Originally Posted by
Tzigone
Don't think this has been mentioned but "secret reveal about the past" - often a previously unknown child or sibling. An innocuous or coincidental event that turns out to have actually been designed. Usually a way to make a new character automatically important by having a prior connection to the hero, instead of just actually building up the importance of the character bit by bit. It's often a shortcut to me, and annoying (especially when it's a retcon that conflicts, rather than adds to, previous events). And I really would like to see more stories moving forward from the here and now, rather than rewriting the past or bringing in alternate or future versions of characters.