Basic Trope: Villain wants to recruit one of the good guys and school them on villainy.
- Straight: Evil Sorcerer Bob wants Child Mage Alice to join his side and become his evil apprentice.
- Exaggerated: Bob tries to recruit every mage he comes across as his student.
- Downplayed: Bob offers Alice a few tips on using her staff.
- Justified:
- Bob sees Alice as a Mirror Character to himself and wants to offer her guidance he was denied.
- Bob and Alice are last users of the ancient school of magic Bob is trying to preserve.
- Alice is Bob’s long lost daughter.
- Alice is still young and impressionable, and Bob wants to get her on his side before she has a chance to oppose him.
- Alice's skills are incredibly useful to him.
- Inverted:
- Good wizard Bob asks wicked witch Alice to abandon her evil ways and become his student.
- Alice asks Bob to teach her.
- Alice is the one who changes Bob, not the other way around. Under her influence Bob finally becomes a better person.
- Subverted: Bob’s real plan is to lure Alice to his castle and steal her powers.
- Double Subverted: Bob grows fond of Alice and decides to genuinely become her mentor.
- Parodied: During their fights Bob annoys Alice by acting like a demanding teacher, constantly criticizing her spellwork and how she holds her staff.
- Zig Zagged: Bob alters between offering Alice apprenticeship and trying to kill her.
- Averted: Bob doesn’t even consider recruiting Alice as his student.
- Enforced: “We need a reason for Bob to not simply kill Alice when they meet.”
- Lampshaded: “First you try to murder my friends and now you ask me to become your student. Make up your mind, Bob.”
- Invoked: ???
- Exploited: Alice joins Bob and brings his evil organization down from within.
- Defied: Bob considers making Alice his apprentice for a moment and then decide against it.
- Discussed : “It’s time for me to find a student. Maybe Alice The Good. It’s always fun to corrupt innocent minds.”
- Conversed: “Alice and Bob are only two mages in the movie. I bet Bob will try to recruit Alice to be his apprentice and future successor.”
- Deconstructed:
- Since only Bob can help Alice control her powers, she is forced to accept his offer to avoid accidentally hurting her friends. Under his wing Alice becomes as cruel and uncaring as her mentor.
- Bob might pretend to have lofty ideals, but he only sees Alice as a tool and has no problem abusing her, controlling her, or straight up killing her to get what he wants.
- Reconstructed:
- Alice meets Maria, who shows her she doesn't have to be evil like Bob to control her powers.
- Instead of Bob corrupting Alice, he winds up endearing himself to her instead to the point of her positive values rubbing off on him, ultimately resulting in a Heel–Face Turn.
- Played For Drama: Not only is Bob interested in training her, he's also interested in her romantically, or even sexually.
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