What's the Greatest Plot Twist Possible?

I've always liked clever stories, and they generally come with a shocking plot twist. I'm not looking for actual plot twists from stories, but what is the greatest plot twist possible? There's a lot that are constantly used, eg. MC apparently dies but comes back, bad guy turns out to be MC's father (it's always father), good guy turns out to be bad guy etc. My personal favourite is when a sequence of events turn out to be just a fragment of the MC's imagination and the true events are revealed. Obviously it's all about how it's written, but putting that aside for the minute, what do you think is the best plot twist? Hopefully we can inspire each other with our thoughts

 

Well, one I like the most is when a setting is presented and developed like that for a very long span.
Then the story is suddenly turned 180° degrees, completely changing the already presented setting. However this felt great only when the turn didn't came out of the blue, and in real the writer hid hints and clues that headed to that.

Now regarding your question. I think that many will say the same. But I don't think that there exist a top or number 1 regarding that. All can be great according to how are developed

 

The most shocking plot twist is the completely obvious conclusion you never say coming, because you were so certain the solution was far more devious.

Twists are a stunt, like a bluff in a poker game. Sometimes they are effective, but they are far more likely to blow up in your face like a joke shop cigar.

 

Fridge horror. Look it up on tvtropes.org, and shudder...

 

That website's really interesting, thanks!

 

"The last man on Earth sat alone in a room.
There was a knock at the door."

 

The one where Half-Life 3 is confirmed.

 

Half-Life 2, Episode 3 has to come first...hehe

 

That website is hours of time sucked away, but still fascinating to see what others think about, well, all things media.

 

The main characters reach the end of the world and realize their in a cereal box.

 

Solipsism would be at least unexpected, but I faintly recall there being some TV show, where it turned out the events took place just in the mind of one boy. Does someone remember what it was called? Someone mentioned a funny thing about that: the show had some crossovers with other series which then had crossovers with others. The logical conclusion was that a large number of TV shows take place in some boy's brain. Deus ex machina-type endings are usually totally unexpected and simply stupid but how about one, where it turns out the main character is God?

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Westphall

 

I find that the best plot twists are the ones that have existed throughout the whole books. The best twists are the ones where one word makes all of the difference. The more meanings a story has, the better off it is in my eyes.

Half-Life joke appreciated, by the way.

 

I agree with both Cogito and Asune, but I have to say that my favourite plot twists are those that occur in the very last sentence or paragraph, that make you reconsider all of your previous understanding of the story.

 

My own personal favourites are the ones that take you full-circle, back to where you or the characters began, and you don't see it coming.

 

There's always a bigger fish...

As in, the MC is chasing after one big bad, catches him/her, then find out that he/she was just being controlled by ANOTHER big bad whos bigger and badder! Oh no!!!!!!!!

 

*cough* like having the two main bad guys (father and son) both end up being possessed -and that the MC just killed them when they were actually innocent?

 

I feel like I know where this came from! But yes, exactly!

 

I like twists when they wonder about something and suddenly it starts to make sense

 

My favourite plot twist that I've ever encounter came from a work of fanfiction (actually very well written fanfiction too). Where the two protagonists are attempting to stop an evil dual force based on a prophecy the lead girl had heard and in the end, they end up being this "evil" force after the real evil doer manipulates them. I didn't see the twist coming and it brought the entire story full circle for me. My mind was blown away

 

One that people won't see coming.

 

I've always wondered what it would be like to read a book with a character-centric plot that takes you through an incredible roller coaster of emotions, only to have the last sentence describe the entire universe literally become absolutely nothing. A void. Finito. Termina. End of everything.

But yes, really wicked twists are delicious. For example, Donnie Darko.

 

The greatest type of plot twist is when it becomes inevitable that the protagonist (or major supporting character) is going to sacrifice himself/herself. I think it takes a very good writer to pull this off...so don't try this at home folks! Without expert supervision you might get burned

I know you said you didn't want examples but there is one that demonstrates this idea very well: The Crucible by Arthur Miller.

 

As stated earlier, the best twist is one that totally blindsides the reader. I'm good at giving a reader pieces of the puzzle as to what it is, but a bit jumbled, which challenges them to try to put it together. Can't say I came up with this idea. I got it from Stephen Moffatt and how he writes.

 

Agreed, it may not necessarily be a particular thing, but just something that is easily visible in hindsight by looking at clues, but which still completely takes the reader by surprise. Like a movie I once saw "Memento Mori", if anyone's seen it? =]