Characters Tropes

**Tropes** are devices and conventions that a writer can reasonably rely on as being present in the audience members' minds and expectations.

If used correctly, they help move the narrative along, because the author has less to explain. Badly used and it can become a "Cliché".

For example, if you want to show your character is smart, show him playing chess. Everybody knows smart people play chess ! If you want to show that the next character that just entered is smarter than the one before, have her just glace over his shouder and solve the game he has been struggling with. This way you can show instead of tell , which always enhance the narrative.

Badly used it becomes a Cliché , an element that has been overused to the point of loosing it's original meaning or it's effect. In colloquial use, it refers to something that is expected or easily predicted. They are often used for comic effect.

## Main Characters' Tropes

### Jacob Chamberlain

* **Above Good and Evil**: How he sees himself; his status as one of the most powerful creatures in existence have given him delusions of being above the rest of humanity. Because he views himself as the most powerful supernatural being on earth, he has a tendency to brag and boast about it, feeling that he can dictate what happens, whether it be moral or immoral. Jake also doesn't seem to particularly care about doing the right thing, but will do so at times if he finds that it would benefit him in the end somehow.
* **Ambition Is Evil**: Jake achieves his goals and plans through underhanded means. He has shown that he is greedy, selfish and wants everything that he can get his hands on. He also gets intensely jealous and possessive over those whom he holds dear to him and he will do anything, including acting immorally, to make sure he has a hold on the things that he cares about. Jake often resorts to violence and killing if he does not get his way and he will also use violent tendencies or tactics to achieve he his goals or when he wants something.
* **Younger Sibling AnnoyingYoungerSibling**: To Christopher, for whom he usually causes problems. Jake has proven that in terms of personality and outlook, Christopher is more serious, stoic, calm, collected and rational while Klaus has proven that he is very hotheaded, impulsive, over emotional, troublesome and quick tempered. Because of the differences in their personalities, temperaments and outlooks, the two often clash and do not see eye to eye. Christopher tries to constantly talk sense into his hot headed brother but Jake never seems to listen, which ends up causing major problems with Christopher in the long run. Even though Jake has managed to consistently disappoint Christopher with his actions, Christopher still manages to be as loyal to Jake as possible and even tries to believe that there might be a chance for Jake to redeem himself and change his behaviour and his ways. In comparison to Christopher , Jake comes off as very pouty, spoiled and bratty when he does not get his way and it seems as though Christopher becomes more of a paternal opt parent figure for Jake rather than a brother figure.
* **AntiVillain**: Jake is Type I and Type II. Jake is Type I, a Noble Demon, as Jake himself seems to have no problem with committing constant immoral acts and deeds and he seems to embrace the fact that he is a villain who will resort to underhanded and immoral means to achieve his agenda and his goals. However, there are times when Jake actually has some standards and will not resort to killing all of the time to get what he wants. Jake has shown that he is capable of doing things more diplomatically than violently. Jake has shown that he Wouldn't Hurt a Child despite the fact that in the beginning, when he was very skeptical, he wanted Charlotte and his unborn child to die.
* **Ax Crazy**: Jake is the epitome of psychologically unstable, and he is rather dangerous. Jake obviously presents a very clear danger to others. He threatens to kill or hurt others if he is either crossed or if he is angry. Jake is capable of extreme violence and murderous rage, especially if he is crossed.

* **Badass Boast**: Basically all of the time. When is Jake not boasting? He consistently makes threats towards others, including his own family. He says that if he is family ever gets in the way of getting what he wants when he wants it, he will not hesitate to dagger them and put them in coffins, just like he has done for centuries upon centuries repeatedly. If anyone tries to get in Jake's way in any way, shape or form, Jake will not hesitate to threaten to kill you right on the spot. He also brags about how powerful he is and that he can take down anyone with much ease. Jake even renders himself the most powerful supernatural being on earth and he takes significant pride of this fact because Jake seems to thrive on being powerful and obtaining power at all cost, even by bragging about himself or making threats towards others to get it.
* **Basass In Charge**: He was the Vampire King of Los Angeles. This granted him power over the French Quarter, and he was therefore in charge of all of the vampires, werewolves and witches that live in the quarter. Jake was actually the Co-King of Los Angeles with Jeffery as Jake had asked Jeffery to rule Los Angeles with him together.
* **Black Sheep**: Jake is this to his family, especially to his father Hectate. He doesn't really fit in and he seems to be ostracized by most of them.
* **Crazy-Prepared**: Jake always has a plan. And if Plan A doesn't work out, then a Plan B, and a Plan C, etc.
* **Cultured Badass**: Jake is Wicked Cultured, and is highly sophisticated, cultured and chic. Jake is also rich and he spends money on lavish and expensive things. He seems to have a penchant for decorating, and obviously spends his time going to museums and art galleries. Jake has also proven that he is a very good artist himself, as he loves to draw. He is also knowledgeable about a wide variety of topics, such as art, literature, food, and he has been exposed to many different cultures over the centuries due to travelling all around the world. Jake even became a British nobleman during the 1400's and adopted the British way of living.
* **Dark Is Evil**: Jake is seen wearing a lot of darker clothing, particularly black. He is never seen wearing lighter clothing, indicating a dark and immoral character.
* **Dark Messiah**: Jake is the only Original Hybrid on the planet, making him extremely powerful and dangerous.
* **Papa Wolf**: Jake is pretty damned protective of Elizabeth.

### Christopher Chamberlain

* **Really 700 Years Old**: He's still kicking after a thousand years, even though he's still a mortal witch.
* **Used to Be a Sweet Kid**: Esther said there used to be a 'light' inside him when he was a child. A millennia of being captive has understandably, snuffed it out.
* **Affably Evil**: He's an intelligent, charming man who strongly believes in honor and loyalty but he has a dark, dangerous side and he'd be able to kill whenever it suits his needs.
* **Badass Boast**: Just as much as Jake.
* **The Charmer**: Christopher is suave and sophisticated. No wonder Charlotte can't help herself.
* **The Fettered**: Christopher is known to be a very moral, honourable person by nature.
* **I Gave My Word**: He swears to protect Charlotte and her child from Jake.
* **Jerk with a Heart of Gold**: Especially in the beginning. Christopher came off as cold and uncaring but he's actually rather moral and honourable by nature.
* **Manipulative Bastard**: He doesn't even need to use compulsion to get people to do what he wants.
* **The Patriarch**: Self-proclaimed patriarch of Original family.
* **Sharp-Dressed Man**: Christopher never fails to look dapper, neatly dressed and well-put together in his finest suits.
* **Sophisticated as Hell**: Christopher is the epitome of chic and fashionable.

### Charlotte Marshall-Deveraux

* **Action Girl**: It comes with being a werewolf, and it's been taken Up to Eleven since she became a Hybrid. She's immensely powerful, and skilled as opposed to merely strong.
* **Almost Kiss**: Between her and Christopher, and her and Alexander.
* **Battle Couple**: With Alexander, when they have to be. Also Jake and Christopher.
* **Belligerent Sexual Tension**: With Jake, which lead to her pregnancy.
* **Blessed with Suck**: She was cursed with lycanthropy.
* **Emotion Suppression**: After losing her child Charlotte hides her grief.
* **Fake American**: Played by Australian actress Phoebe Tonkin.
* **Mama Wolf**: Charlotte will fight tooth and nail to protect her baby.
* **Tomboy**: Although she's certainly feminine, she has aspects of tomboyism that makes her seek out males for company.

### Jefferson Chamberlain

* **Affably Evil**: He can be charming, giving, and an all round fun guy. As long as everything runs smoothly and nobody forgets whose in charge...if so this can lead to his Berserk Button.
* **Ain't Too Proud to Beg**: Pledged his allegiance and surrendered his kingdom to Jake after his disastrous attempt at capturing and imprisoning Jake.
* **Devil in Plain Sight**: Quite literally in regards to the Original vampires, but subverted when it is shown that he has a fairly decent arrangement with the humans of the Quarter.
* **Like a Son to Me**: Jeffery was this to Jake, and Jeffery has his own "child" in Julia.
* **Overprotective Dad**: To Julia, though of course he has reasons to be considering all of the witches want to kill her.
* **The Power of Love**: Jeffery claims this is the reasons his followers are so loyal to him despite Jake's superior strength.

### Graysin Blackwell

* **Deadpan Snarker**: Has a keen dry wit when dealing with the supernatural dramatics he finds himself caught in, usually against his will.
* **The Mentor**: Shaping up to be this for Julia during the last episodes of season two.
* **Only Sane Man**: While a majority of the witches spend their time focusing on themselves and their cold war with the vampires and werewolves, Graysin actively works with the police to head off any supernatural threat that could threaten both humans and witches. He is also aware of the power games the witches play amongst themselves and stays very far away from them.
* **Determinator**: Graysin has shown that he is a very persistent and determined individual. When he wants something, he will stop at nothing to get it, even if he has to resort to the most evil or underhanded methods or ways to achieve his goals and agenda.
* **Soft-Spoken Sadist**: Graysin is not over the top in his mannerisms and he is rather subdued and composed. He seems to have a very calm demeanour and he is very methodical and strategic in the way he acts and the way he thinks.
* **Would Hurt a Child**: Hurt? After learning that his granddaughters were in the same building as him, he went after them with the intention of cutting them to pieces with a giant axe. Thankfully he was stopped by Christopher and Jake in time.

### Elizabeth Chamberlain

* **Birth/Death Juxtaposition**: Almost as soon as she's born, her mother Charlotte is killed by Graysin. Subverted in that Charlotte woke up in transition, due to dying while Elizabeth's blood was still inside her.
* **Creepy Child**: She has a rather focused, unsettling stare when she's using her witch powers.
* **Daddy's Girl**: Jake is besotted with her even before she's born.
* **Dhampyr**: She is half vampire and currently half mortal. She's also a witch as well as an untriggered werewolf, meaning until she grows up and makes her first kill, she will be a witch with healing abilities slightly inferior to that of a vampire.
* **Enfant Terrible**: According to the witches, even before Esther becomes the leader of the ancestor witch spirits.
* **Happily Adopted**: By her Uncle Christopher when Los Angeles wasn't safe for her.
* **Healing Factor**: Is one of her hybrid powers.
* **Hybrid Power**: Elizabeth has demonstrated magic abilities from her witch side and healing abilities from her vampire side, though the latter power is slower than a full vampire's healing factor.
* **It's Not You, It's My Enemies**: The reason she was sent away by her family, as it's too dangerous to keep her in Los Angeles.
* **MacGuffin Super Person**: The fact that something like her could even exist kicks off the plot of the show, and drives much of the conflict seen in season one. People either want to kill/use her, or protect her at all costs.
* **Ninja Pirate Robot Zombie**: Is part werewolf, part vampire and part witch.
* **Offing the Offspring**: In the season finale, it's revealed that her grandmother Esther had taken control of the ancestor witches, and it was her decree that Hope should be sacrificed and her grandmother wants to harm/kill her for her own purposes.
* **Sins of Our Fathers**: As Jake notes, Elizabeth has 'inherited' all his enemies by virtue of being his daughter.

### The Hollow

* **A God Am I**: She sees herself as an all-powerful supreme being and believes she is the only one with the right to rule the world. She even gathered a bunch of witches to worship her and sacrifice children to her.
* **Blood Magic**: The Hollow feeds on the power and energy which come from death and blood sacrifices. She was strongly implied to be the creator and source of Sacrificial Magic, the TV version of blood magic.
* **Game Face**: Inadu does this a lot. At first, she manifests herself as a glowing ball of blue light, then a shadowy ghost with blue eyes and clawed hands, then a smoky shadow of a teenage girl. When she is possessing someone, her eyes can glow blue, which reveals herself as the Hollow.
* **Humanoid Abomination**: Possibly. She was considered a monster and abomination by other supernatural beings.
* **Physical God**: Inadu herself and all other characters see her as this. She was the most powerful supernatural being the Originals ever faced; right up until the end, she was unable to be destroyed completely.
* **Religion of Evil**: She leads a hellish cult of witches who worship her as their goddess. They sacrificed humans, witches, and other supernatural beings to her.

### Alexander Deveraux

* **Did You Just Flip Off Cthulhu?**: He's unafraid to stand up to the Originals and tell them exactly what he thinks of them: he despises them.
* **Friend to All Children**: He says he's good with kids, and proves to be very attentive and caring towards Elizabeth.
* **Nice Guy**: One of the few unambiguously heroic characters in the show.
* **Perfectly Arranged Marriage**: He and Charlotte eventually fall in love with each other.
* **Hot-Blooded**: Zander is a pretty angry person.
* **Why Don't You Just Shoot Him?**: Zander is a bit puzzled as to why Jake just doesn't rip out Jeffery's heart on the spot. It takes Christopher to reveal that Jeffery is the nearest thing Jake has to a son.

### Cole Chamberlain

* **Casual Danger Dialogue**: Tends to engage in this, although he is a little more noticeably nervous than is typical.
* **Gay Best Friend**: To Julia.
* **I Am What I Am**: At one point Cole references how he hated himself pre-series for having a sexuality that screwed up his relationship with his family. By the actual time frame of the show, however, Cole has fully accepted himself.
* **The Mole**: Jake compels him to spy on Jeffery.
* **Nice Guy**: Is one of nicest characters in the show, see above.
* **Straight Gay**
* **Reverse Mole**: After Julia undoes his compulsion, Jeffery uses Cole to spy on Jake.