What cliché’s do you dislike?

[friskywhiskers]

I've read a book called H.I.V.E that follows the criminals point of view and they win. In the trilogy, the protaginists are "bad guys" and the antagonists are "good guys". So the cliche' of the "good guys" really means the protaginists have to win. Either way, I agree that this is an annoying cliche'

[Jebediahs]

I enjoy the likeable and sympathetic villain. It's fun when a character does terrible things yet makes me forget his misdeeds and causes me to actually like him. I also like when the protagonist and antagonist are/were friends or at least have a mutual respect for each other.

The only cliche I can't get behind is a predictable story especially when it's poorly written.

[Frank_Lloyd_Knight]

One cliché I hate is when the heroine of a film disguises herself in a man's armor so she can fight in some big battle or other. I hadn't realized that this cliché really bugged me until I went to see the 2010 Robin Hood movie. This is where the producers had Marian, completely out of the wild blue yonder, show up in the final battle scene at the end in full armor. There was zero in the plot up to that point that would suggest that this might happen, or give a reason for it to happen; And it did zero for the movie. The funny part was that after the movie producers randomly teleported her into the middle of the big battle, Robin Hood had to go rescue her. It was like the producers, after consciously punching holes in their plot for no reason, couldn't make up their minds as to whether they wanted her to be the Warrior Princess or the Damsel in Distress.

[Gatekeeper]

I had a good friend write a short story in college that revolved around the "farm boy hero" getting accidently killed in the his first battle against the "evil" and the rest of his band having to figure out how to win a battle that wasn't possible.

**spoiler**

Evil wins.

It was a great story that threw the conventional fantasy story arc out of the window.

[dyntar]

If anyone has ever read Terry Pratchetts Discworld novels he does fantasy but doesn't stick to cliches.. His elves are evil, his trolls are dumb in sunlight but get smarter the closer to freezing point, The hero Rincewind who often saves the world is a coward and tends to save the world accidentally while trying to run away. .. his version of the girl dressed as a man going off to rescue her brother turns out that she's in a troup where everyone is a girl and so are the generals in charge. His vampires trained them selves to eat garlic and can go outside on cloudy days. The mysterious orphaned heir to the throne brought up by dwarves and has a crown shaped birthmark and the sword with inscriptions just wants to be a policeman and has no interest in ruling the city. You name the cliche he's probably bent it lol These books always make me laugh... anyway enough advertising lol


The cliche that always annoys me is the whole count down timer... Why does the hero always stop the timer at 1. Why does the hero never get blown up or stop the timer with 30 minutes to spare?

[SPACE MARINE]

I really don't like the strong female lead characters that are out there on the front lines, so to speak. That never would have happened in a slightly realistic situation, and it's over used.

[Ashkestral]

That never would have happened in a slightly realistic situation

Don't tell that to Maire o Ciaragain, Margaret of Anjou, Isabella I of Castile, or Isabella of Lorraine.

Modern DNA testing is making us reconsider the graves of "male" warriors - some assumed male warrior graves have turned out to be women. Bodies of women warriors have been found in places including Russia and Iran, about 20% of Sythia-Sarmatian graves are female...

[theboywarrior]

That never would have happened in a slightly realistic situation

Don't tell that to Maire o Ciaragain, Margaret of Anjou, Isabella I of Castile, or Isabella of Lorraine.

Modern DNA testing is making us reconsider the graves of "male" warriors - some assumed male warrior graves have turned out to be women. Bodies of women warriors have been found in places including Russia and Iran, about 20% of Sythia-Sarmatian graves are female...

Don't forget Joan of Arc!

[SPACE MARINE]

I stand warned: remember to not generalize!

Ohh, and another overused trope is the idea that heroes always use swords. Why can't we have the leader-hero role be a magician or an archer.

[richardanthonyc]

I stand warned: remember to not generalize!

Ohh, and another overused trope is the idea that heroes always use swords. Why can't we have the leader-hero role be a magician or an archer.

Eh ever hear of Robin Hood, Gandalf, Rand Al'Thor?

[Aliencat]

Merlin, William Tell, etc.

[Velliscig]

Gimli - he wields an axe! Even if they don't have a sword though most often it's like a pair of daggers or something instead... I mean really though, who imagines a hero yielding a spear...

[Shadowviking]

I mean really though, who imagines a hero yielding a spear...

Gilgamesh, Leonidas, Achilles, Kratos, and for that matter most greek heroes; Cúchulainn, Lugh, Oding, Gil-galad, and more

[lhale]

I have to agree, I hate the idea of having the good guy always win the battles and gets the girl at the end. And it also quite disappointing to always see a single person run over a bunch of armies by himself and he seem to only get hit once he meets up with the main antagonist of the story. Even though this stories seems to have a template already, it is quite surprising that people are still buying it.

[Ferretclaw]

I hate it when the entirety of a race is good or evil. Like all elves are good and all orcs are bad, that kind of thing. I also hate it when none of the important good guys die, it makes it seem too easy. I think its lame that the good guys always win and the hero gets the girl, but at the same time I have read very few good stories that don't end like that. Anyway, I am also a writer (Not professionally, just for fun and a bit of extra money) so good luck.