Drama usually has a signal for the audience just before a big dramatic Fight Scene. Something that says "Pay Attention! Exciting battle ahead". Can prelude asskicking by either the Hero or by the Villain, although usually it's done for the Hero.
The following Tropes are methods of signaling this:
- Ambiguously Trained: A character is implied to have military training, but it's not clear if they do.
- And This Is for...: A character announces their intent to attack by declaring to the enemy that the imminent attack is intended as retribution on behalf of someone the enemy caused harm.
- Ass-Kicking Pose: Character poses in a way that makes it clear they're ready to fight.
- Attack Pattern Alpha
- Battle Strip: Character takes off some of their clothes before fighting.
- Being Watched
- Beware the Nice Ones: A nice character proves that they can be very violent if they want to be.
- Beware the Quiet Ones: If a person tends to be quiet, there's a good chance that they are dangerous.
- Beware the Silly Ones: A seemingly inept goofball of a villain proves that their silliness does not mean that they are harmless.
- Big Heroic Run: The hero runs very fast to save someone, fight someone, deliver critical information, or other reasons.
- Book Snap: Character snaps a book closed in order to deal with someone who needs to get their ass kicked.
- Bring It
- By the Power of Grayskull!: Character activates their powers by saying a specific word or phrase.
- Chew Bubblegum
- Circling Monologue: Villain walks circles around the hero during negotiations.
- *Click* Hello
- The Coats Are Off: Shit gets real when a character takes off their Badass Longcoat.
- Combat Pragmatist: Character does whatever is necessary to win the fight, even if it means resorting to tactics that can be seen as unsporting.
- Dare to Be Badass
- Dramatic Gun Cock
- Empathic Environment: Weather reflects the mood.
- False Innocence Trick: An incapacitated stranger feigns innocence to trick some poor sap into freeing them.
- Fanning the Knives: Because what says 'Danger' better than flaunting a drawer's worth of knives in hand?
- Fighter-Launching Sequence: Rev up the Cool Plane / starfighter / whatever, there's ass-kicking about to occur.
- Fisticuff-Provoking Comment: The point in a dispute when verbal violence escalates to physical violence.
- The Glasses Come Off
- The Gloves Come Off: Deciding not to hold back one bit when defeating the enemy has become priority number one.
- He's Back!: A character who has fallen into a depression recovers and gets back into the fight.
- I Am Your Opponent
- Imminent Danger Clue
- In the Name of the Moon
- Intimidation Demonstration
- It Has Been an Honor: Character informs their allies that they enjoyed working with them prior to entering a battle they may not survive.
- Kinetic Clicking: The "click" sound effect is often used in moments of action because it evokes dynamic motion.
- Kirk Summation
- Knuckle Cracking
- Launcher Move: An attack that makes the opponent be in mid-air and vulnerable.
- Leave Him to Me!
- Let's Fight Like Gentlemen: Combatants lay down ground rules before fighting.
- Let's Get Dangerous!: When the situation becomes dire enough that a flawed or goofy character gets competent and down-to-work.
- Lock-and-Load Montage: A montage showing the characters equipping and readying their weapons for some action.
- Meditation Powerup
- My Name Is Inigo Montoya: Introducing yourself to the person you're about to fight so they know just who they are messing with.
- "No More Holding Back" Speech
- No-Sell: An attack has no effect whatsoever on the targeted opponent.
- One-Handed Shotgun Pump
- Pitiful Worms: A character insults their opponent by calling them "insect" or something similar, which will often be a signal that they are about to effortlessly beat the crap out of their enemy.
- Pre-Asskicking One-Liner: A character says something badass before beating someone up.
- Punch! Punch! Punch! Uh Oh...: A character tries to beat someone up, only for their blows to do nothing to their opponent. Oh, Crap!
- Red Alert: Alarms, sirens, dramatic lighting, and bridge bunnies manning the battle stations before a fight.
- The Rest Shall Pass: One good guy takes on an opponent alone, telling the rest to keep moving.
- Shut Up, Hannibal!: The villain makes fun of the hero for being idealistic and the hero replies with a rebuttal on why their idealism has merits.
- Shut Up, Kirk!: The hero shames the villain for being bad and the villain responds by saying that he doesn't care.
- A Storm Is Coming: An incoming storm Foreshadows the progress of the plot.
- Theme Music Power-Up: Theme music plays during the hero's awesome moments.
- Throwing Down the Gauntlet
- Tired of Running: It's time to stop running and start kicking ass.
- Trenchcoat Warfare
- *Twang* Hello: An arrow as a signal of another character's presence.
- Vagueness Is Coming
- You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry!
