Basic Trope: The Grim Reaper, feared by all as the chilling inevitable reality of death, turns out to be a nice person.
- Straight: Bob meets Death, expecting Him to be a cloaked, scythe-wielding skeleton. Turns out Death is just that, but also a kind and compassionate individual.
- Exaggerated:
- Bob meets Death, who is dressed in pink robes with a smiley face pattern.
- Death is a little girl with flowers.
- Death has an air about him that can best described as paternal, and sings lullabies.
- Downplayed:
- Death is a Punch-Clock Villain; he isn't friendly, but he doesn't make his job more unpleasant than it has to be.
- Death has all of the personality of a Roomba, it just cleans up after life is gone and him not being around would leave your soul conscious in your corpse for eternity. Hating it would be a pointless misdirection and calling it evil just silly.
- Justified:
- Death doesn't like the press he's been getting lately and decides that a change of appearance and tone is needed.
- Old Grim, being an Anthropomorphic Personification, has an appearance dependent upon what people think he's supposed to look like, and all the Fanart about a sexy, female Death kinda changed how people think he looks.
- Despite Death being a kind and personable fellow, people simply don't like the services he provides, so the media portrays him as evil.
- Death meets everyone. After meeting 100 billion people, it's very hard to not empathize with them.
- Death's role is that of psychopomp, and so he has chosen an image that puts the deceased at ease so that they will follow him to the next world willingly rather than having to be dragged from this mortal coil kicking and screaming.
- Death is a neutral individual and knows that dying can be a welcoming thing for some, so he comes prepared to comfort those who died in a bad way or those for whom it's simply one more event in life.
- Inverted:
- Death is a cruel and heartless being who takes pleasure in taking the lives of countless people, no matter what the circumstances of their death.
- Death is worried his next client is going to be the same frightened lump they all turn out to be. Death is surprised to find that Bob has been waiting patiently for Death and is glad to see him.
- Death is a needlessly belligerent psychopath who screams at the recently deceased to "GET IN THE FUCKING BAG!"
- Everybody Hates Hades
- Enemies with Death
- Subverted: Death shows up in the form of a dapper young gentleman in a suit and top hat... Before pulling a giant scythe out of nowhere and grinning like a madman.
- Double Subverted:
- Death is something of a practical joker, taking Bob out for ice cream as a way of apologizing for the prank.
- ... then twirls the scythe as he breaks into an elaborate song-and-dance routine.
- Parodied:
- The Reaper is a Moe Anthropomorphism of death.
- Bob and Death's first conversation is nonchalant. If it wasn't for Bob's dead body lying on the floor beside them, you'd think this was just some guy Bob was trying to get directions from.
- Death is an attractive young woman whose first action is to hold Bob in her arms. Bob can do nothing but blush as he goes to the afterlife, being taken there by somebody who'd make him faint and drool if he could.
- Zig Zagged:
- Being an Anthropomorphic Personification, Death's appearance changes based on personal expectation and/or karmic balance.
- There are two gods of death; one a kind and compassionate being who tells the funniest jokes on the way to the afterlife and the other a soul-eating, all-destroying Eldritch Abomination whose evil and malice cannot be grasped by mortals. They alternate shifts.
- There are multiple grim reapers, because that title is just a job for beings that are capable of bringing mortals to the afterlife. Expect a different reaper every time one appears and each one's personality and kindness varies.
- Averted:
- Death is neither kind nor cruel. He has a job to do and he does it.
- Death is not given a personification.
- Enforced: "Let's make Death look less threatening. It'll make for good comedy."
- Lampshaded:
- "Were you expecting something else?"
- "You know how you you were always complaining that life was unfair? Well... You want the good news or the bad news first?"
- Invoked: Death appears to Bob as a guy in his 30s, wearing a nice suit and cheery smile. Bob points out several instances of the cloak-and-scythe days, but Death regards them as ancient history.
- Exploited: Death finds it's easier to guide the dead to where they need to go when he looks more like a friend and less like a monster.
- Defied: Death picks out his clothes for the day. He briefly considers a cheerier look, but then disregards it and puts on his familiar black cloak.
- Discussed: "Don't worry: He isn't going to be that scary."
- Conversed: "How do you think Death will appear to the characters in the show?"
- Deconstructed:
- Death appears before Bob. He tries to be nice, but Bob's utter terror depresses Death. He's seen the same look on millions of other faces and this one unending image of Death as fearsome and terrible has lowered Death's self esteem greatly throughout the millenia. He wanders around performing his task while feeling incredibly sad about the whole deal.
- Bob is irate because he feels his untimely demise isn't being taken seriously.
- Given a choice between a kind Death or the cruelty of life, suicide rates skyrocket, leaving Death heartbroken, frustrated, and overworked.
- Reconstructed:
- Believing there to be enough misery and fear in the modern age, Death permanently changes his appearance in order to lessen the gravitas of dying.
- Death just shrugs and tells Bob he needs to let it go and move on. It's time for them to go now.
- Death Takes a Holiday every now and then to rejuvenate. Suicide being impossible for now, the people learn to cope with life and better appreciate Death when he returns.
- Implied: Bob has a near-death experience. When he comes back, he mentions a kind and friendly man in black robes. It is not clear, but it is implied the man was Death.
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