#plot armor

[kingoftheu]

The thing about Andor is sometimes I'll get annoyed when he survives by chance again and I'll be like "oh c'mon now" but then I'll remember he's got plot armor in the same way a lobster in a restaurant tank doesn't have predators. He's unbalancing the scales, and he will pay the piper sooner rather than later.

[spite-and-waffles]

(alt included)

Link to Video. (Please help Panda make money.)

Video description and transcript under the cut.

Description: TikTok video by The Panda Redd. Re-enactment of final scene of Under the Hood. All roles played by Panda (a tall, well-built young white man with a mohawk, wearing a grey hoodie). Setting is a dark basement lit only by a hanging light bulb.

Transcript.

Jason: (holding gun on Bruce) "Bruce, I forgive you for not saving me."

Batman: (glares silently)

Jason: "But why? Why on God's Earth—" (hits Joker across the face)

Joker (tied to a chair): *cackles*

Jason: "—is HE still alive??"

Joker: "AHAHAHAHAHHAHA!"

Batman:

Batman: "I'm sorry, d'you want me to be serious here or—?"

Jason: (in disbelief) "YES, Bruce! I want you to be serious right now! If he had done what he did to me to you, I would've done nothing but search the earth for this pile of death-worshipping garbage!"

Joker: "I love you too, Sugar Plum."

Batman: (holds hands up) "Okay, yeah, I get that, totally, I get that. Um. Have you tried?"

Jason: "Excuse you?"

Batman: "Have you tried to kill him yet?"

Jason: (to Joker) "Is he being serious?"

Joker: (also confused) "I'm gonna be honest with you, Junior. I don't know."

Jason: "Got it. Great." (turns back to Batman) "What the fuck does THAT mean?"

Batman: "Okay, so no, you haven't. Cool. Do it."

Jason:

Jason: (lowers gun) "What."

Batman: "Do it, cap his ass. Shoot him."

Joker: (finally rattled) "I'm gonna go with Junior here, and say...what??"

Jason: "You want me to shoot him?"

Batman: "I want someone to shoot him! Give me the gun, I'll do it!"

Jason: (mutters, brain blue screening) "What is going on right now? This should a lot harder than it is."

Batman: "C'mon, son! You decapitated like eleven people three days ago! Fuckin' do it!"

Joker: (turns to Jason quizzically) "This has gotta be some sort of test, ri—"

(BANG! Jason fires. Joker lands on the floor lifeless, eyes still open.)

Jason: "There, you happy? Jesus. Was that so hard? All of this time and it was THAT easy!"

Jason: "What the fuck is that supposed to—" (looks down at floor where the Joker was lying)

Batman: "I don't know what you're talking about 'easy'. There's nothing there." (nods at floor)

Floor: (is devoid of Joker)

Jason: (stares)

Floor: (continues to be sans anything but carpet)

Jason: "What the fuck?"

Batman: "Yeah."

Jason: "WHAT THE FUCK?"

Batman: "Take as long as you need with this."

Jason: (looking around frantically) "I just shot him! He hit the floor! What the f—" (turns back to the floor)

Floor: (is just vibin')

Jason: "Where the fuck did he go??"

Batman: "See that shit? That shit right there happens every fucking time!"

Jason: "There's not even a blood stain! It's just gone!"

Batman: "Yeah, like two days after you died, I chased him into a helicopter where he got shot like six times. The helicopter exploded and crashed into the ocean. And his body was gone before Superman could find it."

Jason: "Oh my God. I don't understand how this is even fucking possible!"

Batman: "He's like a cryptid! I don't fucking get it!"

Joker: (disembodied laughter) "AHAHAHAHA HAHAHA!"

Jason: (freaked out, turning in circles trying to find him) "Oh my God!"

Batman: "THAT OMINOUS SHIT HAPPENS TOO! I DON'T KNOW, DUDE!"

Jason: "Dude. Fuck whatever's going on here, that's some fucking bullshit."

Batman: "Thank you! Finally someone gets it!"

[thebubblesareevil]

The Fentons plot armor comes from their friendship with Mr Mxyzptlk.

Not Danny, but specifically the Fenton parents.

Mr mxy decided to cause some chaos to get Superman’s attention, but the people he was messing with jumped right into the chaos without hesitation

They treated it like a giant party, to the point where Mr mxy started actively having fun without superman

They don’t even try to get him to leave, in fact they invite him over for tea and fudge

Now they have plot armor and mr and Ms mxy come by once a week for fudge and chaos.

(He adores the baby eldrich horror his friends are raising, he really is a scamp)

[novlr]

Three tricks to avoid plot armour

Plot armour can be difficult to avoid. We get so attached to our characters that hurting them in any way feels like a betrayal.

But plot armour is detrimental to any good narrative. Having your characters avoid harm, whether that be emotional or physical, means that there aren't any stakes. And without stakes, it's difficult for readers to invest.

There are three simple things you can use to avoid plot armour:

🔵 Injury 🔵 Sacrifice 🔵 Consequence

In every conflict, make sure the resolution contains at least one of these things.

If you don't want to injure your characters, make sure that they sacrifice something, whether that be someone, or an object. If they don't sacrifice anything, make sure there is a consequence. That consequence can be a loss, an emotional wound, or simply a blow to their reputation. The important thing is that your character doesn't remain unscathed by their experience, and they walk out somehow changed.

[bizzxis]

Kuras appreciation post because he doesn’t get enough credit for all the crap he puts up with.

Tilt screen for better quality and zoom

Bonus: Vere’s damage from earlier in the day

Credit to this fanfic by @softagenda for inspiring the last bit!

[pod-the-panda]

AU where Chase meets Prowl and decides to try and make him a better cop/person. But because he is Chase, his research was on training cats, so now he sprays Prowl with water every time he does something wrong.

In response to this, Prowl tries to either a) get revenge or B) run away in increasingly fucked up ways, but can't becuase Chase has that Rescue Bots plot armor and pulls some out Griffin Rock BS out his ass which stops Prowl’s plans

Prowls losing it, Chase thinks they are best freinds.

Prowl eventually starts like the fact that Chase isn't abandoning him even after he does something horrendous.

[really-epic]

Sweet Revenge

Paring(s): Ambessa x afab! Reader

Warnings: Blood, ooc Ambessa?, rude ambessa, war? Idk

--

The air was heavy with the stench of blood and smoke, thick enough to choke. Screams echoed through the chaos, desperate and sharp, cutting through the clash of steel. You didn’t need to look to know what it meant. Ambessa Medarda had come.

You always knew this day would come. The fragile peace between your city and her empire was just an illusion—a ceasefire at best. Your people spoke of your "victory" as a miracle, a symbol of hope. But deep down, you knew the truth. Ambessa didn’t lose. She regrouped.

And now she was back to finish what she’d started.

She stood in the wreckage of your home now, a living storm. Her frame was imposing, her presence suffocating. You were sprawled beneath her, battered, bleeding, the cold stone biting into your skin. Her hand was around your throat—not tight enough to kill, but enough to remind you that she could.

Her eyes bore into you, dark and unrelenting, anger flickering like flames behind them. But there was something else, too—something sharper, hungrier. Something that made your stomach twist.

“You’re pathetic,” she said, her voice low and smooth, cutting through the air like a blade. “Lying there, bleeding like a lamb awaiting slaughter. Where’s the fire you showed on the battlefield? Where’s the defiance?”

You coughed, blood dripping from the corner of your mouth. Every muscle in your body screamed, but you forced yourself to look at her, your gaze steady despite the pain.

“Still here,” you rasped, your voice ragged but sharp. “Just taking a moment…to enjoy the irony. The great Ambessa Medarda, crawling back like a scorned lover.

Her lips twisted into a snarl, her grip tightening just enough to make your breath catch. “Watch your tongue,” she growled. “Or I’ll rip it out.”

“Do it,” you shot back, defiance flickering in your eyes. “It won’t make Mel hate you any less.”

Her reaction was immediate. Her jaw clenched, eyes widening slightly, her shoulders stiffened, and for a moment, her anger wavered, giving way to something raw.

“You don’t get to speak her name,” she hissed, her voice dangerously quiet. “Not after everything.”

You laughed weakly, the sound wet and bitter. “After everything? She came to me, Ambessa. After you shipped her off to Piltover.”

Her eyes darkened, the fury in them flashing brighter, but her hand trembled slightly. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to tell you that your words had landed.

“She’s better than you,” you pressed on, each word costing you more strength than you had to spare. “She has a heart. Compassion. She’d be horrified by this.. by you.”

Her grip faltered, just for a moment. Her expression hardened, but there was something behind it now—something she didn’t want to acknowledge.

“Humanity is a weakness,” she said finally, her tone cold and flat.

“Then I’ll take weakness over being empty,” you whispered, your voice fading.

Her laugh was sharp and humorless, but it lacked the usual bite. She stared down at you, her chest rising and falling, her expression caught between fury and something else—something closer to regret.

“Damn you,” she muttered under her breath, almost too quiet to hear.

With a sharp growl, she stood, releasing you. Her soldiers stood at the edges of the room, waiting, their eyes darting between their warlord and your crumpled form.

“Take them,” she barked at one of the soldiers, “Alive.”

You barely registered the rough hands binding you, barely felt the searing pain as they dragged you away. The world was slipping into darkness, your vision blurring at the edges.

But even as the cold crept in, one thought burned in your mind: she hadn’t killed you.

And as long as you were alive, you still had a chance.

--

I hope i cooked

Me realizing idk how to write enemies to lovers

[ryminsteddiesashanne]

People talk a lot about characters who have plot armor, but Saiki Kusuo IS plot armor

He has actively saved people from danger

And he has literally saved the world

He absolutely refuses to let his show have a heavy overarching plot and I respect that

This is now a The Disastrous Life of Saiki K appreciation post

[tvlipsandbread]

Plot armour seems silly until you actually start to write. Yes, that poison did enter their bloodstream and cut off communication between the brain and the nerves in a few seconds, it helps the plot thicken, they didn't die though. Yes I'm aware that the bullet ruptured the heart, but they survived...because I said so.

[spop-romanticizes-abuse]

“catra only won her fights with adora because she was willing to play dirty!”

that’s true enough but that’s not the only reason.

there’s no explanation as to how catra gets slammed against a rock by adora and it doesn’t break her ribcage or give her a concussion, but adora gets scratched a few times and she’s already weak and out of breath.

there’s no explanation as to how she-ra is supposed to be this invincible hero but is easily injured and exhausted, while catra can keep fighting with no issues when she’s a catgirl with no magical powers and doesn’t even wear an armor.

and it’s crazy because GLIMMER, the “weak princess” who had to recharge her powers every so often, won against catra a lot more than she-ra the “chosen one and savior of etheria” did. glimmer was allowed to go toe to toe with catra, while adora was continuously shown to be weaker and slower than her.

[mtg-cards-hourly]

Plot Armor

"If you've got words, we're going to have words."

Artist: Gaboleps TCG Player Link Scryfall Link EDHREC Link

[sugaraddictt]

in case yall dont know, ptj is getting absolutely cooked by the korean fans rn that he had to write an apology paragraph 😭🙏🏼🙏🏼 deserved.

It doesn’t make sense that ui daniel (which has been effortlessly soloing some of the strongest characters such as goo and jinyoung park) loses against A FUCKING CORPSE 💀 gun is literally ROTTING.

zip his pants and wipe your mouth when youre done ptj!

[headfulloffantasies]

Fall Guy is a really good lesson in writing stakes. With a lot of action movies it’s hard for the audience to feel like the main characters are in any real danger. Bond can’t die, they’re making another movie. Bourne is the best spy there is, he’ll be fine. But with Fall Guy the opening scene establishes Colt as a vulnerable human who can and does get hurt. And they reinforce that through his speeches and in his body language. He’s exhausted. He’s sore. He hurts. And we as an audience already saw him get horrifically injured in the first scene- so of course it could happen again. I genuinely worried for Colt throughout most of the fight scenes. I just think it’s a great reminder to writers that your MCs plot armor shouldn’t be so thick that the stakes become boring.

[vexwerewolf]

Looking back, I really like how Borderlands 2 handled the problem of "how do we make sure players don't sequence break and kill the final boss early" by just putting him on the fucking moon.

Borderlands 3 never made me feel like the Calypso Twins were in any way inaccessible. It never made me feel like I shouldn't just be fighting them now other than that The Game Wasn't Letting Me Do That Yet. I have a spaceship, for crying out loud! I can go anywhere! Let me go and shoot these two badly-written characters.

The most insulting thing about the assault on the Cathedral of the Twins is that you can SEE this giant, wide-open plain beyond the Devil's Razor but the road there is blocked by some turrets or something and you have to do a sidequest

Like bestie I assure you I can drive around them

[daenysthedreamer101]

TVD - Season 4 Ep 12

"A View to a Kill"

Do I even have to say it? Elena and Jeremy killing Kol was the stupidest, most nonsensical thing I've seen on this show so far and that's saying a lot. There is no way in hell that Kol, an Original, was killed by Jeremy, a 16-year-old human (I know he's a hunter but still), and Elena, a baby vampire who's been a vampire for a couple of months at most. Kol is over a 1000 years old!

How? Like....Ughhhh! He didn't even want to kill Jeremy, just cut his arms off (ok not saying that's good but he said "I'll heal you with my blood" so...). He easily could've killed Elena, but he didn't. When he stabbed her, he stabbed her in the stomach, not the heart.

Also, it just felt OOC for Elena to be so willing to kill someone. Like "Oh yeah let's just kill him and by killing Kol we'll kill thousands of other vampires" ...Wasn't Elena supposed to be this really compassionate person because I don't see her anywhere. 😒😒😒

.....NO! THIS SHOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE! There's no way Elena was able to hold Kol for that long. Also, very convenient for her that she saw that Kol had the white oak stake with him cause his jacket was open (smells like plot convenience to me hmm...). And ofc they put vervain in the water system the day Elena decided to kill Kol...🙄🙄🙄

DAMN IT, I LIKED HIM! I know they bring him and Finn back for TO but that's irrelevant rn. Ever since they introduced him back in s3 they just kept on nerfing tf out of him. He's an Original damn it, he is more powerful than all of them. It shouldn't be possible for Damon to snap his neck and it should definitely not be possible for a human teenager and a baby vampire to kill him!

What tf was the point of making the Originals so powerful when a baby vampire and a human were able to kill one? Like who wrote this nonsense? 💀💀💀

Klaus and the others better take some revenge! Like, there need to be some repercussions for this!!! We saw Bekah cry when Stefan told her but like, that's not enough? I need revenge!

Also, Bonnie is kind of annoying me? Ever since that stupid professor showed her expression or whatever it's called she's been on my nerves idk. Literally, everyone rn on this show is annoying me lol 😭

Why didn't Kol compel Elena to stay put when he stabbed her? Like, don't tell me she was on vervain? There's no way she drank the water or did she? Or he ofc just didn't think of it.

Klaus's reaction to seeing Kol's body on fire and the way Elena flinched when he yelled "He was supposed to suffer on MY TERMS! "...yeah someone pls give my man Joseph an Oscar cause that was acting! Klaus better keep his promise and burn their stupid house down!

Where is Elijah? PLS COME BACK WE NEED YOU SO BAD! 😭😭

RIP MY BABY I'LL MISS YOU! YOU WERE SO CUTE AND SASSY AND CHAOTIC I LOVED YOU! 😟😟💔 (also how do we feel about the bangs lol)

[yzur02]

What if Anakin is everyone's plot armor and is using his god-like, chosen one, powers to subconsciously try keeping everyone he knows safe for the whole Clone Wars?