# Examples of this cliche - how you know a character is doomed! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 10, 2012, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-this-cliche-how-you-know-a-character-is-doomed/615411 "2012-03-10T22:12:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2012, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-this-cliche-how-you-know-a-character-is-doomed/615411/81 "2012-03-14T13:29:54Z")
> [@audit1](#): > > IF your are the old mentor to the hero, your days are numbered. You will get to give one last piece of advice, while giving your last breath. I call this the “he’s got Obi Wan written all over him” rule. See also “Dumbledore.” ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2012, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-this-cliche-how-you-know-a-character-is-doomed/615411/82 "2012-03-14T18:27:11Z")
> [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](#): > > If you’re a/the bad guy and you just disarmed the good guy or broken his weapon, prepare to meet your maker. Or worse yet, it’s near the end of the movie, you’re the bad guy, and you appear to have won. You’re standing over the hero with a gun pointed at his head and you’re bragging about how you beat him. You are seconds away from certain death. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2012, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-this-cliche-how-you-know-a-character-is-doomed/615411/83 "2012-03-14T18:29:48Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Or worse yet, it’s near the end of the movie, you’re the bad guy, and you appear to have won. You’re standing over the hero with a gun pointed at his head and you’re bragging about how you beat him. > > You are seconds away from certain death. If the hero contemplates shooting you while you are defenseless and is dissuaded by his friend because “you’re better than that”, just stay absolutely stock still because if you get up or make a threatening move you are deader than dead, and probably from some ironic self-inflicted wound. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2012, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-this-cliche-how-you-know-a-character-is-doomed/615411/84 "2012-03-14T20:34:33Z")
> [@Tom\_Scud](#): > > If the hero contemplates shooting you while you are defenseless and is dissuaded by his friend because “you’re better than that”, just stay absolutely stock still because if you get up or make a threatening move you are deader than dead, and probably from some ironic self-inflicted wound. Or from “the dead creature’s mate” leaping out and grabbing you. It snuck up while the two of you weren’t paying attention. ---
**Author:** ![Damfino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Damfino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damfino)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2012, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-this-cliche-how-you-know-a-character-is-doomed/615411/85 "2012-03-14T21:11:54Z")
> [@Stanislaus](#): > > I caught a bit of Top Gun last night. Specificallly, the bit where our troubled but brilliant hero Maverick says to Goose: > > “You’re the only family I have, man.” > > Seriously, why not just stab the guy right then and have done with it? I can’t remember if this occurred before Meg Ryan appeared on the scene, but that made it pretty clear that his goose was cooked. Like passing round the sweetheart’s photograph. ---
**Author:** ![kirk1168](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@kirk1168](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kirk1168)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-this-cliche-how-you-know-a-character-is-doomed/615411/86 "2012-03-15T10:35:56Z")
I’ll admit to seeing _Red Tails_. When our hero proposes to the Italian girl, and she accepts, my _nine-year-old son_ looked up at me and said, “He’s done.” It was that obvious. ---
**Author:** ![Philliam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/philliam/32/3011_2.png) [@Philliam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philliam)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-this-cliche-how-you-know-a-character-is-doomed/615411/87 "2012-03-15T16:15:54Z")
> [@Stanislaus](#): > > I caught a bit of Top Gun last night. Specificallly, the bit where our troubled but brilliant hero Maverick says to Goose: > > “You’re the only family I have, man.” > > Seriously, why not just stab the guy right then and have done with it? That would work for me - (Dons well-worn “Tom Cruise Makes Me All Stabby” T-shirt). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-this-cliche-how-you-know-a-character-is-doomed/615411.md?page=4)