10 Overused Sci-Fi TV Tropes (& Which Shows Did Them Best) (2024)

Some of the best sci-fi TV shows of all time tend to rely heavily on their genre's tropes, but some shows use them better than others. For each trope, there is a show that perfectly understands its nuances and how it can be integrated into stories. To be effective, the use of a trope needs to avoid coming across as contrived or predictable. It takes great skill from a show's creative team to take a commonly used theme within a genre and execute it in such a way that makes it seem fresh.

Certain hallmarks of science-fiction make the genre what it is. As a result, they need to be included so that the stories can appeal to fans of the category. However, a TV show can often stick out from the crowd when it prioritizes one of the overused sci-fi tropes above all others. The show can then become well known as the master of that particular facet of science-fiction. When a show champions one trope above all others, it doesn't mean other sci-fi trademarks don't make an appearance; it just means the show wants to explore the potential of one specific area.

10 Time Travel

What show did it best: Doctor Who

Time travel stories can be notoriously difficult to write, with plot holes arising from even the slightest of errors. Given the length of Doctor Who's run, it's surprising how few mistakes are made in this regard. The Doctor and their TARDIS have set a shining example for decades now of how time travel should be executed. Characters in time travel stories can often be restricted by a relatively short timeline, acting with utmost care to avoid impacting the future.

In Doctor Who, the Doctor rarely has such concerns. The Doctor is so integrated into millennia of timelines across the entire universe that their presence is actually the cause of many key moments in time - good and bad. The Doctor's TARDIS having the ability to travel through space as well as time is what sets it apart from so many other vehicles in science-fiction. As a result, the TARDIS opens up the possibilities of endless adventures rather than endlessly worrying about disturbing events that are yet to come.

9 Cloning

What show did it best: Foundation

Inspired by books by Isaac Asimov, Foundation is one of many TV franchises to feature clones. However, Foundation does so in the most creative way. Cleon I, former leader of the Galactic Empire, decides that all of his successors will be perfect clones of himself. Carrying the same name, the ensuing Cleons continue to rule the galaxy, with three active clones on the throne at any one time. With the presence of lengthy jumps in time in Foundation, the Clone Emperors are one of the few constants in the show.

With three Cleons decanted at any one time, the character is in the rare position of always being portrayed by a trio of actors. The clones, while still holding the name of Cleon, are also known within the Empire as Brother Dawn, Brother Day, and Brother Dusk. Their title changes as they move through life, meaning the three actors have the chance to play different iterations of Cleon without the need for a casting change. From both a storytelling and production point of view, Foundation's use of the cloning trope is incredibly innovative.

8 Memory Manipulation

What show did it best: Severance

The manipulation of a character's memories in sci-fi often involves altering their recollections or wiping them completely. Severance has taken this trope and developed the idea in a very original way. No memories in the show are removed or altered, but rather, the same mind is given the ability to store two completely separate personas. The characters in the show undergo a procedure that means they do not retain their memories while they are working.

Inversely, their memories from outside the office are not accessible to the other versions of themselves. As a result, the "Innies" and "Outies" become two completely separate beings, with the Innies' only memories being that of their time in the office. While the Outies could be argued to be the characters' "true" selves, the Innies also become people in their own right. As a result, the ethical debates that arise from Severance's use of memory manipulation are layered and very compelling.

7 The Multiverse

What show did it best: What If...?

The Disney+ animated show may seem like an anthology series untethered from the main MCU, but it's just as canon as the other installments. The What If...? episodes show familiar superheroes in new contexts, exploring what would have happened if certain events had happened differently. The short stories reimagine the MCU as it's known, but each one is an extended look into the lives of those across the MCU multiverse.

It can be easy to consider What If...? as nothing but a series of thought experiments, but the events unfolding in every episode are actually happening throughout the MCU multiverse. A multiverse story in science-fiction can often follow a main character. However, What If...? isn't tied down by those restrictions, and has an endless number of universes to explore, with the ability to endlessly continue regardless of how many characters perish.

6 Aliens

What show did it best: Farscape

Aliens are a must-have in many sci-fi TV shows, so it can become challenging to make an impact in such a saturated area. Farscape manages to capture the imaginations of many with its portrayal of alien lifeforms. As well as impressive prosthetics for some of its alien characters, the Jim Henson production makes full use of its legacy with a wide array of puppets and animatronics to bring its expansive world to life.

Many shows portray aliens as near-human, as they tend to need a human actor to step into the role. Although Farscape does employ this technique for many of its characters, the use of realistic-looking puppets allows life to exist within the show that is nowhere near human. For certain members of the Farscape cast, prosthetics are applied to complete an actor's transformation. The Farscape show made great use of puppetry when it wanted to use characters who were considerably more alien, like Pilot or Rygel, and their interaction with real actors gave Farscape a unique feel.

5 A Setting In The Distant Future

What show did it best: The Expanse

Shows set centuries into the future can often involve a utopian society with incredibly advanced technology. While this can open the show up to a myriad of story opportunities, it can limit how grounded the narrative is capable of being. The Expanse may be set in the distant future, but that doesn't mean it falls into the realm of utopian science-fiction. The Expanse takes place in a version of the future that draws its inspiration from realistic predictions of how humanity could progress from our current standing.

As a result, The Expanse lacks light-speed travel, laser weapons, and various other sci-fi tropes. The show almost sheds the label of science-fiction altogether, but the decision to keep The Expanse more grounded than other shows in its genre is what sets it apart. Taking place in a future where all humanity has to lean on is its own ingenuity raises the stakes and every victory and loss experienced by the characters feels more authentic as a result.

4 Artificial Lifeforms

What show did it best: Star Trek: The Next Generation

Artificial Intelligence is a plot device used across the Star Trek franchise, but The Next Generation uses it most effectively. The Next Generation is at its best when it shows its artificial characters achieving sentience. This is often displayed in Brent Spiner's character, Lt. Commander Data. As an android, Data aspires to become more like his human crewmates, and his journey spans all seven seasons of the show, as well as its sequel movies.

Data also unintentionally imparts this desire to a holographic version of the Sherlock Holmes villain, Professor James Moriarty in season 6, episode 12, "Ship in a Bottle." Holograms are commonly shown to operate only within the confines of their programming in Star Trek, and so the incident with the false Moriarty broadens the crew's understanding of what it means for a life form to achieve sentience, artificial or otherwise.

3 Techno-Babble

What show did it best: Rick And Morty

Made-up words and speculative terminology are a big part of what makes up the sci-fi genre. Characters drowning their audience with unfamiliar vocabulary is what helps move a show beyond the realms of reality. Even if existing scientific terms are used in the script, they're often rearranged and presented out of context so that it's just beyond comprehension. Rick and Morty does techno-babble better than any show.

Although it's done with a comic twist, Rick Sanchez churns out absolute nonsense with a level of confidence that makes it difficult to remember it's been penned in advance by the show's writers. Despite many of the show's lines being improvised by the actors, any particularly unusual-sounding words can often be explained away as being alien in origin or just not capable of being understood by human minds. The trademark silliness of much of Rick and Morty is part of what allows the show to be so effective a techno-babble.

2 Advanced Weaponry

What show did it best: Star Wars: The Clone Wars

The Star Wars franchise has long been home to some very famous and impressive weaponry that doesn't exist in reality. The Clone Wars is the first time those weapons are put on display in such an extended manner. As well as witnessing the Clones' blaster rifles in action in countless battles throughout the show, various Jedi draw their lightsabers to fight alongside their troops on many occasions. Lightsabers are one of the most well-known sci-fi weapons, and witnessing them being used to win the day in a great deal of The Clone Wars is a welcome addition to the storied franchise.

1 Transfer Of Consciousness

What show did it best: Altered Carbon

Moving the essence of one's self into another body is not an original concept, but it's one that Altered Carbon builds its entire world around. In the world of the show, the development of "resleeving" causes many social and political issues, including a new form of caste system where only the super-rich are afforded the chance to achieve immortality. The story also features a main character whose face is not his own, raising questions about how important someone's mind is when compared to their physical form.

Altered Carbon explores this trope of consciousness very thoroughly, delving into unexpected issues that arise from undergoing the process too frequently or even at all. In sci-fi at large, a consciousness transfer is often hailed as one of the ultimate achievements, one that will raise humanity to the level of demigods. Altered Carbon fervently disagrees with this viewpoint, showing the risks and downfalls that can manifest as a result of such technology.