Best and Worst Literary Tropes, Ranked

Tropes are a complex concept. Some advise removing them all, some swear by their importance. It's impossible to have zero tropes in a work of fiction, no matter how bizarre or far-out it is. I advise learning how to use tropes to see things in a new light. Anyway. Best and worst, in my opinion. Here you go.

Best:

1. Found Family - Found family is a trope showing that family does not always depend on blood. Characters come together and learn to love each other like a family does. This trope is wholesome and healthy and pure and I will read it over and over.

Stories with found family: The Mysterious Benedict Society, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Lord of the Rings

2. Friends/Lovers against the world - When a relationship grows in the middle of conflict, it seems stronger, doesn't it? Look at the friends and romantic pairings in Stranger Things. Yeah, the monsters are awful. Are the friends closer because of them? Also yes. When everything is perfect, there's nothing to lose. Maybe the couple take each other for granted. When there are problems, from dragons to disabilities to overdue rent, love and friendship are all the sweeter.

Stories with friends/lovers against the world: Lord of the Rings, The Seeds of America Trilogy, Stranger Things

3. Big tough scary guy adopts innocent child

...I don't know, I'm a huge sucker for this one. Might be cliche but it's so CUTE.

Stories with this trope: The Mandalorian, The Bad Batch, Lord of the Rings (if you count hobbits as children), Sweet Tooth

4. Villains who were so close to being heroes until they fall

Not sure if this one counts, but it's always really cool to see a villain who could have saved the world if they just made a few different decisions. Often their motives are impressive, but they tend to have an "ends justify the means" philosophy.

Stories with this trope: Star Wars Prequels, Otto Octavius in the Tobey Maguire Spiderman

5. Kind, noble characters who can't see their worth, chill and innocent characters who are actually very dangerous, rough-and-tumble, "uncaring" characters who are loyal and to a fault - all good character tropes that I enjoy.

Worst:

1. The "plain" girl - "Oh noooo, I'm so plain, my hair is too long and lush, my eyes are too deep and beautiful, my complexion is too pale and perfect!!" Geez. Gimme a break.

2. Vampire Romance - Relationships are usually about as healthy as nuclear waste. Obviously dating an oversized mosquito is fine because he has dark sultry eyes.

3. The "Strong Female Character" - Not actually strong, just mean. Usually sexualized and selfish. Still at the mercy (emotionally, at least) of men. Little to no character development.

4. Love triangles - where do I even start? They're over-done, badly done, and never even should have been done. YA novels rely on them to raise the stakes, but they are seriously annoying. Avoid unless you truly have a new take.

5. Miscommunication - If the whole dramatic plot could have been avoided with like... one ten minute conversation, the plot is weak. Although if it's used for humor I kind of love it.

Well, that is all. Add any extra loved or hated tropes in the comments. :)