much this annoys her and decides to avert this by producing the trailer before even starting the filming of the actual movie.
* The main Japanese Trailer of ''[[Film/Howls Moving Castle|Howls Moving Castle]]'' reveals the true form of the Witch of the Waste, but does not say that it is her.
* The main Japanese Trailer of ''[[Film/Howls Moving Castle|Howls Moving Castle]]'' reveals the true form of the Witch of the Waste, but does not say that it is her.
* The Next Episode previews for ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's|Yu-Gi-Oh 5 Ds]]'' has on one or two occasions spoiled certain things. Episode 10's preview ends with Yusei holding up the Rubble King card (the last card he uses against Takasu) and episode 12's preview spoils the end of the Yusei/Ushio duel by showing Goyo Guardian being destroyed by Turbo Warrior.
* The Next Episode previews for ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's|Yu-Gi-Oh 5 Ds]]'' has on one or two occasions spoiled certain things. Episode 10's preview ends with Yusei holding up the Rubble King card (the last card he uses against Takasu) and episode 12's preview spoils the end of the Yusei/Ushio duel by showing Goyo Guardian being destroyed by Turbo Warrior.
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* The previews for the film adaptation of ''[[Metropolis (anime)|Osamu Tezukas Metropolis]]'' showed scenes from when {{spoiler|Tima realized her true potential - to destroy Metropolis.}}
* The previews for the film adaptation of ''[[Metropolis (anime)|Osamu Tezukas Metropolis]]'' showed scenes from when {{spoiler|Tima realized her true potential - to destroy Metropolis.}}
** And not only have the trailers given off the climax, but the DVD covers as well!
** And not only have the trailers given off the climax, but the DVD covers as well!
** The original manga did a [http://www.boingboing.net/images/tezukabook.jpg similar thing.]
** The original manga did a [http://www.boingboing.net/images/tezukabook.jpg similar thing.]
* The cover of the third volume of ''[[Bakuman｡]]'' shows Moritaka Mashiro, one of the main characters, working as an assistant for Eiji Nizuma. When the offer is first proposed, Mashiro's editor, Akira Hattori, initially doesn't think he'll take it.
* The cover of the third volume of ''[[Bakuman｡]]'' shows Moritaka Mashiro, one of the main characters, working as an assistant for Eiji Nizuma. When the offer is first proposed, Mashiro's editor, Akira Hattori, initially doesn't think he'll take it.
** The preview for Volume 6 notes that "all (Mashiro and Takagi's) dreams may go up in smoke when one member of the team can't take the pressure," and it shows {{spoiler|Mashiro}} collapsed in his office (Granted, this is foreshadowed).
** The preview for Volume 6 notes that "all (Mashiro and Takagi's) dreams may go up in smoke when one member of the team can't take the pressure," and it shows {{spoiler|Mashiro}} collapsed in his office (Granted, this is foreshadowed).
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* In 2011 [[Marvel Comics]] has been especially bad about this saying that now they'll probably kill off a major character every quarter to raise sales:
* In 2011 [[Marvel Comics]] has been especially bad about this saying that now they'll probably kill off a major character every quarter to raise sales:
** February saw the death of {{spoiler|The Human Torch}} in the conclusion of the "Three" arc in ''[[Fantastic Four (Comic Book)|Fantastic Four]]'', the title of which heavily implied one of the titular four dying. While the story's title managed to avert the typical [[Oh, and X Dies]] nature of alot of "The Death of X" stories Marvel ruined any potential surprise by spoiling it to the press the day before the release.
** February saw the death of {{spoiler|The Human Torch}} in the conclusion of the "Three" arc in ''[[Fantastic Four (Comic Book)|Fantastic Four]]'', the title of which heavily implied one of the titular four dying. While the story's title managed to avert the typical [[Oh, and X Dies]] nature of alot of "The Death of X" stories Marvel ruined any potential surprise by spoiling it to the press the day before the release.
** Early June saw the death of Bucky Barnes, the second Captain America, in [[Crisis Crossover|Fear Itself]] #3 to the surprise of almost nobody as Marvel had already announced that original [[Captain America]] Steve Rogers would return to the uniform a month later. The only reason it didn't make any sort of media splash was because [[DC Comics]] one upped them the day before by announcing that they were relaunching their entire line of comics this September.
** Early June saw the death of Bucky Barnes, the second Captain America, in [[Crisis Crossover|Fear Itself]] #3 to the surprise of almost nobody as Marvel had already announced that original [[Captain America (comics)]] Steve Rogers would return to the uniform a month later. The only reason it didn't make any sort of media splash was because [[DC Comics]] one upped them the day before by announcing that they were relaunching their entire line of comics this September.
** The same month featured the release of ''[[Ultimate Spider-Man]]'' #160, the last issue of the "Death of Spider-Man" storyline. Cue the media exploding with articles about it and pundits saying things like "Prediction: fans will buy up copies of ''Ultimate Spider-Man'' #160 until it is no longer collectible." Ignoring that ''Ultimate Spider-Man'' takes place in an [[Alternate Continuity]] and the real Peter Parker is not only alive and well but starring in "Spider Island" his own little mini crossover event.
** The same month featured the release of ''[[Ultimate Spider-Man]]'' #160, the last issue of the "Death of Spider-Man" storyline. Cue the media exploding with articles about it and pundits saying things like "Prediction: fans will buy up copies of ''Ultimate Spider-Man'' #160 until it is no longer collectible." Ignoring that ''Ultimate Spider-Man'' takes place in an [[Alternate Continuity]] and the real Peter Parker is not only alive and well but starring in "Spider Island" his own little mini crossover event.
*** To make matters worse when it was announced to media a day before [[The Reveal]] that an all new half Black half Hispanic character [[Alliterative Name|Miles Morales]] would replace Peter Parker as Spider-Man the media went into uproar while still ignoring the [[Alternate Continuity]] thing.
*** To make matters worse when it was announced to media a day before [[The Reveal]] that an all new half Black half Hispanic character [[Alliterative Name|Miles Morales]] would replace Peter Parker as Spider-Man the media went into uproar while still ignoring the [[Alternate Continuity]] thing.
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* The trailer for ''[[Free Willy]]'' [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6bSTWtAo0U does exactly this], outlining every major plot point in just under two minutes.
* The trailer for ''[[Free Willy]]'' [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6bSTWtAo0U does exactly this], outlining every major plot point in just under two minutes.
* This is common with [[Robert Zemeckis]]' films; for instance, the trailer for ''[[Cast Away]]'' reveals that [[Tom Hanks]] makes it off the island in the end, and ''[[What Lies Beneath]]'''s trailer revealed that the dead girl is the girl that the main character's husband had an affair with, not only ruining the first three quarters of the movie, but making the dead end that she chases for first half (she thought it was her neighbor's dead wife, who wasn't dead at all) laughably obvious. Zemeckis argues that the audience most of his films are targeted toward ''want'' to know about the plot twists ahead of time rather than having an [[Genre Shift]] sprung on them.
* This is common with [[Robert Zemeckis]]' films; for instance, the trailer for ''[[Cast Away]]'' reveals that [[Tom Hanks]] makes it off the island in the end, and ''[[What Lies Beneath]]'''s trailer revealed that the dead girl is the girl that the main character's husband had an affair with, not only ruining the first three quarters of the movie, but making the dead end that she chases for first half (she thought it was her neighbor's dead wife, who wasn't dead at all) laughably obvious. Zemeckis argues that the audience most of his films are targeted toward ''want'' to know about the plot twists ahead of time rather than having an [[Genre Shift]] sprung on them.
* Most comedy films today seem to put all the best jokes in the trailer. Some wags claim that the marketing department does this to disguise the fact that all the jokes ''not'' in the trailer just aren't funny. [[Trailer Joke Decay]] inevitably ensues.
* Most comedy films today seem to put all the best jokes in the trailer. Some wags claim that the marketing department does this to disguise the fact that all the jokes ''not'' in the trailer just aren't funny. [[Trailer Joke Decay]] inevitably ensues.
** Look at the number of jokes per trailer. If a film has three trailers, and they all use the same jokes, they were the only funny ones in the movie. If they use different jokes (or emphasize different parts of the movie), the odds are better.
** Look at the number of jokes per trailer. If a film has three trailers, and they all use the same jokes, they were the only funny ones in the movie. If they use different jokes (or emphasize different parts of the movie), the odds are better.
** When [[Roger Ebert]] reviewed ''[[DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story]]'' favorably, he said he was pleasantly surprised by how much funny stuff was kept ''out'' of the trailer. Likewise, he mentioned in his one-star review of ''Year One'' that the only funny stuff were lines already in the trailers.
** When [[Roger Ebert]] reviewed ''[[DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story]]'' favorably, he said he was pleasantly surprised by how much funny stuff was kept ''out'' of the trailer. Likewise, he mentioned in his one-star review of ''Year One'' that the only funny stuff were lines already in the trailers.
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** By this standard, the original ''Spider-Man'' trailer seems restrained in only revealing about two thirds of the plot; Peter Parker becomes Spider-Man, Norman Osborn becomes the Green Goblin, and the two end up fighting one another.
** By this standard, the original ''Spider-Man'' trailer seems restrained in only revealing about two thirds of the plot; Peter Parker becomes Spider-Man, Norman Osborn becomes the Green Goblin, and the two end up fighting one another.
* In certain circles (that is, the obsessive ones), the trailer for ''[[The Lord of the Rings (film)|The Two Towers]]'' is rather notorious for giving away what is clearly set up in the film (and even more so in the book) as a point of mystery and contention -- the identity of the mysterious White Wizard who is following Aragorn's Terrific Trio around.
* In certain circles (that is, the obsessive ones), the trailer for ''[[The Lord of the Rings (film)|The Two Towers]]'' is rather notorious for giving away what is clearly set up in the film (and even more so in the book) as a point of mystery and contention -- the identity of the mysterious White Wizard who is following Aragorn's Terrific Trio around.
** In the book, Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas were totally surprised to find out that Gandalf had returned from the dead, and when they heard about a "White Wizard", and even at first when they finally came across him, they thought it was Saruman, not Gandalf. In the movie, to maintain this, Peter Jackson actually went so far as to have Gandalf the White speak with the voices of ''both Lee and McKellen'' imitating each other's voice, with their voices overlaid on top of each other. You can hear the transitions quite well, and for a moment Gandalf sounds like he's talking with the [[Voice of the Legion]] because of this.
** In the book, Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas were totally surprised to find out that Gandalf had returned from the dead, and when they heard about a "White Wizard", and even at first when they finally came across him, they thought it was Saruman, not Gandalf. In the movie, to maintain this, Peter Jackson actually went so far as to have Gandalf the White speak with the voices of ''both Lee and McKellen'' imitating each other's voice, with their voices overlaid on top of each other. You can hear the transitions quite well, and for a moment Gandalf sounds like he's talking with the [[Voice of the Legion]] because of this.
** Well, it might have been somewhat hard to keep the revelation that Gandalf's alive out of the trailer, since he shows up at the end of the first fourth of the movie. Then again, he leaves shortly after not to return until the end, so it might have been feasible...
** Well, it might have been somewhat hard to keep the revelation that Gandalf's alive out of the trailer, since he shows up at the end of the first fourth of the movie. Then again, he leaves shortly after not to return until the end, so it might have been feasible...
* The trailer for ''[[Goldeneye]]'' revealed the plot twist that Bond's old partner 006 (Trevelyan) was the film's main villain.
* The trailer for ''[[Goldeneye]]'' revealed the plot twist that Bond's old partner 006 (Trevelyan) was the film's main villain.
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* The trailers for ''[[Fantastic Four (film)|Fantastic Four]]: Rise of the Silver Surfer'' {{spoiler|reveal the plot point that the team exchanges powers, and shows the climax where they combine all their powers into Human Torch}}.
* The trailers for ''[[Fantastic Four (film)|Fantastic Four]]: Rise of the Silver Surfer'' {{spoiler|reveal the plot point that the team exchanges powers, and shows the climax where they combine all their powers into Human Torch}}.
* The original theatrical trailer for ''[[The Godfather]]'' features stills from the movie, including almost every single murder.
* The original theatrical trailer for ''[[The Godfather]]'' features stills from the movie, including almost every single murder.
* A TV spot for ''[[The Dark Knight Saga|Batman Begins]]'' revealed, in order, that [[Late Arrival Spoiler|Bruce's parents died]], Wayne Manor burns down (something that happen 3/4's of the way through the film), and that Bruce has a reconciliatory conversation with Rachel that happens right beside the ashes of said burned-down manor.
* A TV spot for ''[[The Dark Knight Saga|Batman Begins]]'' revealed, in order, that [[Late Arrival Spoiler|Bruce's parents died]], Wayne Manor burns down (something that happen 3/4's of the way through the film), and that Bruce has a reconciliatory conversation with Rachel that happens right beside the ashes of said burned-down manor.
** ''[[The Dark Knight Saga]]'''s trailers featured {{spoiler|a few scenes involving Gordon (the Joker interrogation, smashing the Batsignal) that took place after his apparent death, tipping viewers off that he wasn't really dead}}.
** ''[[The Dark Knight Saga]]'''s trailers featured {{spoiler|a few scenes involving Gordon (the Joker interrogation, smashing the Batsignal) that took place after his apparent death, tipping viewers off that he wasn't really dead}}.
* ''[[Death Race]]'''s trailer appears to cover the entire plot. If anyone was watching for that rather than Jason Statham based violence, they'd be disappointed.
* ''[[Death Race]]'''s trailer appears to cover the entire plot. If anyone was watching for that rather than Jason Statham based violence, they'd be disappointed.
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* In the first few seconds of the ''[[500 Days of Summer|Five Hundred Days of Summer]]'' teaser trailer, you'll see that Summer is clearly wearing a wedding ring, not necessarily a spoiler but with the narration claiming "This is not a Love Story", it gives you a pretty big hint that the two {{spoiler|will not end up together.}}
* In the first few seconds of the ''[[500 Days of Summer|Five Hundred Days of Summer]]'' teaser trailer, you'll see that Summer is clearly wearing a wedding ring, not necessarily a spoiler but with the narration claiming "This is not a Love Story", it gives you a pretty big hint that the two {{spoiler|will not end up together.}}
** The film's opening shows Tom and Summer holding hands, so showing her hand with a ring on it doesn't show any more than the first couple of minutes, and the audience doesn't know that {{spoiler|Tom's not her fiance.}}
** The film's opening shows Tom and Summer holding hands, so showing her hand with a ring on it doesn't show any more than the first couple of minutes, and the audience doesn't know that {{spoiler|Tom's not her fiance.}}
* The TV commercials for ''[[9|Nine]]'' try their best to hide things by cutting rapidly from scene to scene, but they still manage to spoil {{spoiler|2's funeral, the destruction of the Fabrication Machine, the Cat Beast's death, and several of the dolls having their souls sucked out by the talisman}}. Geeze!
* The TV commercials for ''[[9|Nine]]'' try their best to hide things by cutting rapidly from scene to scene, but they still manage to spoil {{spoiler|2's funeral, the destruction of the Fabrication Machine, the Cat Beast's death, and several of the dolls having their souls sucked out by the talisman}}. Geeze!
* Before ''[[Black Swan]]'' won an Oscar, the trailers and TV spots for the film show {{spoiler|Nina's [[Nightmare Fuel|disturbing]] swan morph.}}
* Before ''[[Black Swan]]'' won an Oscar, the trailers and TV spots for the film show {{spoiler|Nina's [[Nightmare Fuel|disturbing]] swan morph.}}
* Most of the footage for the theatrical trailer of ''[[The Last Starfighter]]'' comes from the last half hour of the movie.
* Most of the footage for the theatrical trailer of ''[[The Last Starfighter]]'' comes from the last half hour of the movie.
* The trailer for ''[[Bratz (film)|Bratz]]'' pretty much tells the entire movie's story.
* The trailer for ''[[Bratz (film)|Bratz]]'' pretty much tells the entire movie's story.
* Somehow, not a single person noticed the poster for ''[[300]]'' was one of Leonidas with ''arrows sticking out of his chest.''
* Somehow, not a single person noticed the poster for ''[[300]]'' was one of Leonidas with ''arrows sticking out of his chest.''
** Something of a [[Foregone Conclusion]] since the Battle of Thermopylae actually occurred, and all the Spartans died.
** Something of a [[Foregone Conclusion]] since the Battle of Thermopylae actually occurred, and all the Spartans died.
** Not to mention the [[Graphic Novel]] the movie was based on
** Not to mention the [[Graphic Novel]] the movie was based on
* Several trailers for ''[[The Boat That Rocked]]'' (''Pirate Radio'' in the US) showed {{spoiler|1=the DJs choosing to ignore the new laws passed to ban pirate radio, and the boat flooding}}.
* Several trailers for ''[[The Boat That Rocked]]'' (''Pirate Radio'' in the US) showed {{spoiler|1=the DJs choosing to ignore the new laws passed to ban pirate radio, and the boat flooding}}.
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* The DVD trailer for ''[[The Hangover]]'' spoils almost every significant plot event, including {{spoiler|that Ed Helms marries a hooker, that the group is attacked by an Asian gang, the poker scene, and the fact that there are two Dougs in the film.}}
* The DVD trailer for ''[[The Hangover]]'' spoils almost every significant plot event, including {{spoiler|that Ed Helms marries a hooker, that the group is attacked by an Asian gang, the poker scene, and the fact that there are two Dougs in the film.}}
* The trailer for ''[[Up (animation)|Up]]'' spoiled that {{spoiler|Charles Muntz is the villain}}.
* The trailer for ''[[Up (animation)|Up]]'' spoiled that {{spoiler|Charles Muntz is the villain}}.
** Most trailers for ''Up'' were actually a remarkable aversion to this trope. Other than the prescience of a talking dog and a floating balloon house, nothing else was really shown.
** Most trailers for ''Up'' were actually a remarkable aversion to this trope. Other than the prescience of a talking dog and a floating balloon house, nothing else was really shown.
* ''[[Meet the Robinsons]]'' had a trailer that showed {{spoiler|the future Lewis in a group with the Robinson family, with his arm around Franny}} from one of the final scenes in the movie, making the big reveal completely predictable.
* ''[[Meet the Robinsons]]'' had a trailer that showed {{spoiler|the future Lewis in a group with the Robinson family, with his arm around Franny}} from one of the final scenes in the movie, making the big reveal completely predictable.
* The trailer for ''[[Affliction]]'' is a very serious example: it shows the ending of the movie, {{spoiler|where Nick Nolte's character kills his father and then burns the body.}}
* The trailer for ''[[Affliction]]'' is a very serious example: it shows the ending of the movie, {{spoiler|where Nick Nolte's character kills his father and then burns the body.}}
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** Given that {{spoiler|"Escape", something that happens in the movie, is ''[[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|in the title]]'', [[Foregone Conclusion|what did you think was going to happen?]]}}
** Given that {{spoiler|"Escape", something that happens in the movie, is ''[[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|in the title]]'', [[Foregone Conclusion|what did you think was going to happen?]]}}
* The poster for ''[[Airheads]]'' reveals that {{spoiler|Chazz, Rex, and Pip are ultimately arrested and sent to prison}}.
* The poster for ''[[Airheads]]'' reveals that {{spoiler|Chazz, Rex, and Pip are ultimately arrested and sent to prison}}.
* The advertisings for [[The Film of the Book]] of ''[[Prisoners of Power|Inhabited Island]]'' by the [[Strugatsky Brothers]] spoils ''every'' major plot point. One trailer even reveals that {{spoiler|[[The Hero]] and the [[Big Bad]] turns out to be on the same side}}, what was supposed to be a [[Twist Ending]].
* The advertisings for [[The Film of the Book]] of ''[[Prisoners of Power|Inhabited Island]]'' by the [[Strugatsky Brothers]] spoils ''every'' major plot point. One trailer even reveals that {{spoiler|[[The Hero]] and the [[Big Bad]] turns out to be on the same side}}, what was supposed to be a [[Twist Ending]].
* The trailer for the [[Harry Potter/Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows|seventh Harry Potter movie]]. {{spoiler|Harry and Voldemort fight! Ollivander isn't dead! Hogwarts erupts into battle! Ron uses the sword! There's a dragon! Griphook comes back! Harry hands himself over to Voldemort!}} The worst part about all of it is that most of this stuff is from what has to be the ''second part''. So not only are they spoiling a good section of the book, they're spoiling a good section of the ''second movie''.
* The trailer for the [[Harry Potter/Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows|seventh Harry Potter movie]]. {{spoiler|Harry and Voldemort fight! Ollivander isn't dead! Hogwarts erupts into battle! Ron uses the sword! There's a dragon! Griphook comes back! Harry hands himself over to Voldemort!}} The worst part about all of it is that most of this stuff is from what has to be the ''second part''. So not only are they spoiling a good section of the book, they're spoiling a good section of the ''second movie''.
** You thought ''that'' was bad? Just wait until you see the theatrical trailer for Part 2! It shows two of the most important parts of the battle of Hogwarts. {{spoiler|The first, though only a flash, is Ron visibly cradling Fred's dead body. The second Lupin and Tonks hold hands before what is most likely their death, and the third is Molly and Bellatrix fighting.}} Might as well spoil the fact that {{spoiler|Snape loved Lily}}.
** You thought ''that'' was bad? Just wait until you see the theatrical trailer for Part 2! It shows two of the most important parts of the battle of Hogwarts. {{spoiler|The first, though only a flash, is Ron visibly cradling Fred's dead body. The second Lupin and Tonks hold hands before what is most likely their death, and the third is Molly and Bellatrix fighting.}} Might as well spoil the fact that {{spoiler|Snape loved Lily}}.
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* The theatrical trailer for ''[[The Princess Bride (film)|The Princess Bride]]'' spoils {{spoiler|the Clergyman's funny voice, Count Rugen going into a battle stance before running away, the outcome of the battle of wits, and Wesley's "death"}}.
* The theatrical trailer for ''[[The Princess Bride (film)|The Princess Bride]]'' spoils {{spoiler|the Clergyman's funny voice, Count Rugen going into a battle stance before running away, the outcome of the battle of wits, and Wesley's "death"}}.
* Subverted in the case of ''[[Larry Crowne]]''. While people might think that the trailer gives away the entire film, it mostly only shows what happens in the first hour. Most of the film's third act was not shown in the trailer.
* Subverted in the case of ''[[Larry Crowne]]''. While people might think that the trailer gives away the entire film, it mostly only shows what happens in the first hour. Most of the film's third act was not shown in the trailer.
* The original ''[[The Children's Hour]]'' trailer effectively spoils the entire twist of the story, and {{spoiler|Martha's suicide}}.
* The original ''[[The Children's Hour]]'' trailer effectively spoils the entire twist of the story, and {{spoiler|Martha's suicide}}.
* ''[[The Lion King]]'''s trailer spoils most of the plot. Movie posters and the DVD cover show Mufasa's ghost as well.
* ''[[The Lion King]]'''s trailer spoils most of the plot. Movie posters and the DVD cover show Mufasa's ghost as well.
* One of the cinematic trailers for ''[[Cowboys and Aliens (film)|Cowboys and Aliens]]'' reveals that Olivia Wilde's character {{spoiler|is an alien.}}
* One of the cinematic trailers for ''[[Cowboys and Aliens (film)|Cowboys and Aliens]]'' reveals that Olivia Wilde's character {{spoiler|is an alien.}}
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* A commercial for ''[[Captain America: The First Avenger]]'' shows {{spoiler|Cap standing in modern-day Times Square flanked by SHIELD agents (including Nick Fury), when the movie is supposed to take place in WWII. Since the Avengers franchise (Iron Man, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, etc.) is also set in the modern day, this was the inevitable conclusion)}}.
* A commercial for ''[[Captain America: The First Avenger]]'' shows {{spoiler|Cap standing in modern-day Times Square flanked by SHIELD agents (including Nick Fury), when the movie is supposed to take place in WWII. Since the Avengers franchise (Iron Man, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, etc.) is also set in the modern day, this was the inevitable conclusion)}}.
* [[Nickelodeon]] began releasing trailers for ''[[A Fairly Odd Movie: Grow Up, Timmy Turner!]]'' over a month before the movie aired. One of the earliest trailers showed a clip of {{spoiler|Tootie talking to Cosmo, Wanda, and Poof after Timmy introduces them to her}}.
* [[Nickelodeon]] began releasing trailers for ''[[A Fairly Odd Movie: Grow Up, Timmy Turner!]]'' over a month before the movie aired. One of the earliest trailers showed a clip of {{spoiler|Tootie talking to Cosmo, Wanda, and Poof after Timmy introduces them to her}}.
* The [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-sUv5uGq5k&NR=1 trailer] to the 1994 movie [[Trading Mom]] gives away the entire plot from start to finish and shows the ending too.
* The [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-sUv5uGq5k&NR=1 trailer] to the 1994 movie [[Trading Mom]] gives away the entire plot from start to finish and shows the ending too.
* The DVD cover for ''[[How to Train Your Dragon (animation)|How to Train Your Dragon]]'' {{spoiler|not only shows Hiccup riding Toothless, but Astrid riding her new dragon as well. Astrid and the other young vikings didn't ride dragons until the [[Big Damn Heroes]] moment in the film's climax.}}
* The DVD cover for ''[[How to Train Your Dragon (animation)|How to Train Your Dragon]]'' {{spoiler|not only shows Hiccup riding Toothless, but Astrid riding her new dragon as well. Astrid and the other young vikings didn't ride dragons until the [[Big Damn Heroes]] moment in the film's climax.}}
* The trailers for the sequel for ''Hoodwinked!'' stress the fact that Red and co. are trying to save two innocent kids from a wicked witch. {{spoiler|Save for the one which shows said "innocent" children with [[Slasher Smile|creepy]] [[Nightmare Fuel|grins]] saying: "[[Enfant Terrible|You've]] [[Creepy Child|been]] [[Complete Monster|hoodwinked!]] [[Title Drop|Too!]]"}}
* The trailers for the sequel for ''Hoodwinked!'' stress the fact that Red and co. are trying to save two innocent kids from a wicked witch. {{spoiler|Save for the one which shows said "innocent" children with [[Slasher Smile|creepy]] [[Nightmare Fuel|grins]] saying: "[[Enfant Terrible|You've]] [[Creepy Child|been]] [[Complete Monster|hoodwinked!]] [[Title Drop|Too!]]"}}
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** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouZkkIsLiNg The trailer] for John Carpenter's ''[[The Thing (film)|The Thing]]'' has some opening narration, and two out-of-context lines; one a brief speech that gives a sense of paranoia but fails to reveal anything about what actually happens, the other revealing little more than the fact that some guy named Garry at one point thinks one of the guys is a Thing (which is also shown out of context). Then like the trailer for Alien it's mostly just a bunch of quick shots from the movie.
** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouZkkIsLiNg The trailer] for John Carpenter's ''[[The Thing (film)|The Thing]]'' has some opening narration, and two out-of-context lines; one a brief speech that gives a sense of paranoia but fails to reveal anything about what actually happens, the other revealing little more than the fact that some guy named Garry at one point thinks one of the guys is a Thing (which is also shown out of context). Then like the trailer for Alien it's mostly just a bunch of quick shots from the movie.
** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTC9Lt3hiWo the trailer] for ''[[Angel Heart]]'' shows a whole bunch of bits and pieces of the film, playing segments of dialogue throughout, but again, all is shown out of context, and only makes sense when one actually sees the film. It's actually quite haunting, and if this trailer freaks you out (which it will), [[Nightmare Fuel|just wait until you see the actual movie and you find out just what all that scattered dialogue means...]].
** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTC9Lt3hiWo the trailer] for ''[[Angel Heart]]'' shows a whole bunch of bits and pieces of the film, playing segments of dialogue throughout, but again, all is shown out of context, and only makes sense when one actually sees the film. It's actually quite haunting, and if this trailer freaks you out (which it will), [[Nightmare Fuel|just wait until you see the actual movie and you find out just what all that scattered dialogue means...]].
** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3b726feAhdU The utlimate example] would be ''[[The Shining]]'', the trailer for which is literally just a single scene, specifically a long shot of a room. There's some credits, then a river of blood, and that's it.
** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3b726feAhdU The utlimate example] would be ''[[The Shining]]'', the trailer for which is literally just a single scene, specifically a long shot of a room. There's some credits, then a river of blood, and that's it.
* The trailer for ''[[The Matrix]] Reloaded'' revealed that Agent Smith was not only still alive, but has gone rogue and could replicate himself by jamming his hand into other people/programs. Though all of this was shown ''fairly'' early on in the film, many scenes were clearly meant to be reveals that would surprise and confuse the viewers, such as the scene where Smith speaks to another Agent only for the camera to pan over and reveal the other Agent is also Smith.
* The trailer for ''[[The Matrix]] Reloaded'' revealed that Agent Smith was not only still alive, but has gone rogue and could replicate himself by jamming his hand into other people/programs. Though all of this was shown ''fairly'' early on in the film, many scenes were clearly meant to be reveals that would surprise and confuse the viewers, such as the scene where Smith speaks to another Agent only for the camera to pan over and reveal the other Agent is also Smith.
** A more minor example would be the Twins and their ghosting ability. Within the progression of the story itself, their ability to phase into intangible ghost-like forms came as a surprise to the main characters, but scenes with them using said ability were featured pretty heavily in the film's marketing. As such, as soon as the Twins first showed up on screen, probably just about everybody in the theater started eagerly anticipating when they'd get to see their powers in action, which actually didn't happen until a good chunk of time after their first appearance.
** A more minor example would be the Twins and their ghosting ability. Within the progression of the story itself, their ability to phase into intangible ghost-like forms came as a surprise to the main characters, but scenes with them using said ability were featured pretty heavily in the film's marketing. As such, as soon as the Twins first showed up on screen, probably just about everybody in the theater started eagerly anticipating when they'd get to see their powers in action, which actually didn't happen until a good chunk of time after their first appearance.
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** Through the webmaster of his official website--he claimed to not have an Internet connection himself--[[Terry Goodkind]], author of the ''[[Sword of Truth]]'' novels, actually warned his fans that the cover blurb of book six was disgustingly spoilerish and not to read it before they read the book.
** Through the webmaster of his official website--he claimed to not have an Internet connection himself--[[Terry Goodkind]], author of the ''[[Sword of Truth]]'' novels, actually warned his fans that the cover blurb of book six was disgustingly spoilerish and not to read it before they read the book.
** I have yet to see a cover for ''[[Tuck Everlasting]]'' that doesn't ruin the surprise.
** I have yet to see a cover for ''[[Tuck Everlasting]]'' that doesn't ruin the surprise.
** The Polish publishing house Amber seems to have a thing for horribly spoilerish blurbs. In an edition of Strugatsky's ''[[The Powerless of This World]]'', the back cover blurb is ''only'' the surprise ending, and nothing else. A Polish edition of [[Robert Sheckley]]'s ''[[Dimension Of Miracles]]'' likewise spoils the humorous ending, that {{spoiler|the hero gets back to his world but finds it insufferable}}. And the one for ''[[The Stainless Steel Rat|A Stainless Steel Rat Is Born]]'' spoils the {{spoiler|death of The Bishop}}, and even gets it [[Cowboy Bebop at His Computer|completely wrong]] ({{spoiler|claiming that he's killed by the police in an ambush, while in reality he's killed in a military attack on a distant quasi-medieval planet}}).
** The Polish publishing house Amber seems to have a thing for horribly spoilerish blurbs. In an edition of Strugatsky's ''[[The Powerless of This World]]'', the back cover blurb is ''only'' the surprise ending, and nothing else. A Polish edition of [[Robert Sheckley]]'s ''[[Dimension Of Miracles]]'' likewise spoils the humorous ending, that {{spoiler|the hero gets back to his world but finds it insufferable}}. And the one for ''[[The Stainless Steel Rat|A Stainless Steel Rat Is Born]]'' spoils the {{spoiler|death of The Bishop}}, and even gets it [[Cowboy Bebop at His Computer|completely wrong]] ({{spoiler|claiming that he's killed by the police in an ambush, while in reality he's killed in a military attack on a distant quasi-medieval planet}}).
** The Harper Collins paperback 2000 version of the [[Aubrey-Maturin]] series every book has a summary of between 2 and 4 of the next in the series (each book after the first 4 of so is pretty much a continuous series) in the back. As the books also have anecdotes and essays after the true end of the book (which is disguised to surprise the reader), you can read an essay on the book you just read, then accidentally spoil yourself for the next book.
** The Harper Collins paperback 2000 version of the [[Aubrey-Maturin]] series every book has a summary of between 2 and 4 of the next in the series (each book after the first 4 of so is pretty much a continuous series) in the back. As the books also have anecdotes and essays after the true end of the book (which is disguised to surprise the reader), you can read an essay on the book you just read, then accidentally spoil yourself for the next book.
** ''[[Messenger]]'' has a back cover where everything is revealed, right down to {{spoiler|Matty's heroic sacrifice}}, which only comes up on the last page of the book. And of course, when discussed in class, the teacher will mention not to look at the back panel. [[Forbidden Fruit|So of course, everyone does.]]
** ''[[Messenger]]'' has a back cover where everything is revealed, right down to {{spoiler|Matty's heroic sacrifice}}, which only comes up on the last page of the book. And of course, when discussed in class, the teacher will mention not to look at the back panel. [[Forbidden Fruit|So of course, everyone does.]]
** [[David Eddings]]' book, ''Regina's Song'' features not one, but TWO double-paragraph plot summaries on its back blurb. Both of them, in trying to be mysterious, blatantly state who the killer is and to some extent, what happens after we discover that fact. The book is pretty enjoyable, but still.
** [[David Eddings]]' book, ''Regina's Song'' features not one, but TWO double-paragraph plot summaries on its back blurb. Both of them, in trying to be mysterious, blatantly state who the killer is and to some extent, what happens after we discover that fact. The book is pretty enjoyable, but still.
*** That would work a lot better if the stores didn't put the book's sequel with a spoiler as its title (although it is kind of obvious)
*** That would work a lot better if the stores didn't put the book's sequel with a spoiler as its title (although it is kind of obvious)
* ''[[The Kid Who Ran For President]]''. Somewhere in the beginning, it mentions something about looking at the last page to find out the ending. When you do exactly that, it says something along the lines of 'Hey! Read this in order, you loser!'
* ''[[The Kid Who Ran For President]]''. Somewhere in the beginning, it mentions something about looking at the last page to find out the ending. When you do exactly that, it says something along the lines of 'Hey! Read this in order, you loser!'
** In ''[[How To Become A Perfect Person In Just Three Days]]'', a boy finds a book that tells him how to become perfect in one week. The first page of the book stated that the secret to perfection was at the end. So he flipped to the last page... which called him a dope for falling for it and told him to do it properly.
** In ''[[How To Become A Perfect Person In Just Three Days]]'', a boy finds a book that tells him how to become perfect in one week. The first page of the book stated that the secret to perfection was at the end. So he flipped to the last page... which called him a dope for falling for it and told him to do it properly.
* ''[[Mogworld]]''. The first thing anyone learned about it was {{spoiler|the world is an MMO}}. It doesn't come up until the second-to-last chapter or so, although there are hints that are pretty obvious ''when you already know it.''
* ''[[Mogworld]]''. The first thing anyone learned about it was {{spoiler|the world is an MMO}}. It doesn't come up until the second-to-last chapter or so, although there are hints that are pretty obvious ''when you already know it.''
* [[J. R. R. Tolkien|JRR Tolkien]], it seems, hated the name that his editor gave the third volume of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', ''The Return of the King'' because it gave away one of the major plot points: the fact that Aragorn, finally, decides to accept becoming the King. Of course, it has a double meaning, it could easily hint to a [[Downer Ending]] of Sauron getting the ring and rising to power.
* [[J. R. R. Tolkien|JRR Tolkien]], it seems, hated the name that his editor gave the third volume of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', ''The Return of the King'' because it gave away one of the major plot points: the fact that Aragorn, finally, decides to accept becoming the King. Of course, it has a double meaning, it could easily hint to a [[Downer Ending]] of Sauron getting the ring and rising to power.
** Nearly all Italian editions of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' have an Introduction by [[El Ã]]©mire Zolla (Italian literary critic, essayist and philosopher). Initially it looks just like it is, i.e., a preface, comparing Tolkien's masterpiece to other famous works of the past... but at a certain point it starts talking about the plot, and before you can realize, in about 10 (TEN!) pages it has summarized the whole book, revealing the main plot twists (e.g. Gandalf's {{spoiler|death and rebirth}}) and the twisted ending - you know, the one that's not in [[Peter Jackson]]'s film (Saruman {{spoiler|attacking the Shire}})).
** Nearly all Italian editions of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' have an Introduction by [[El Ã]]©mire Zolla (Italian literary critic, essayist and philosopher). Initially it looks just like it is, i.e., a preface, comparing Tolkien's masterpiece to other famous works of the past... but at a certain point it starts talking about the plot, and before you can realize, in about 10 (TEN!) pages it has summarized the whole book, revealing the main plot twists (e.g. Gandalf's {{spoiler|death and rebirth}}) and the twisted ending - you know, the one that's not in [[Peter Jackson]]'s film (Saruman {{spoiler|attacking the Shire}})).
* One particular edition of ''[[Gone with the Wind]]'' summarised the events right up to the very last chapter, ending by saying: {{spoiler|"When their daughter dies, Rhett leaves his Scarlett forever."}}
* One particular edition of ''[[Gone with the Wind]]'' summarised the events right up to the very last chapter, ending by saying: {{spoiler|"When their daughter dies, Rhett leaves his Scarlett forever."}}
* Books of "literary merit" often have a preface that discusses the meaning of [[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy|life, the universe, and]] [[What Do You Mean It's Not Didactic?|the book]], casually throwing major plot points out there.
* Books of "literary merit" often have a preface that discusses the meaning of [[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy|life, the universe, and]] [[What Do You Mean It's Not Didactic?|the book]], casually throwing major plot points out there.
** Related are all these teachers who, when assigning their students novels for mandatory reading, casually spoil everything about the plot , because Lord forbid the students actually derive ''pleasure'' from reading.
** Related are all these teachers who, when assigning their students novels for mandatory reading, casually spoil everything about the plot , because Lord forbid the students actually derive ''pleasure'' from reading.
* Averted, apparently by accident, on the back covers of some of the Harper Torch-published ''[[Discworld]]'' paperbacks, where it's obvious that [[Cowboy Bebop at His Computer|whoever wrote the blurb had never read the books.]]
* Averted, apparently by accident, on the back covers of some of the Harper Torch-published ''[[Discworld]]'' paperbacks, where it's obvious that [[Cowboy Bebop at His Computer|whoever wrote the blurb had never read the books.]]
** Except for ''[[Discworld/Guards Guards|Guards Guards]]'' which gives away the fact that {{spoiler|the dragon is crowned king}}, which doesn't happen until about halfway through the book and is apparently intended to be a surprise twist.
** Except for ''[[Discworld/Guards Guards|Guards Guards]]'' which gives away the fact that {{spoiler|the dragon is crowned king}}, which doesn't happen until about halfway through the book and is apparently intended to be a surprise twist.
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* The dust jacket of ''[[Warbreaker]]'' ruins a major plot twist if you think hard enough, by telling you flat out that {{spoiler|Vasher is the titular Warbreaker, which is a major hint that Vasher is also the similarly named Peacegiver.}}
* The dust jacket of ''[[Warbreaker]]'' ruins a major plot twist if you think hard enough, by telling you flat out that {{spoiler|Vasher is the titular Warbreaker, which is a major hint that Vasher is also the similarly named Peacegiver.}}
* One recent printing of ''[[Podkayne of Mars]]'' by [[Robert A. Heinlein]] features a contest on the back cover where readers wrote in on whether the main character, Podkayne, should {{spoiler|live or die}}. Apparently, Heinlein wrote the latter but his editor forced him to change it to a happier ending, completely undermining the entire point of the book. This edition featured both endings, as well as choice letters.
* One recent printing of ''[[Podkayne of Mars]]'' by [[Robert A. Heinlein]] features a contest on the back cover where readers wrote in on whether the main character, Podkayne, should {{spoiler|live or die}}. Apparently, Heinlein wrote the latter but his editor forced him to change it to a happier ending, completely undermining the entire point of the book. This edition featured both endings, as well as choice letters.
* The ''[[Club Of Queer Trades]]'' is a series of off-beat detective stories by [[G. K. Chesterton]]. The blurb at the beginning gives away the solution to every single story.
* The ''[[Club Of Queer Trades]]'' is a series of off-beat detective stories by [[G. K. Chesterton]]. The blurb at the beginning gives away the solution to every single story.
** Chesterton himself commented on this trope in a poem, entitled "[http://chesterton.wordpress.com/2007/02/21/commercial-candour/ Commercial Candour]".
** Chesterton himself commented on this trope in a poem, entitled "[http://chesterton.wordpress.com/2007/02/21/commercial-candour/ Commercial Candour]".
* The cover of the [[Harper Collins]] printing of John Dickson Carr's novel ''[[The Case Of The Constant Suicides]]'' features a dog carrier with strange fumes rising out of it. {{spoiler|This essentially gives away the murder method used in the book - a block of dry ice hidden in a dog carrier that releases carbon dioxide gas as it sublimates.}}
* The cover of the [[Harper Collins]] printing of John Dickson Carr's novel ''[[The Case Of The Constant Suicides]]'' features a dog carrier with strange fumes rising out of it. {{spoiler|This essentially gives away the murder method used in the book - a block of dry ice hidden in a dog carrier that releases carbon dioxide gas as it sublimates.}}
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* The novels of Edward Rutherfurd (''Sarum'', ''London'', etc) always include a family tree for the characters, which tracks them through the generations and centuries. Nice and handy ... except that it ''always'' spoils who survives to reproduce, who marries whom, and which families will attain noble titles. Could easily be averted if they put this at the ''back'' of the book, instead of next to the maps which you're always having to flip back and reference.
* The novels of Edward Rutherfurd (''Sarum'', ''London'', etc) always include a family tree for the characters, which tracks them through the generations and centuries. Nice and handy ... except that it ''always'' spoils who survives to reproduce, who marries whom, and which families will attain noble titles. Could easily be averted if they put this at the ''back'' of the book, instead of next to the maps which you're always having to flip back and reference.
* Daniel Handler (also known as Lemony Snicket) wrote "The Basic Eight", which is really enjoyable and has a great twist. Unfortunately, at least one newer edition spoils this twist by stating that Flannery is not a murderer, {{spoiler|but a murderess}}. For the record, {{spoiler|Natasha}} did the murder but reading the back kind of gives avay that {{spoiler|Natasha doesn't exist}}.
* Daniel Handler (also known as Lemony Snicket) wrote "The Basic Eight", which is really enjoyable and has a great twist. Unfortunately, at least one newer edition spoils this twist by stating that Flannery is not a murderer, {{spoiler|but a murderess}}. For the record, {{spoiler|Natasha}} did the murder but reading the back kind of gives avay that {{spoiler|Natasha doesn't exist}}.
* One edition of ''[[The Witches of Karres]]'' by [[James H. Schmitz]] has a back-cover blurb rather accurately saying that the "adorable little girls made Pausert the mortal enemy of his fiancée, his planet, the Empire, the Sirians, the Uldunians, the dread pirate chieftain {{spoiler|Laes Yango}}..." The spoilered name there was an alias the pirate chieftain '''the Agandar''' used when trying to capture Pausert's ship by trickery rather than brute force.
* One edition of ''[[The Witches of Karres]]'' by [[James H. Schmitz]] has a back-cover blurb rather accurately saying that the "adorable little girls made Pausert the mortal enemy of his fiancée, his planet, the Empire, the Sirians, the Uldunians, the dread pirate chieftain {{spoiler|Laes Yango}}..." The spoilered name there was an alias the pirate chieftain '''the Agandar''' used when trying to capture Pausert's ship by trickery rather than brute force.




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* The producers of ''[[Frasier]]'' had to pull a fast one on [[NBC]] in order to avert this. In the "Adventures in Paradise" two-part episode, Frasier finds himself at a Hawaiian resort in a room next to his ex-wife, Lilith. The second part ended with a dream sequence where Frasier was back at the resort, this time next to {{spoiler|[[Cheers|Shelly Long as Diane Chambers]]}}. The producers were worried that NBC would heavily promote the surprise cameo, so they shot the scene in secret and turned in a copy of the episode without the scene, only giving the real episode to the executives at the very last minute.
* The producers of ''[[Frasier]]'' had to pull a fast one on [[NBC]] in order to avert this. In the "Adventures in Paradise" two-part episode, Frasier finds himself at a Hawaiian resort in a room next to his ex-wife, Lilith. The second part ended with a dream sequence where Frasier was back at the resort, this time next to {{spoiler|[[Cheers|Shelly Long as Diane Chambers]]}}. The producers were worried that NBC would heavily promote the surprise cameo, so they shot the scene in secret and turned in a copy of the episode without the scene, only giving the real episode to the executives at the very last minute.
* During ''[[Chuck]]'''s third season, one episode ended with the implied death of {{spoiler|Devon Woodcomb, aka, Captain Awesome. However, almost immediately afterwards, we see him in the next time trailer, still alive.}}
* During ''[[Chuck]]'''s third season, one episode ended with the implied death of {{spoiler|Devon Woodcomb, aka, Captain Awesome. However, almost immediately afterwards, we see him in the next time trailer, still alive.}}
** Even worse, one episode ends with Chuck about to meet his father (who ran off years ago) in a trailer in the middle of nowhere. The episode ends with the door opening, and Chuck's father hidden. Immediately afterwards the next-episode trailer proclaimed "Next week on ''Chuck'', {{spoiler|Scott Bakula returns to NBC!}}"
** Even worse, one episode ends with Chuck about to meet his father (who ran off years ago) in a trailer in the middle of nowhere. The episode ends with the door opening, and Chuck's father hidden. Immediately afterwards the next-episode trailer proclaimed "Next week on ''Chuck'', {{spoiler|Scott Bakula returns to NBC!}}"
** Done again in the fifth season, with "Chuck Versus the Curse" ending with {{spoiler|a jail cell about to open, and the scene abruptly cutting after that.}} Lo and behold NBC's next-episode trailer revealing that {{spoiler|Daniel Shaw}} is the person who's about to exit the jail cell.
** Done again in the fifth season, with "Chuck Versus the Curse" ending with {{spoiler|a jail cell about to open, and the scene abruptly cutting after that.}} Lo and behold NBC's next-episode trailer revealing that {{spoiler|Daniel Shaw}} is the person who's about to exit the jail cell.
* Happened in the Season 3 finale of ''[[Lost]]''. The commercials for it showed Jin, Bernard, and Sayid tied up. In, the show, Ben ordered their deaths, and you hear 3 gunshots through the radio. However, the scene with them tied up did not appear yet in the episode, telling people preemptively that they were alive.
* Happened in the Season 3 finale of ''[[Lost]]''. The commercials for it showed Jin, Bernard, and Sayid tied up. In, the show, Ben ordered their deaths, and you hear 3 gunshots through the radio. However, the scene with them tied up did not appear yet in the episode, telling people preemptively that they were alive.
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** Making it even more surprising the one time it did happen: {{spoiler|Tobias sneaking into the blind attorney's home.}}
** Making it even more surprising the one time it did happen: {{spoiler|Tobias sneaking into the blind attorney's home.}}
* ''[[House (TV series)|House]]'' previews occasionally seem to subvert this, by taking one of House's sarcastic lines from the next episode and implying that it is literal.
* ''[[House (TV series)|House]]'' previews occasionally seem to subvert this, by taking one of House's sarcastic lines from the next episode and implying that it is literal.
** Local previews for the Australian broadcasting of House were often deliberately misleading, taking quotes out of context and hinting that the focus of the story was something totally different.
** Local previews for the Australian broadcasting of House were often deliberately misleading, taking quotes out of context and hinting that the focus of the story was something totally different.
** This subversion itself may have been lampshaded by a Season 4 episode where a documentary crew, failing to get House to utter anything serious, edits their documentary to make comments like "I became a doctor because of Patch Adams" look serious.
** This subversion itself may have been lampshaded by a Season 4 episode where a documentary crew, failing to get House to utter anything serious, edits their documentary to make comments like "I became a doctor because of Patch Adams" look serious.
** The preview for the finale of Season 6 on British TV spoils the surprise ending: {{spoiler|Cuddy leaving Lucas and telling House that she loves him}}.
** The preview for the finale of Season 6 on British TV spoils the surprise ending: {{spoiler|Cuddy leaving Lucas and telling House that she loves him}}.
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** In the Boukenger episode called "The Golden Sword," the [[Monster of the Week]] is [[Nigh Invulnerable]] and utterly tearing the Rangers a new one. The trailer reveals that in the following episode, a new character could turn out to be friend or foe and might even fall under the bad guy's control. {{spoiler|Then it goes onto show the Rangers handily beating up the monster that was killing them in the current episode, then said new character joining in and later posing with the Rangers' [[Humongous Mecha]].}} Not much is saved for the actual episode at all.
** In the Boukenger episode called "The Golden Sword," the [[Monster of the Week]] is [[Nigh Invulnerable]] and utterly tearing the Rangers a new one. The trailer reveals that in the following episode, a new character could turn out to be friend or foe and might even fall under the bad guy's control. {{spoiler|Then it goes onto show the Rangers handily beating up the monster that was killing them in the current episode, then said new character joining in and later posing with the Rangers' [[Humongous Mecha]].}} Not much is saved for the actual episode at all.
* The last few seasons of the reality show ''[[The Ultimate Fighter]]'' has had several fight ending finishes shown during the commercial ''about the show'' just before it happens.
* The last few seasons of the reality show ''[[The Ultimate Fighter]]'' has had several fight ending finishes shown during the commercial ''about the show'' just before it happens.
** Also, they often tease a "special guest" showing up in the next episode and vainly attempt to edit around the actual person to keep it a surprise. This often fails (IE, Matt Hughes being clearly seen sitting on a bench in the background in one teaser).
** Also, they often tease a "special guest" showing up in the next episode and vainly attempt to edit around the actual person to keep it a surprise. This often fails (IE, Matt Hughes being clearly seen sitting on a bench in the background in one teaser).
* During the last season of ''[[Gilmore Girls]]'', the teaser at the end of each episode showed ''the very last scene of the following episode''. Technically, this may have been more misdirection than spoiler, though, as the final scene of each episode was usually unrelated to the main action of the story, and was ''itself a lead-in for the following episode''. Which is to say, that after the final scene foreshadowed the next episode, the [["On the Next..."]] teaser that followed showed you what amounted to ''a teaser for the episode two weeks down the line''.
* During the last season of ''[[Gilmore Girls]]'', the teaser at the end of each episode showed ''the very last scene of the following episode''. Technically, this may have been more misdirection than spoiler, though, as the final scene of each episode was usually unrelated to the main action of the story, and was ''itself a lead-in for the following episode''. Which is to say, that after the final scene foreshadowed the next episode, the [["On the Next..."]] teaser that followed showed you what amounted to ''a teaser for the episode two weeks down the line''.
* FOX has a tendency to completely ruin the element of surprise on their gameshows, including ''[[Moment Of Truth]]'' and ''[[Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?]]'', by having openings and "coming up after this commercial" previews which show how far along the contestant is going to get, which completely defeats the point of going to commercial after the contestant answers the question but before it is revealed if they are correct or not.
* FOX has a tendency to completely ruin the element of surprise on their gameshows, including ''[[Moment Of Truth]]'' and ''[[Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?]]'', by having openings and "coming up after this commercial" previews which show how far along the contestant is going to get, which completely defeats the point of going to commercial after the contestant answers the question but before it is revealed if they are correct or not.
** Likewise the "later tonight" promos in their Sunday night cartoon block tend to show the best [[Orphaned Punchline|punch lines]] from the forthcoming shows, which would've been funnier if you had seen them [[It Makes Sense in Context|in context for]] the first time.
** Likewise the "later tonight" promos in their Sunday night cartoon block tend to show the best [[Orphaned Punchline|punch lines]] from the forthcoming shows, which would've been funnier if you had seen them [[It Makes Sense in Context|in context for]] the first time.
** In the Season Four finale of ''[[So You Think You Can Dance]]'', the show cut to commercial before announcing whether the winner was Joshua Allen or Stephen "Twitch" Bass. During the commercial break, a promo for FOX News at 9 advertised a story about "So You Think You Can Dance champion Joshua Allen." No prizes for guessing who was crowned the Season Four winner when the show resumed...
** In the Season Four finale of ''[[So You Think You Can Dance]]'', the show cut to commercial before announcing whether the winner was Joshua Allen or Stephen "Twitch" Bass. During the commercial break, a promo for FOX News at 9 advertised a story about "So You Think You Can Dance champion Joshua Allen." No prizes for guessing who was crowned the Season Four winner when the show resumed...
** NBC did one worse: they hyped the first millionaire of ''[[Deal or No Deal]]'' about ''one week'' before the episode aired, and considering how desperate NBC was to get a millionaire, even a casual channel surfer would get it. (It doesn't help when you use phrases like "It's the one you've all been waiting for!")
** NBC did one worse: they hyped the first millionaire of ''[[Deal or No Deal]]'' about ''one week'' before the episode aired, and considering how desperate NBC was to get a millionaire, even a casual channel surfer would get it. (It doesn't help when you use phrases like "It's the one you've all been waiting for!")
** NBC does a masterful job of subverting this trope, though, nearly every week on ''[[The Biggest Loser]]''. During the part of the show when the contestants are participating in their weekly weigh-in, they love cutting to commercial a split second before revealing a contestant's amount of weight loss with the final shot being a close-up shot on the face of one of the trainers or another contestant as they react to the number revealed. When the show returns from commercial and reveals the number, the reactions are usually the complete opposite of what was implied by the reaction shot before the commercial.
** NBC does a masterful job of subverting this trope, though, nearly every week on ''[[The Biggest Loser]]''. During the part of the show when the contestants are participating in their weekly weigh-in, they love cutting to commercial a split second before revealing a contestant's amount of weight loss with the final shot being a close-up shot on the face of one of the trainers or another contestant as they react to the number revealed. When the show returns from commercial and reveals the number, the reactions are usually the complete opposite of what was implied by the reaction shot before the commercial.
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* Even [[Showtime]] manages to do this. A trailer for season three of ''[[The Tudors]]'' aired before the season began showed Henry {{spoiler|being introduced to his fourth wife, with a voice-over of how marriage to her would add military might to England}}, thus spoiling the mid-season plot point of {{spoiler|Queen Jane dying}}.
* Even [[Showtime]] manages to do this. A trailer for season three of ''[[The Tudors]]'' aired before the season began showed Henry {{spoiler|being introduced to his fourth wife, with a voice-over of how marriage to her would add military might to England}}, thus spoiling the mid-season plot point of {{spoiler|Queen Jane dying}}.
** But that actually happened in real life. It's history. So whether it's a spoiler at all is subjective.
** But that actually happened in real life. It's history. So whether it's a spoiler at all is subjective.
*** And this relates to ''The Tudors'' how?
*** And this relates to ''The Tudors'' how?
**** Since it's history, anyone with historical knowledge of the period in question would expect said spoiler to occur at some point. Still a spoiler for the series itself, though.
**** Since it's history, anyone with historical knowledge of the period in question would expect said spoiler to occur at some point. Still a spoiler for the series itself, though.
* ''[[24|Twenty Four]]'' is somewhat notorious for this among fans; there's a fairly large portion of the fanbase that refuses to watch the "[["On the Next..."]]" previews at the end of each episode. Since the show takes place in real time and is largely fixated on the suspense of "what happens next", it's easy for a preview to take the suspense out of quite a few minutes of the upcoming episode. Examples are really too numerous to list, but here's a fairly recent one:
* ''[[24|Twenty Four]]'' is somewhat notorious for this among fans; there's a fairly large portion of the fanbase that refuses to watch the "[["On the Next..."]]" previews at the end of each episode. Since the show takes place in real time and is largely fixated on the suspense of "what happens next", it's easy for a preview to take the suspense out of quite a few minutes of the upcoming episode. Examples are really too numerous to list, but here's a fairly recent one:
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* The promo for the ''[[Numb3rs]]'' episode "Spree" made a big deal about Megan being kidnapped, as if the entire episode was about that. Almost none of the scenes in the promo are in that episode (they're in the next one, "Two Daughters"), and Megan isn't kidnapped until ''the last thirty seconds of the episode, as a cliffhanger''. So... the trailer made the entire episode pointless, really.
* The promo for the ''[[Numb3rs]]'' episode "Spree" made a big deal about Megan being kidnapped, as if the entire episode was about that. Almost none of the scenes in the promo are in that episode (they're in the next one, "Two Daughters"), and Megan isn't kidnapped until ''the last thirty seconds of the episode, as a cliffhanger''. So... the trailer made the entire episode pointless, really.
* The trailers in the later seasons of ''[[Robot Wars (TV series)|Robot Wars]]'' often showed footage from non-preliminary battles.
* The trailers in the later seasons of ''[[Robot Wars (TV series)|Robot Wars]]'' often showed footage from non-preliminary battles.
* Mere minutes after the last episode of ''[[Life On Mars]]'' had finished on BBC One, fellow BBC channel BBC Three's ''60 Seconds'' (presumably attempting to encourage viewers to watch the episode) announced that the final episode had been shown and, in under ten seconds, spoiled that {{spoiler|Sam had been revived in the present and jumped to an apparent death to return to the '70s}}. It was followed by an (unscripted, one imagines) apology for those that had recorded the episode to watch later.
* Mere minutes after the last episode of ''[[Life On Mars]]'' had finished on BBC One, fellow BBC channel BBC Three's ''60 Seconds'' (presumably attempting to encourage viewers to watch the episode) announced that the final episode had been shown and, in under ten seconds, spoiled that {{spoiler|Sam had been revived in the present and jumped to an apparent death to return to the '70s}}. It was followed by an (unscripted, one imagines) apology for those that had recorded the episode to watch later.
* Commercials for the ''[[iCarly]]'' hour-long special "iPsycho", in which a crazy girl locks the trio in her basement, featured about no clips from the first half-hour of the episode. Instead, every commercial emphasized {{spoiler|their friend Gibby coming to save them,}} which literally happens within the last 5 minutes.
* Commercials for the ''[[iCarly]]'' hour-long special "iPsycho", in which a crazy girl locks the trio in her basement, featured about no clips from the first half-hour of the episode. Instead, every commercial emphasized {{spoiler|their friend Gibby coming to save them,}} which literally happens within the last 5 minutes.
** Seriously, just about every episode does this now. Recently examples include spoiling the funniest (in an episode which wasn't especially funny to begin with), and 'climactic' scene in "iSpace Out".
** Seriously, just about every episode does this now. Recently examples include spoiling the funniest (in an episode which wasn't especially funny to begin with), and 'climactic' scene in "iSpace Out".
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** {{spoiler|Yeah... [[House of Anubis|about that...]]}}
** {{spoiler|Yeah... [[House of Anubis|about that...]]}}
** Another notable example of this is the Christmas special. The first promo showed the weather forecast stating that the airports at Minnesota have been shut down due to a snowstorm, {{spoiler|which happens less than four minutes from the end of the episode,}} then shows the boys and Kendall's family greeting Mr. Bitters on Christmas morning, which happens in the next scene after that.
** Another notable example of this is the Christmas special. The first promo showed the weather forecast stating that the airports at Minnesota have been shut down due to a snowstorm, {{spoiler|which happens less than four minutes from the end of the episode,}} then shows the boys and Kendall's family greeting Mr. Bitters on Christmas morning, which happens in the next scene after that.
* ''[[Warehouse 13]]'' averts this, {{spoiler|not showing Artie in ads for season 2, since he is supposedly dead}}.
* ''[[Warehouse 13]]'' averts this, {{spoiler|not showing Artie in ads for season 2, since he is supposedly dead}}.
* The promo for the "Wizards vs. Werewolves" special of ''[[Wizards of Waverly Place]]'' showed Alex's new boyfriend, Mason, (who was introduced in the previous episode) {{spoiler|screaming in front of a full moon as if he was about to undergo some kind of a transformation into a werewolf}}. Guess what?
* The promo for the "Wizards vs. Werewolves" special of ''[[Wizards of Waverly Place]]'' showed Alex's new boyfriend, Mason, (who was introduced in the previous episode) {{spoiler|screaming in front of a full moon as if he was about to undergo some kind of a transformation into a werewolf}}. Guess what?
** The promo for the episode "Moving On" showed that Justin would miss Juliet, Alex would come up with some plan, and even had "Juliet" saying "I'm not Juliet." What happened here?
** The promo for the episode "Moving On" showed that Justin would miss Juliet, Alex would come up with some plan, and even had "Juliet" saying "I'm not Juliet." What happened here?
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* Some years ago, a promo for the [[ABC]] nightly news promised an interview with the first-ever million dollar winner on ''[[Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?]]''. Said promo aired ''before'' ''WWTBAM'' started.
* Some years ago, a promo for the [[ABC]] nightly news promised an interview with the first-ever million dollar winner on ''[[Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?]]''. Said promo aired ''before'' ''WWTBAM'' started.
* ''[[Glee]]'' did this in a season 2 episode, showing {{spoiler|Kurt, who has been at a rival school for ten episodes,}} standing at the top of a staircase yelling {{spoiler|"Kurt Hummel's back at McKinley!"}}
* ''[[Glee]]'' did this in a season 2 episode, showing {{spoiler|Kurt, who has been at a rival school for ten episodes,}} standing at the top of a staircase yelling {{spoiler|"Kurt Hummel's back at McKinley!"}}
* In the Season 2 episode of ''[[Leverage]]'' that introduced Tara Cole, {{spoiler|she was posing as their client's uptight lawyer to "audition" as a stand-in grifter for Sophie - a fact she didn't reveal to the team (or the audience) until the end.}} Unfortunately, that was given away in one of the promos that aired just prior to the actual reveal in the last segment.
* In the Season 2 episode of ''[[Leverage]]'' that introduced Tara Cole, {{spoiler|she was posing as their client's uptight lawyer to "audition" as a stand-in grifter for Sophie - a fact she didn't reveal to the team (or the audience) until the end.}} Unfortunately, that was given away in one of the promos that aired just prior to the actual reveal in the last segment.
* One episode of ''[[Sliders]]'' had the title group land in a version of [[San Francisco]] where those in charge force everyone to use some kind of buddy system. If one guy does something illegal, the other one is killed. The area is also more prone to earthquakes than the normal San Francisco and everyone knows that a big one is imminent. Quinn asks one authority figure why nobody tries to leave because of this. The man tells him something the audience learned from the promos: {{spoiler|this version of San Francisco is a maximum security prison.}}
* One episode of ''[[Sliders]]'' had the title group land in a version of [[San Francisco]] where those in charge force everyone to use some kind of buddy system. If one guy does something illegal, the other one is killed. The area is also more prone to earthquakes than the normal San Francisco and everyone knows that a big one is imminent. Quinn asks one authority figure why nobody tries to leave because of this. The man tells him something the audience learned from the promos: {{spoiler|this version of San Francisco is a maximum security prison.}}
* An episode of ''[[ER]]'' did this badly enough for [[TV Guide]] to call them out. The promos for one episode touted the return of Dr. Carter, even showing a brief scene. How long was Carter's actual appearance? Exactly as long as in the promos, using the exact same scene.
* An episode of ''[[ER]]'' did this badly enough for [[TV Guide]] to call them out. The promos for one episode touted the return of Dr. Carter, even showing a brief scene. How long was Carter's actual appearance? Exactly as long as in the promos, using the exact same scene.
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* [[USA Network]]'s promos for the season 3 finale of ''[[White Collar]]'' spoiled the sudden [[What Now? Ending]] about {{spoiler|Neal cutting his anklet.}}
* [[USA Network]]'s promos for the season 3 finale of ''[[White Collar]]'' spoiled the sudden [[What Now? Ending]] about {{spoiler|Neal cutting his anklet.}}
* ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' had [["On the Next..."]] trailers that were notorious for this. The one for "Phases" revealed who the werewolf was, and the one for "Innocence" revealed that Angel had lost his soul.
* ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' had [["On the Next..."]] trailers that were notorious for this. The one for "Phases" revealed who the werewolf was, and the one for "Innocence" revealed that Angel had lost his soul.
* PBS' trailer for the newest adaptation of ''[[Great Expectations]]'' gives away {{spoiler|how Miss Havisham dies}}, even though the official website goes out of its way to stick "Spoiler Warning" on the production designer's discussion of that event.
* PBS' trailer for the newest adaptation of ''[[Great Expectations]]'' gives away {{spoiler|how Miss Havisham dies}}, even though the official website goes out of its way to stick "Spoiler Warning" on the production designer's discussion of that event.
* The trailers for ''[[Supernatural (TV series)|Supernatural]]'' are infamous for this. For example, the season 3's big cliffhanger ending of {{spoiler|Dean being sent to hell}} was kind of ruined since the original episode promo showed {{spoiler|Sam crying over Dean's dead body.}} More recently, the episode promo for season 7's "Repo Man" completely ruined the episode's big twist of {{spoiler|the apparent victim actually being a villain and trying to let a demon that once possessed him once again inhabit his body}} by actually making it the ''focus of the trailer.''
* The trailers for ''[[Supernatural (TV series)|Supernatural]]'' are infamous for this. For example, the season 3's big cliffhanger ending of {{spoiler|Dean being sent to hell}} was kind of ruined since the original episode promo showed {{spoiler|Sam crying over Dean's dead body.}} More recently, the episode promo for season 7's "Repo Man" completely ruined the episode's big twist of {{spoiler|the apparent victim actually being a villain and trying to let a demon that once possessed him once again inhabit his body}} by actually making it the ''focus of the trailer.''


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== Video Games ==
== Video Games ==
* The trailer for the ''[[.hack|.hack//G.U.]]'' games revealed exactly who the eight Epitaph Users are and which Avatars they have.
* The trailer for the ''[[.hack|.hack//G.U.]]'' games revealed exactly who the eight Epitaph Users are and which Avatars they have.
* ''[[Time Splitters]]: Future Perfect'' deserves a special mention; if you can't do a puzzle in an early level, go to the main menu, wait for the game to go into [[Attract Mode]] and watch a character do it for you. It is a very easy puzzle, admittedly, but still.
* ''[[Time Splitters]]: Future Perfect'' deserves a special mention; if you can't do a puzzle in an early level, go to the main menu, wait for the game to go into [[Attract Mode]] and watch a character do it for you. It is a very easy puzzle, admittedly, but still.
* One of the commercials for ''[[Final Fantasy VII]]'' showed [[Plotline Death|Aerith's death scene]], which probably helped cement its [[It Was His Sled]] status. In fact, for the European version of the game, a screenshot from the FMV immediately following her death (which shows Cloud laying her body in a pool) is on the ''back of the game case''. It's not obvious enough to be a direct spoiler, but it does give a big hint.
* One of the commercials for ''[[Final Fantasy VII]]'' showed [[Plotline Death|Aerith's death scene]], which probably helped cement its [[It Was His Sled]] status. In fact, for the European version of the game, a screenshot from the FMV immediately following her death (which shows Cloud laying her body in a pool) is on the ''back of the game case''. It's not obvious enough to be a direct spoiler, but it does give a big hint.
** The voice-over for [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nb2qEqR7kgg&feature=related at least one of these commercials] also said "A love that can never be." HINT HINT!
** The voice-over for [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nb2qEqR7kgg&feature=related at least one of these commercials] also said "A love that can never be." HINT HINT!
** Coupled with the fact that the advertisement's narration is terribly cheesy and the teaser itself is [[Never Trust a Trailer|quite misleading]], this is a particularly ''egregious'' example.
** Coupled with the fact that the advertisement's narration is terribly cheesy and the teaser itself is [[Never Trust a Trailer|quite misleading]], this is a particularly ''egregious'' example.
* The intro sequence for ''[[Boktai|Lunar Knights]]'' is actually a montage of all of the cut-scenes in the game.
* The intro sequence for ''[[Boktai|Lunar Knights]]'' is actually a montage of all of the cut-scenes in the game.
* The trailer for ''[[Super Robot Wars]] Original Generation Gaiden'' shows [[Super Robot Wars Reversal|Fiona Guredan]] alive, and with her final [[Humongous Mecha]]. This ruins the suspense of if she survived the malfunctioning Time Flow engine when her mecha was badly damaged..
* The trailer for ''[[Super Robot Wars]] Original Generation Gaiden'' shows [[Super Robot Wars Reversal|Fiona Guredan]] alive, and with her final [[Humongous Mecha]]. This ruins the suspense of if she survived the malfunctioning Time Flow engine when her mecha was badly damaged..
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** For the third game, the true nature of Dr Nefarious' plan and the {{spoiler|[[Unwilling Roboticisation|literal mechanisation]] of the entire Tyrrhanoid race}} were similarly spoilt. These things are explained around halfway and two thirds of the way into the game, respectively.
** For the third game, the true nature of Dr Nefarious' plan and the {{spoiler|[[Unwilling Roboticisation|literal mechanisation]] of the entire Tyrrhanoid race}} were similarly spoilt. These things are explained around halfway and two thirds of the way into the game, respectively.
* ''[[Fire Emblem]] Radiant Dawn'' is notable for having a press release that basically outlined the entire game's plot. This included the revealing of the true identity of the Black Knight, which was never revealed in the previous game Path of Radiance, but also only revealed near the end of Radiant Dawn.
* ''[[Fire Emblem]] Radiant Dawn'' is notable for having a press release that basically outlined the entire game's plot. This included the revealing of the true identity of the Black Knight, which was never revealed in the previous game Path of Radiance, but also only revealed near the end of Radiant Dawn.
* Although it's so disjointed that it may not be recognizable until you actually play it, the in-game trailer to ''[[Zone of the Enders]]: The 2nd Runner'' pretty much shows the entire game, every stage, every boss fight (with the exception of the [[Final Boss]]). It also shows pretty much the entire story, including clips from the Ending.
* Although it's so disjointed that it may not be recognizable until you actually play it, the in-game trailer to ''[[Zone of the Enders]]: The 2nd Runner'' pretty much shows the entire game, every stage, every boss fight (with the exception of the [[Final Boss]]). It also shows pretty much the entire story, including clips from the Ending.
* The trailer for ''[[Starcraft]]'''s [[Expansion Pack]], which features several clips of a military funeral interspliced between the imagery of awesome carnage. The fact that the coffin had the banner of the United Earth Directorate on it meant that a major UED character was going to die, though it didn't become clear until the {{spoiler|second-to-the-last}} Terran mission.
* The trailer for ''[[Starcraft]]'''s [[Expansion Pack]], which features several clips of a military funeral interspliced between the imagery of awesome carnage. The fact that the coffin had the banner of the United Earth Directorate on it meant that a major UED character was going to die, though it didn't become clear until the {{spoiler|second-to-the-last}} Terran mission.
* The manual for ''[[Neverwinter Nights 2]]: Mask of the Betrayer'' advises you to read certain pages only after you've seen the twist at the end of act one. This would have been useful advice if the {{spoiler|Spirit Eater curse}} hadn't featured so prominently in the game's prerelease hype.
* The manual for ''[[Neverwinter Nights 2]]: Mask of the Betrayer'' advises you to read certain pages only after you've seen the twist at the end of act one. This would have been useful advice if the {{spoiler|Spirit Eater curse}} hadn't featured so prominently in the game's prerelease hype.
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** Anyone who, at this point, is surprised by Sonic turning glowy and yellow at the end of the game [[Late Arrival Spoiler|clearly hasn't been paying attention to any Sonic game after the first]].
** Anyone who, at this point, is surprised by Sonic turning glowy and yellow at the end of the game [[Late Arrival Spoiler|clearly hasn't been paying attention to any Sonic game after the first]].
** But it's a different form than Super Sonic.
** But it's a different form than Super Sonic.
** Sonic Generations was also bad about this. For a game all about reliving Sonic's history, they revealed literally every stage, boss, and rival in the game except for the final boss (the only one not to be from a previous game) in the trailers leading up to release.
** Sonic Generations was also bad about this. For a game all about reliving Sonic's history, they revealed literally every stage, boss, and rival in the game except for the final boss (the only one not to be from a previous game) in the trailers leading up to release.
* The recent trailer for ''[[Metroid Prime]] [[Updated Rerelease|Trilogy]]'' shows the final bosses of all three ''[[Metroid Prime]]'' games. This could also be an example of [[Late Arrival Spoiler]].
* The recent trailer for ''[[Metroid Prime]] [[Updated Rerelease|Trilogy]]'' shows the final bosses of all three ''[[Metroid Prime]]'' games. This could also be an example of [[Late Arrival Spoiler]].
** Years before, one of the ads for ''[[Metroid]] 2: Return of Samus'' showed a clip of the fight with the final boss of the game.
** Years before, one of the ads for ''[[Metroid]] 2: Return of Samus'' showed a clip of the fight with the final boss of the game.
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* [[Zig-Zagging Trope|Zig Zagged]] (I think) in two different trailers for ''[[Professor Layton and The Lost Future]]''. One shows {{spoiler|Future Layton's}} clothes being flung away as a reveal. Anyone who played the last two games would have expected it to be {{spoiler|Don Paolo in disguise}}, but it's actually {{spoiler|Doctor Stahngun/Dimitri Allen}}. Quickly afterwards, however, {{spoiler|[[Master of Disguise|Don Paolo]] reveals himself to be disguised as the ''real'' Layton}}. In another trailer, Layton denounces {{spoiler|Stahngun}} as the villain when he discovers that {{spoiler|he is running the future London's mafia}}, {{spoiler|however, the true villain of the piece is [[Man Behind the Man|Clive]]}}.
* [[Zig-Zagging Trope|Zig Zagged]] (I think) in two different trailers for ''[[Professor Layton and The Lost Future]]''. One shows {{spoiler|Future Layton's}} clothes being flung away as a reveal. Anyone who played the last two games would have expected it to be {{spoiler|Don Paolo in disguise}}, but it's actually {{spoiler|Doctor Stahngun/Dimitri Allen}}. Quickly afterwards, however, {{spoiler|[[Master of Disguise|Don Paolo]] reveals himself to be disguised as the ''real'' Layton}}. In another trailer, Layton denounces {{spoiler|Stahngun}} as the villain when he discovers that {{spoiler|he is running the future London's mafia}}, {{spoiler|however, the true villain of the piece is [[Man Behind the Man|Clive]]}}.
* ''[[Mass Effect 2]]'''s previews, especially its "Fight For The Lost" campaign, gave away several plot points that the game's writers appear to have intended to be surprising reveals. Jack's sex and Archangel's identity are kept secret in the game until Shepard actually meets them, and the recruitment dossier sets Shepard up to recruit Okeer instead of Grunt; unfortunately, all three characters were featured heavily in the game's marketing, with Jack and Grunt even having their own interview-style promotional videos. And of course the only way to somehow avoid knowing that {{spoiler|Shepard is dead and the Normandy blown away}} at the beginning of the game would have been to avoid every piece of media [[BioWare]] released and abandon society for a year or two.
* ''[[Mass Effect 2]]'''s previews, especially its "Fight For The Lost" campaign, gave away several plot points that the game's writers appear to have intended to be surprising reveals. Jack's sex and Archangel's identity are kept secret in the game until Shepard actually meets them, and the recruitment dossier sets Shepard up to recruit Okeer instead of Grunt; unfortunately, all three characters were featured heavily in the game's marketing, with Jack and Grunt even having their own interview-style promotional videos. And of course the only way to somehow avoid knowing that {{spoiler|Shepard is dead and the Normandy blown away}} at the beginning of the game would have been to avoid every piece of media [[BioWare]] released and abandon society for a year or two.
* A trailer for ''[[Super Smash Bros]]. Brawl'' showed some icons that accidentally revealed that Ness, Jigglypuff, and Lucario were playable; all three were hidden characters in ''Brawl''.
* A trailer for ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]. Brawl'' showed some icons that accidentally revealed that Ness, Jigglypuff, and Lucario were playable; all three were hidden characters in ''Brawl''.
* ''[[Resident Evil 5]]'' had fans upset about {{spoiler|Jill being killed}} prior to the story. One of the trailers had Wesker removing the hood off one of his goons claiming it to be "One big family reunion", making it obvious who it was.
* ''[[Resident Evil 5]]'' had fans upset about {{spoiler|Jill being killed}} prior to the story. One of the trailers had Wesker removing the hood off one of his goons claiming it to be "One big family reunion", making it obvious who it was.
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbjavQHDwDw This trailer] for ''[[Halo: Reach]]''. Which is somewhat justified in that it is a prequel game and fans of the series should know that [[Doomed by Canon|Reach was a total disaster that pretty much sealed the fate of mankind]]. The story is written in a way that assumes the players know what will happen while the characters believe they still have a chance to save the day.
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbjavQHDwDw This trailer] for ''[[Halo: Reach]]''. Which is somewhat justified in that it is a prequel game and fans of the series should know that [[Doomed by Canon|Reach was a total disaster that pretty much sealed the fate of mankind]]. The story is written in a way that assumes the players know what will happen while the characters believe they still have a chance to save the day.
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** However, the ''first'' time that aired, it didn't have the narration. Thankfully, newer DVD releases go without it (though of course the DVD's episode list does let you know that an episode called "The Return of Optimus Prime" is coming up.)
** However, the ''first'' time that aired, it didn't have the narration. Thankfully, newer DVD releases go without it (though of course the DVD's episode list does let you know that an episode called "The Return of Optimus Prime" is coming up.)
** Not to mention all the trailers for ''[[The Movie]]'' showing clips of {{spoiler|Optimus Prime getting blown to bits while the Narrator asks "Does Prime die?!"}} WELL GEE KIDS, I DUNNO!
** Not to mention all the trailers for ''[[The Movie]]'' showing clips of {{spoiler|Optimus Prime getting blown to bits while the Narrator asks "Does Prime die?!"}} WELL GEE KIDS, I DUNNO!
*** Then the very next question they Narrator asks is: {{spoiler|"Then, who will lead the Autobots?" There's not much need for a new leader unless the old one dies, ya know...}}
*** Then the very next question they Narrator asks is: {{spoiler|"Then, who will lead the Autobots?" There's not much need for a new leader unless the old one dies, ya know...}}
* In an episode of ''[[Family Guy]]'' (after Cleveland had left for ''[[The Cleveland Show]]''): "Cleveland! Who would have thought we would run into you? Except everyone because [[Fox]] [[Lampshade Hanging|spoiled it in all the promos.]]"
* In an episode of ''[[Family Guy]]'' (after Cleveland had left for ''[[The Cleveland Show]]''): "Cleveland! Who would have thought we would run into you? Except everyone because [[FOX]] [[Lampshade Hanging|spoiled it in all the promos.]]"
* The theatrical trailer for ''[[Rugrats in Paris]]'' had [[Don LaFontaine]] proudly introduce Kimi as "the newest Rugrat", therefore cluing the viewers in on how the movie ends ({{spoiler|Chuckie's dad marries her mom}}) and her incorporation into the show.
* The theatrical trailer for ''[[Rugrats in Paris]]'' had [[Don LaFontaine]] proudly introduce Kimi as "the newest Rugrat", therefore cluing the viewers in on how the movie ends ({{spoiler|Chuckie's dad marries her mom}}) and her incorporation into the show.
* Parodied in ''[[The Simpsons (animation)|The Simpsons]]'' with an old [[Show Within a Show|Radioactive Man]] film reel. A giant missile heads towards Earth, and cuts to a freeze frame while the announcer says "Will Radioactive Man save the planet Earth? Find out next time!" The freeze frame shows ''Earth being split in half with a giant mushroom cloud.''
* Parodied in ''[[The Simpsons (animation)|The Simpsons]]'' with an old [[Show Within a Show|Radioactive Man]] film reel. A giant missile heads towards Earth, and cuts to a freeze frame while the announcer says "Will Radioactive Man save the planet Earth? Find out next time!" The freeze frame shows ''Earth being split in half with a giant mushroom cloud.''
** That's more a parody of old adventure serials. They routinely ended with something terrible happening (e.g., the hero's car skids off a cliff) and an admonishment to see the next installment to find out how the hero would avoid his terrible fate. Invariably, the next installment would be a [[Cliffhanger Copout|total cheat]] (e.g., the hero jumps out of the car before it reaches the edge - even though he was ''clearly'' in the driver's seat as the car went over in the previous installment).
** That's more a parody of old adventure serials. They routinely ended with something terrible happening (e.g., the hero's car skids off a cliff) and an admonishment to see the next installment to find out how the hero would avoid his terrible fate. Invariably, the next installment would be a [[Cliffhanger Copout|total cheat]] (e.g., the hero jumps out of the car before it reaches the edge - even though he was ''clearly'' in the driver's seat as the car went over in the previous installment).
** The promos for the episode "How Munched is That Birdie in the Window" spoiled the whole plot of Bart adopting a wounded pigeon and Santa's Little Helper eating it.
** The promos for the episode "How Munched is That Birdie in the Window" spoiled the whole plot of Bart adopting a wounded pigeon and Santa's Little Helper eating it.
** The trailers for the simpsons movie show the exchange between Homer, Bart, and the EPA agent near the end of the movie with the "treasure of I'm a weiner" joke. This sppoiled the joke of "To be continued" followed by "right now" as the latter takes place before the former in the movie, showing there is more.
** The trailers for the simpsons movie show the exchange between Homer, Bart, and the EPA agent near the end of the movie with the "treasure of I'm a weiner" joke. This sppoiled the joke of "To be continued" followed by "right now" as the latter takes place before the former in the movie, showing there is more.
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* Another one, the ''[[Phineas and Ferb]]'' episode "Candace Gets Busted". In order: It starts off as an intimate get together, she has no problem inviting a few more people, but then it becomes a party, Linda calls the house and says they're coming home. Then guess what happens? [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|"Young lady, you are so busted!"]] ...Yeah, you get the idea.
* Another one, the ''[[Phineas and Ferb]]'' episode "Candace Gets Busted". In order: It starts off as an intimate get together, she has no problem inviting a few more people, but then it becomes a party, Linda calls the house and says they're coming home. Then guess what happens? [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|"Young lady, you are so busted!"]] ...Yeah, you get the idea.
** To be fair, if you couldn't guess that was going to happen based on [[Spoiler Title|the title]], well...
** To be fair, if you couldn't guess that was going to happen based on [[Spoiler Title|the title]], well...
*** Then there's "Minor Monogram" where the comercails litteraly only showed the ending where {{spoiler|Vannesa falls for Monty}}.
*** Then there's "Minor Monogram" where the comercails litteraly only showed the ending where {{spoiler|Vannesa falls for Monty}}.
* Not a trailer, but the original lobby card for the classic [[Daffy Duck]] short, ''[[Duck Amuck]]'' flat out reveals who the mysterious animator is. It shows {{spoiler|Bugs Bunny}}'s hand with a paint brush tormenting Daffy.
* Not a trailer, but the original lobby card for the classic [[Daffy Duck]] short, ''[[Duck Amuck]]'' flat out reveals who the mysterious animator is. It shows {{spoiler|Bugs Bunny}}'s hand with a paint brush tormenting Daffy.
* The original trailer for ''[[Total Drama Island|Total Drama World Tour]]'' (back when it was still being called ''Total Drama the Musical'') spoiled {{spoiler|Leshawna's}} elimination; also, if you look quick, it also spoils {{spoiler|Ezekiel's}} elimination as well, as you can see he doesn't get a bag of airline peanuts after DJ.
* The original trailer for ''[[Total Drama Island|Total Drama World Tour]]'' (back when it was still being called ''Total Drama the Musical'') spoiled {{spoiler|Leshawna's}} elimination; also, if you look quick, it also spoils {{spoiler|Ezekiel's}} elimination as well, as you can see he doesn't get a bag of airline peanuts after DJ.
* ''[[Star Wars: The Clone Wars|Star Wars the Clone Wars]]'' has restrained themselves fairly well when it comes to foreshadowing Anakin's eventual transformation into Darth Vader, so naturally, Cartoon Network was eager to promote an episode where Anakin has a vision of what he will become. They show us some pretty sweet clips in the promos, but when the actual episode was aired, you realized they showed you the whole scene!
* ''[[Star Wars: The Clone Wars|Star Wars the Clone Wars]]'' has restrained themselves fairly well when it comes to foreshadowing Anakin's eventual transformation into Darth Vader, so naturally, Cartoon Network was eager to promote an episode where Anakin has a vision of what he will become. They show us some pretty sweet clips in the promos, but when the actual episode was aired, you realized they showed you the whole scene!
* The identity of the new character in ''[[Batman: Mask of the Phantasm]]'' was revealed [http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1c/Phantasm-actionfigure.jpg by the action figure that came out at the same time with removable mask].
* The identity of the new character in ''[[Batman: Mask of the Phantasm]]'' was revealed [http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1c/Phantasm-actionfigure.jpg by the action figure that came out at the same time with removable mask].
* Black Phantom's defeat from the ''[[Hero Factory]]'' TV special was spoiled, shot for shot, on an on-line promo vid advertising the cartoon and characters (and their toys) on the [[LEGO]] website.
* Black Phantom's defeat from the ''[[Hero Factory]]'' TV special was spoiled, shot for shot, on an on-line promo vid advertising the cartoon and characters (and their toys) on the [[LEGO]] website.
* The toy commercials for the ''[[Bionicle]]'' Glatorian Legends line of figures showed glimpses of the then-upcoming movie, ''The Legend Reborn''. Among them, the very shot of the four heroes unleashing the final blast at the Skrall and Bone Hunter army, from the end of the climax! Website promos also spoiled {{spoiler|Metus' transformation into a snake, thereby essentially revealing that he's the traitor.}}
* The toy commercials for the ''[[Bionicle]]'' Glatorian Legends line of figures showed glimpses of the then-upcoming movie, ''The Legend Reborn''. Among them, the very shot of the four heroes unleashing the final blast at the Skrall and Bone Hunter army, from the end of the climax! Website promos also spoiled {{spoiler|Metus' transformation into a snake, thereby essentially revealing that he's the traitor.}}
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