| abstract | - Say you're watching that new thriller that everyone's been talking about. You've heard nothing but praise for its uncompromising brutality, Emotional Torque, and ability to mess with the audience, but so far nothing you've seen gives even a remote indication of why-- Whoa. That's why. You've just been hit with the Gut Punch: the single moment when a work makes it abundantly clear that the gloves are off. This is where you figure out that playtime is over: Plot Armor has been switched off, the hero won't be getting up from that No-Holds-Barred Beatdown anytime soon, Anyone Can Die, and the bad guy winning has become a very real possibility. Maybe It Got Worse, maybe it was always that bad and just forgot to tell the audience. Either way, this is a clear indication that the creator has decided to get dangerous and that those who haven't prepared will not be pleased. This can be a somewhat subjective trope, but the general idea is that a single moment instantly and clearly establishes that the tone of the work as a whole is fundamentally darker than what the audience has been led to expect. If there's a particularly dark moment in a show that then reverts to being somewhat lighter, it's not this trope. Sub Trope of It Got Worse, Cerebus Syndrome, Darker and Edgier, and Mood Whiplash. Super Trope to Sacrificial Lion, Wham! Line, Kill the Cutie, Decoy Protagonist, and Wake Up Call Boss. The Knight of Cerebus, Tragic Monster, and the Hero-Killer are three characters extremely likely to cause this. Sometimes related to Player Punch. Spoilers ahoy! Examples of Gut Punch include:
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