A character is given an apparent backstory. Whether a hero, villain or somewhere in between, we assume this is true. But then in a twist, something happens.

This trope comes into play when a character pretends to be working on a story, book, or movie idea as a cover for some shadier activity. While the plot is ...

Backstory is what happens to a character before they arrive on the present scene. All characters have one, but it may only be present for just one character. Backstory Horror · Troubled Backstory Flashback · Rape

Common examples are Fake Memories, where the characters' memories have been altered without actually changing the past, or outright Reality Warping, where ...

In a crowd filled with people who turned tragedy into triumph, went through some exceptional event, or have some abnormal linage, this person is normal.

An index page listing Backstory Index content. Ah, the Backstory; a trope that tells the reader what happened to Bob before all the chaos began.

A character has a mysterious past which is hinted at but never fully revealed. It may be suggested by the character evading questions about their past.

The Nazzadi in CthulhuTech were given an entirely fake history, including fictional memories, when the Migou were creating them to conquer Earth. Finding ...

TV Tropes is a wiki that collects and documents descriptions and examples of plot conventions and devices, which it refers to as tropes, within many creative ... History · Reception

A specific Sub-Trope of Dark and Troubled Past, Flash Back, and Tragic Hero. When a movie starts after The Hero suffers a great personal tragedy.