User blog comment:StrangerThanTad/Clichés/@comment-25941663-20170512194030/@comment-26425680-20170512221919

Exactly! Pretty much every story uses some sort of cliche, trope, or stock character. It's not about avoiding them entirely, it's about using them correctly, not over-relying on them, and making sure that enough of your own creativity surrounds them so that the reader doesn't notice/care.