Fantasy complaint 1564:

If the Big Bad is going to set a riddle for the protagonist in exchange for their life and freedom/true love/kid sister/a bag of gold, well, first of all they shouldn't do that but if they're going to do that can they at least pick a riddle that isn't thematically appropriate? Instead of having the answer be life/freedom/love/family/riches, maybe it can be "because seven eight nine" or "the letter d" or "you don't get down off an elephant, you get down off a duck" or "man" or "there is no answer, off with her head". Oh, those riddles are too easy? Well, yeah, but so is "you're looking to free your true love, here's a list of metaphors for love, what's the word I'm thinking of". The hero will take until the end of the act to figure it out anyway, so the rest of us shouldn't have to think both parties are stupid. At least the protagonist has the excuse of stress. The villain has no such defense.

Of course, if you have the protagonist interrupt the villain halfway through with "Geez, obviously the answer is love, is that the best you can do?" then this is hilarious no matter how many times it's done. Bubble-puncturing sarcasm can't ever be overplayed.

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