Character Tropes I Play

Because it comes up enough for me to make a permanent list, my characters are generally described by at least a handful of the following:

- Perceptive, regarding emotions or physical details or both
- Extremely intelligent (whether in a studious way or not)
- Morally questionable (even the heroes)
- Though they're usually inclined to try to do something good for the world (even the villains)
- Puts on a facade, usually a smiling one
- Keeps secrets (though most aren't inclined to outright lie)
- Accordingly, they know more about you than you do about them
- Makes their own path in life, and always has their own agenda
- To go with the above, a general distaste for authority or at least some issue with whoever they work for (unless they are the relevant authority, then the issue is challenges to their power)
- To again go with the above, probably switches sides at least once
- And probably has hidden their identity at some point
- At some point in their canon life has had a goal they were absolutely, completely fixated on (i.e. Destroy all blastia, find the Avatar, make Shinji happy...)
- Family is either nonexistent or problematic
- An outsider or an outcast (frequently literally a different species from everyone else)
- So fundamentally alone
- Thoroughly resilient and incredibly difficult to mentally/emotionally break
- Very willing to take drastic measures if a situation calls for it
- Needs other people around to remind them how to be human
- Will say/do things purely for the reaction
- Has some serious trouble with actually saying the words "I love you," no matter how true it may be
- That said, they usually have an even harder time hearing it
- Very loyal and protective, once they've decided someone is worth it