History Characters / CharlieAndTheChocolateFactoryWillyWonka

* TheRunaway: After a disagreement with his father over his choice of career, he left home. He ended up going to a flag museum and stayed until it closed, possibly to give his father time to cool off from their argument, but when Willy returned home he discovered that both his father and their house were completely gone.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: In this version, this trope doesn't fully surface until the climax.

'''Mr. Wonka:''' ''(throws down the newspaper he's reading)'' I do not!

* InsufferableGenius: Rather than the whimsical GentlemanAndAScholar / GentlemanSnarker of the novel and other adaptations, this Wonka is a socially-awkward braggart -- he's still ''brilliant'', but childishly so.

* BracesOfOrthodonticOverkill: As a child, at the hands of his dentist dad, most likely.

** It's shown a couple of times that he condemns cannibalism

* BadBadActing: In an attempt to get around his social awkwardness, some of his tour spiel is on index cards. When he reads from them -- the first time he does this is as he's ''introducing himself'' -- he falls into this trope's "stilted and monotone" flavor.

%%* BracesOfOrthodonticOverkill: As a child.

* AdaptationExpansion: Mr. Wonka's backstory and his dentist father who hated chocolate. This expansion is for much the the same purpose as the Slugworth subplot in the '71 version, an effort to give the story a more complex ending.
* AdaptationPersonalityChange: Of the major adaptations, this Wonka is the furthest from his book counterpart, going from a charming, confident [[TheTrickster Trickster]] GentlemanAndAScholar to an InsufferableGenius with NoSocialSkills.

* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: As an extension of his eccentric demeanor, he incorporated is factory with many strange visuals-- the creepy boat tunnel, the giant geese, a stylized automobile that runs on carbonated water, and a glass elevator that moves in all directions besides up or down-- some of which are pointless. Even when asked questions about what's going on, his explanations are either not specific or just plain ludicrous to figure out.

The {{Trope Namer}}s for TheWonka.

'''''{{T|ropeCodifier}}he''''', er, [[TheWonka Wonka]].

* ManChild: Downplayed. He is mature enough to be one of the world's great businessmen and inventors, but he still has a child's creativity, enthusiasm, wonder, impatience, and -- to a lesser extent -- innocence, rather AmbiguousInnocence at that. (The voice Douglas Hodge gave him in the 2013 musical is a deliberate reflection of this: A rich adult tenor afflicted by the tipsy, quirky inflections and pitch shifts of a child's voice "breaking" upon hitting puberty.)

* NeverLearnedToRead: Was so focused on learning the ways of chocolate that he's a case of this, which is a reason he doesn't ReadTheFinePrint and '''nearly''' gets eaten by a tiger. Being a bookworm, Noodle takes it upon herself to teach him, which pays off when [[spoiler:it helps him identify from details in the hidden ledger her relationship to Slugworth and from there, who her mother is]].

** His relationship with the Oompa Loopas is greatly changed. Instead of offering them a place to live in return for working at his factory, he unknowingly stole rare cocoa beans that Lofty was meant to be guarding. As punishment Lofty must steal more from Wonka, leading to Wonka deeming this strange figure his nemesis but not really understanding who or what he is until he finally captures him. [[spoiler:The film ends with the two ending their rivalry and Wonka paying back the last that he owed Lofty, before hiring him as a taster instead of hiring all the Oompa Loompas to work for him, though presumably Lofty ends up convincing others to work for Wonka after the film.]]

--> From Mr. Wonka's message on each Golden Ticket

* BoldExplorer: Between the two books, it's clear that he's traveled extensively, even into fantastical places most people aren't even aware exist (i.e. Loompaland, Minusland), all in the service of his work. He even has extensive knowledge of the histories of other planets and alien races.

-->'''Mike Teavee:''' ''(Upon finding Wonka has a functional teleporter)'' Have you ever used it on people?
-->'''Mr. Wonka:''' Why would I want to transport people? They don't taste very good at all.

--> ''Despite the man seen at these doors''\\
''My childhood home was bland like yours''\\
''But I knew how to look to find''\\
''A world that wasn't color-blind''

-> '''Mr. Salt:''' ''What is this, Wonka, some kind of fun house?''
-> '''Mr. Wonka:''' (seemingly surprised) ''Why, having fun?''

* AntiHero: Despite being a ConsummateLiar and TheTrickster with a temper it's best not to disturb, he remains CreepyGood. TheReveal that [[spoiler: Slugworth's plot is actually another way for Mr. Wonka to test the children]] boils down to him using tricky means to reach a virtuous end.

* TheCharmer: He's a non-sexualized example. He is ''so'' charming and pleasant, particularly towards the children, that even as his darker, snarkier side begins to show his guests still follow his lead and get caught up in the middle of wacky (i.e. "Just through the other door, please.") and/or creepy hijinks. This is most obvious with the boat ride ("You're going to love this... just love it.") and goes hand in hand with his being a ConsummateLiar.

* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: As an extension of his eccentric demeanor, he incorporated is factory with many strange visuals-- the creepy boat tunnel, the giant geese, a stylized automobile that runs on carbonated water, and a glass elevator that moves in all directions besides up or down-- some of which are pointless. Even when asked questions about what’s going on, his explanations are either not specific or just plain ludicrous to figure out.

* NotSoStoic: Throughout the film Wonka is always reserved and smiling, and seems to know everything before it happens. [[spoiler: Even his explosion with Charlie at the end is nothing but an act.]] There are only two points where he genuinely seems to lose his cool.

* WhatTheHellHero: Mr. Wonka lets poor Charlie have it when he reveals that he knew about him taking the Fizzy-Lifting Drinks. Grandpa Joe tries one of these on him in response, but it doesn't work. (That said, after [[spoiler: Charlie returns the Everlasting Gobstopper to him, he is not only overjoyed by Charlie's virtue but asks forgiveness for his outburst]].)

* AntiVillain: Of the [[Analysis/AntiVillain Nominal Villain]] variety, slipping into the WellIntentionedExtremist version at his worst. In order to achieve his goal of finding a proper heir, this Wonka believes he must [[spoiler: tear a loving family apart, uncaring of what said heir thinks of this]], sending him into this territory. Again, he does come around [[spoiler: and even before his CharacterDevelopment, he leaves the choice up to Charlie]]. Also his punishments inflicted upon the brats weren't pleasant, to say the least; but [[PayEvilUntoEvil then again, these guys obviously had it coming]] and they seem inconvenienced or even somewhat fascinated rather than horrified.

* ConspicuousGloves: Downplayed. While Mr. Wonka wears gloves in the novel, that's in service to his outdated RummageSaleReject look. The pale purple gloves the 2005 Wonka wears seem just a bit... off by comparison. [[spoiler: It turns out that the gloves and his tunic-esque shirt are similar to those of Dr. Wilbur Wonka's dentist scrubs. Willy's fashion sense is, unconsciously, partially inspired by his father.]]

--> '''Mr. Wonka:''' ''(in a dazed way)'' I'm sorry, I was having a flashback.\\

* ITakeOffenseToThatLastOne: As Charlie is shining Mr. Wonka's shoes [[spoiler: after refusing to move to the factory]]:

--> "No. I wouldn't allow it. The taste would be terrible. Can you imagine 'Augustus-flavored Chocolate-coated Gloop'? Ew. No one would buy it."

* SmugSnake: He's played more like this with his [[StepfordSmiler fake smiles]] and mannerisms. He has his own introductory song (sung by puppets) about what a great and brilliant guy he is, and is [[spoiler: so certain that Charlie will abandon his own family to own the factory that he falls into depression when Charlie refuses, being unable to comprehend the family's importance to him]].

->''Yes, it's me!''\\
''I, Willy Wonka, the great and magnificent!''\\
''I, the sorcerer! I, the scientist!''\\
''I, the magician!''\\
''I, the weaver of chocolate spells!''\\
''I, the creator of sugary secrets!''\\
''I, the mysterious! I, the unknown!''\\
''I, Willy Wonka, greet you all!''

->''Let's hope that you're a bit like me''\\
''As you walk through my factory''\\
''For in the end there's quite a prize''\\
''If you can see with more than eyes...''

* AbsentMindedProfessor: During the long, twisting run down corridors from the Inventing Room to the Nut Room, he notes that he once got lost in his BigLabyrinthineBuilding and ''still'' hasn't found his way out of it. Not-so-incidentally, the Inventing and Nut Rooms are ''right next to each other''. [[spoiler: Actually he's ventured into the "real" world more than once recently and probably leads the tour group on the circuitous path for his own amusement.]]

* AmbiguouslyEvil: He could leave [[CharlieAndTheChocolateParody parody Wonkas who are presented as wicked]] quaking. He's unnervingly [[LargeHam hammy]] and can even do an EvilLaugh; he won't give a drop of sympathy to those who imperil themselves in his dangerous, temptation-filled world -- [[DeathByAdaptation even if they should perish]]! Once the brats pass the point of no return in disobeying him, he tends to stand back and let them suffer through their karmic punishments/humiliations (when Veruca goes through the gate to the Nut Room's arena, he thoughtfully ''relocks it behind her'' -- for the others' protection or her punishment?). While he does set his Oompa-Loompas to work rescuing Augustus and Violet offstage, it's suggested Veruca and her father can't be saved from the incinerator, and as for Mike, [[spoiler: he has no qualms letting Mrs. Teavee just take the now-shrunken boy home, as she prefers him in this state]]. '''''Still...'''''[[HiddenDepths he's sensitive in the best ways as well as the worst]] and capable of amazing generosity to those who win his favor. This darker portrayal is by design; David Greig, who wrote the book of the musical, noted in a Twitter chat that while the novel has NoAntagonist, "I started to wonder about the dark side of Willy and realized he is a goodie AND a baddie." Director Creator/SamMendes' take is similar: "Is he [[CoolUncle your mischievous favorite uncle]]? Or is he [[{{Satan}} the devil incarnate]]? Is he in control of the Oompa-Loompas? Or are they in control of themselves? You can't work it out."

* BerserkButton: Insulting his creations. He nearly fights Grandpa Joe after [[spoiler: the latter complains about the lifetime supply of sweets being "one measly Gobstopper".]]
--> '''Mr. Wonka:''' Measly?! How dare you?! HOW DARE YOU INSULT MY WORK?!?!

* {{Catchphrase}}: The 1971 Wonka twice mixed up his words and corrected himself with "Strike that, reverse it", a phrase that became RetCanon in the novel's sequel. Here it's elevated into a full-on catchphrase. In the Act Two opening song "Strike That, Reverse It" it turns up five times, and two slight variants appear later at key emotional moments.

** And of course, the all-important [[spoiler: "Making something out of nothing"]]...

-->''No magic spells or potions''\\
''Forswear legerdemain''\\
''My kingdom's created from notions''\\
''All swirling inside of my brain''

* {{Reconstruction}}: While this Wonka is an AmbiguouslyEvil AntiHero who may actually be mentally ill, this adaptation explores ''why'' he's devoted his life to making absurd, whimsical sweets and turning a factory into TheWonderland, and the reasons given turn out to be rather beautiful. As well, while the novel and other versions have him seeking a good, obedient child who won't change the way his factory is run, this version has him seeking a child who [[spoiler: knows better than to fool with what they shouldn't, yes, but also has their own creative ideas and determination to share them even if it means breaking a silly rule or two, who can carry on Mr. Wonka's work in their own unique way]].

* AdaptationalVillainy: He taunts Charlie in his KingIncognito persona with false promises of free candy and having him watch the TV coverage of the Golden Ticket finders, leads his guests through an invisible maze in which most of them end up injured, destroys their personal property, etc. Following complaints that this made him UnintentionallyUnsympathetic, this was {{Downplayed}} in the touring productions.

* KingIncognito: As in the 2005 musical ''Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka'' and ''The Golden Ticket'', he interacts with the public as a candy shop owner and not-quite-befriends Charlie over the course of Act One. This isn't a spoiler because the very first scene shows Mr. Wonka revealing this plan to the audience. (In London, [[spoiler: he ''also'' did this, but that he and the Tramp were one and the same was not revealed until the ''very'' end]].)

-->'''Willy Wonka:''' Bucket, tell you what...
-->''[breaks off chocolate to give it to him]''
-->[[BaitAndSwitchComment When you're right, you're right!]] ''[eats chocolate piece]''

* AdaptationalDumbass: Doesn't know how to read until Noodle teaches him, who also points out his habit of relying on the kindness of strangers is foolish after he ends up in indentured servitude to Mrs. Scrubbit. This foolish gullibility also gives Lofty a chance to attack him and escape, in contrast to usual depictions of Wonka who are TheTrickster who wouldn't fall for such a trick. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] since this Wonka is young and just starting out while his previous counterparts were experienced men.