One good twist could be a character who seems to be the hero turns out to be the villain all along. For example, in a mystery short story, the detective who is leading the investigation is actually the mastermind behind the crime. He has been manipulating the evidence and leading everyone astray.
A sudden revelation about a character's identity can be a great twist. Like in a story where a person has been living as a normal citizen but is actually a long - lost heir to a great fortune or a powerful family. This not only changes the character's perspective but also the entire plot direction. It could lead to conflicts with those who want to take advantage of the new - found status or those who are jealous of it.
The discovery that the entire world the characters live in is a simulation. In a short science - fiction story, the characters are going about their normal lives until they start to notice glitches in the world around them. As they dig deeper, they find out that their whole existence is just part of a complex computer - generated simulation, which turns their understanding of reality upside down.
One good twist could be a character who seems to be the villain turns out to be the hero all along. For example, in a detective story, the suspect who has all the signs pointing to him as the killer is actually trying to protect the real victim from a more dangerous threat.
One effective plot twist could be a character's true identity being revealed. For example, the seemingly friendly neighbor turns out to be a long - lost criminal on the run. Another is when the purpose of an object is completely different from what was initially thought. Say a mysterious box that everyone thought contained a treasure actually held a dangerous weapon. And a third one could be a sudden change in the setting. For instance, the idyllic town the story was set in is actually a post - apocalyptic wasteland that has been hidden from the main character until a certain moment.
One example is in 'The Sixth Sense' where the twist is that the main character is actually dead all along. This completely changes the way the audience views the entire story.
One good plot twist could be that the character who seems to be the hero is actually the villain all along. For example, in a detective story, the detective who has been leading the investigation turns out to be the mastermind behind the crimes he's supposed to solve. It completely flips the reader's expectations.
One good plot twist could be that the person the main character thought was their soulmate turns out to be a long - lost relative. It completely changes the dynamic of the relationship and adds a whole new layer of complexity and drama. For example, they might have been on the verge of getting married when this revelation comes to light.
One good plot twist could be that the two characters who seem to be falling in love are actually long - lost siblings. It completely changes the dynamic of their relationship from romantic to a more complex family - oriented one.
A store owner thought one of his regular customers was stealing small items. He set up a hidden camera. When he checked the footage, he saw that it was actually his own nephew who worked part - time in the store. He was taking things to sell to get money for his drug habit. It was really unexpected for the store owner.
Think about subverting expectations. For instance, if you've been building up a character as a clumsy fool, make them suddenly reveal extraordinary skills at a crucial moment. It catches the reader off - guard.
Look at the expectations you've set up in the story. Subverting those expectations can create a twist. For instance, if you've made the readers think that a couple is going to get married happily, have something happen like one of them has a secret that would prevent the marriage.