- P.S. No, this index still isn't important yet...
Tropes about Foreshadowing.
Also see:
- Androcles' Lion: Chekhov's Good Deed- a character saves someone who is thought to be unimportant but later saves them in turn.
- Ashes to Crashes: Funeral ashes are present then spilled later.
- Brick Joke: A joke is told, then told again or referenced a long time later, and inattentive readers/viewers may think the two are unrelated.
- Chekhov's Boomerang: An item gets used, then turns out to be useful again a lot later.
- Chekhov's Gag: Chekhov's Gun is referenced as a joke in its first appearance, often as a Running Gag.
- Bugs Herald Evil: Lurking or unexpected insects/spiders herald a greater threat.
- Chekhov's Gun: An insignificant item turns out to be important later. A Super-Trope.
- Chekhov's Armoury: There are numerous Chekhov's Guns in a story. You could stock an entire armory with just Chekhov's guns in these works.
- Chekhov's Army: Chekhov's Armory but for Chekhov's Gunmen.
- Chekhov's Classroom: A character uses information or skills they were studying earlier in the work/episode.
- Chekhov's Exhibit: Some fancy object is mentioned to be sitting in a museum, heavily guarded. Too bad someone stole it later in the work.
- Chekhov's Hobby: A character mentions having a hobby and later a hobby-relevant skill saves the day.
- Chekhov's Gunman: A seemingly unimportant character turns out to be important later.
- Chekhov M.I.A.: Mentioned missing people turn up mysteriously later.
- Chekhov's News: The protagonist checks the news. The events in that news report turn out to be important later.
- Chekhov's Party: Obviously, something important must happen at every mentioned party.
- Chekhov's Skill: A character gets training in a skill that ends up saving the day much later.
- Chekhov's Time Travel: If time travel is ever mentioned to be possible, it obviously has to happen. Or is it had to have happened? Will have had to happen? Had to will have happened? Dang Timey-Wimey Ball.
- Chekhov's Volcano: A volcano is mentioned. It erupts later in the story.
- The Legend of Chekhov: The heroes hear a myth or legend. It turns out to be true, and relevant to the present.
- Crisis Makes Perfect: The hero demonstrates a skill and fails utterly. Later, they need to try again to save the day.
- Deadly Deferred Conversation: A conversation is deferred until two characters next meet after parting. Predictably, at least one dies or is prevented from seeing the other ever again before the conversation happens.
- Final Dungeon Preview: A location visited early in the game is also the final area of the game.
- Foreboding Fleeing Flock: Animals flee before a disaster occurs, much to the confusion or dread of humans.
- Foreshadowing
- Foreseeing My Death: A character foresees how they will die.
- Futureshadowing: The viewers see the consequences of actions before they happen, thanks to the Timey-Wimey Ball or not being presented in chronological order.
- Glass Slipper: A character has a conspicuously unique possession that is later left behind when its owner disappears.
- Harsher in Hindsight: Later Real Life — rather in-universe — events reframes something.
- Heel–Face Return: A villain leaves the scene and performs a Heel–Face Turn offscreen.
- Hidden First Act Parallel: Something at the beginning of the story parallels events later onward.
- Hilarious in Flashback: A flashback occurs, mentioning something that is only funny thanks to things in the present.
- Inevitably Broken Rule: A rule is introduced. It is later broken.
- If We Get Through This…: Someone is optimistic about the outcomes of an event. Everything promptly goes to hell.
- Infallible Babble: Information that seems random turns out to be relevant.
- It May Help You on Your Quest: A character is given or picks up an item that seems useless but turns out to be useful later on.
- The Law of Conservation of Detail: Every detail given is important.
- Conspicuously Light Patch: Only anything detailed in the background is relevant- less detailed things are just set dressing.
- Ninja Prop: Something that would normally be a prop or meta element is interacted with as if it wasn't.
- Orphan's Plot Trinket: An orphan inherits an item from their parents that turns out to have a plot purpose other than being sentimental.
- Plot Point: A plot point is any event, appearance of characters or objects, or any kind of piece of information which is integral to driving the plot towards its conclusion.
- Reunion Vow: A character promises another that they will meet again, even though it's definitely not possible with what one is about to go into.
- Someday This Will Come in Handy: A character's "useless trivia" saves the day.
- A Storm Is Coming: Dramatic weather used as foreshadowing.
- Trope Telegraphing: A specific usage of Chekhov's Gun is common enough that viewers already know what's going to happen.
- Vagueness Is Coming: Something is coming. We don't know what, only that it's bad.
- You Will Know What to Do: The hero is given a plot-important item and told "you'll know what to do" and nothing else.
Scale
- Foreshadowing: The default scale version — setting up something as innocuous early on only to reveal its significance later in the story.
- Rewatch Bonus: The Downplayed Trope version — details small enough that the reveal won't bring the earlier part to mind, but which you might notice upon rewatch.
- The Ending Changes Everything: The Exaggerated Trope version — a Twist Ending that reframes the entire preceding story.
- Now it is.
