TV Tropes facts for kids
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Screenshot as of July 16, 2020
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Type of site
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Wiki |
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| Available in | 13 languages |
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| Commercial | Ad-supported |
| Registration | Required for all features other than viewing |
| Users | 16.000+ |
| Launched | April 2004 |
| Current status | Active |
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Content license
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CC BY-NC-SA from July 2012 |
| Written in | PmWiki (very heavily modified with no current source code used) |
TV Tropes is a special kind of wiki website. It collects and explains common ideas, patterns, or tricks found in stories, movies, TV shows, and other creative works. These patterns are called tropes. Think of a trope as a repeated idea, like the "hero's journey" or a "villain's evil laugh."
Since it started in 2004, TV Tropes has grown a lot. It now covers tropes in many areas, including movies, TV shows, video games, books, and even real-life topics like history or politics. People who use the site are called "Tropers."
TV Tropes used to let anyone edit without signing up. But now, you need to register to add or change information. This helps keep the site organized and safe.
Contents
What Are Tropes?
Tropes are like building blocks for stories. They are common ideas or patterns that writers use again and again. For example, the "Chosen One" trope is about a character who is special and meant to save the world. The "Big Bad" trope is about the main villain in a story.
Why Are Tropes Important?
Tropes help us understand stories better. When you know about tropes, you can see how different stories use similar ideas. It's like finding hidden clues in your favorite shows! TV Tropes helps you spot these patterns and learn more about how stories are made.
How TV Tropes Works
TV Tropes is a wiki, which means many people can add and edit its content. It's similar to how Wikipedia works, but it focuses on story patterns. The site has an informal and fun style. It often uses humor to describe different tropes.
What Can You Find on TV Tropes?
You can find pages for thousands of tropes, like "The Hero," "Love Triangle," or "Plot Twist." Each trope page explains what the trope is and gives examples from different movies, books, or games. You can also find pages for specific TV shows, movies, or books. These pages list all the tropes that appear in that work.
- Trope Pages: Explain a specific story pattern.
- Work Pages: List tropes found in a movie, book, or show.
- Useful Notes: Explain real-world topics like history or science, but in a fun, simple way.
History of TV Tropes
TV Tropes was started in 2004 by a programmer known as "Fast Eddie." He was interested in how stories use common patterns. He had studied these ideas at MIT in the 1970s.
How the Site Grew
The website first focused on the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But it quickly grew to cover many other types of media. This includes movies, books, video games, and even fan-made stories. It also started covering real-life topics in its "Useful Notes" section.
In 2014, Fast Eddie sold the site to Drew Schoentrup and Chris Richmond. They wanted to make the site even better. They even started a special project called a Kickstarter to get help from the community to improve the website's design and technology.
