Plot twist

A plot twist is a change ("twist") in the direction or expected outcome of the plot of a film, television series, video game, novel, comic or other fictional work. It is a common practice in narration used to keep the interest of an audience, usually surprising them with a revelation. Some "twists" are foreshadowed and can thus be predicted by many viewers, whereas others are a complete shock.

When a plot twist happens near the end of a story, especially if it changes one's view of the preceding events, it is known as a twist ending.

Revealing the existence of a plot twist often spoils a movie, since the majority of the movie generally builds up to the plot twist.

A device used to undermine the expectations of the audience is the false protagonist. It involves presenting a character at the start of the film as the main character, but then disposing of this character, usually killing them. It is a red herring.

Examples of Plot Twists

In the popular Halo series, the whole story revolves around plot twists. The first game starts off when the ship (Pillar of Autumn) and her crew find a mysterious ring world. At first, their only objective is to survive on the ring world and defend themselves against alien enemies called The Covenant. However, it is revealed that The Covenant are looking for a 'control room', which is said to unlock mysterious powers inside the ring world. Much later, it is also revealed that the ring world is a weapon, made to destroy all life in the galaxy (both humans and aliens). A mysterious Flood race survives by eating all sentient lifeforms. The ring world starves them to death by killing all possible prey they can devour. The only way to save life in the galaxy is to destroy the ring world (even though it allows the Flood to survive).

In The Lord of the Rings book series, the story start off with Frodo Baggins, who inheirates a mysterious ring from his uncle. However, he learns that the rings is the property of a dark lord who needs it to regain all of his lost power. Frodo sets off on a quest to destroy the ring, accompanied by eight friends who help him in his quest. (The ring can only be destroyed with lava from Mount Doom.) Near the end of the first book, Frodo believes he must destroy the ring alone, so leaves his friends to continue by himself. The three remaining characters (Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli) agree to continue south on their own. Even though the dark lord doesn't have his ring, he is still planning a war, which the characters must fight.

In the seven books of the Harry Potter series, the books have twisting plots. In the first three books, Harry Potter, believes the dark lord, Voldemort, is planning to return and conquor the world. Before the start of the series, Lord Voldemort was supposedly killed and nobody heard from him for years. Harry manages to keep the dark lord from returning, but in the fourth book, Voldemort rises up to his former glory. In the last three books in the series, Harry makes plans to stop Voldemort once and for all.

In the Indiana Jones film series, plot twists are made around the archeological expeditions and relics Dr. Jones uncovers. In Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jones believes he's discovered the location of the Ark of the Covenant. However, the Nazis have found the location too, so Jones tries his best to find the ark first. He finds the ark, but the Nazis discover him and steal it away from him. Jones manages to find the same Nazis a little while later, and must make plans to steal the ark back.

One of the biggest plot twists in history occured in the Star Wars series. In the films, Luke Skywalker discovers that he possesses Jedi powers. He chooses to join a rebel group so he can save the corrupt galaxy from the evil empire. He believes he must eventually fight and kill the story's antagonist, Darth Vader. However, in the second film, Luke drastically learns that Darth Vader is his father, and that Princess Leia is his sister. Following these revelations, Luke becomes conflicted with fighting Darth Vader and must decide whether to join his father's side or save the galaxy.

Another plot twist can be found in the Season three finale of the television Series Lost. Before that finale, the TV series would tell it's plot line in a form of present events that take place on the island, where all the characters were stranded, and in the form of flashback sequences which reveal information about certain characters pasts before they were on the island. It was revealed at the end of the Season three finale that the flashback sequences of that episode were in fact not flashback sequences, but rather a flash forward into the future. Because audiences had gotten so used to Lost's form of storytelling, this plot twist was unexpected and unidentifiable until the very last scene when it was revealed that certain characters had finally gotten off the island.