History Characters / CourageTheCowardlyDogMainCharacters

* WhaleEgg: In "Muted Muriel," he lays a golden egg so he can pay Shirley for her help.

* BrattyHalfPint: She was quite a handful as a child, as seen in the episode "Little Muriel".

* DamselInDistress: She is commonly the reason Courage goes so far to try to beat the many villains that attack the Middle of Nowhere.

* PhraseCatcher: Eustace and countless bad guys have called him a "stupid dog".

* SpeechImpairedAnimal: Subverted in the early days of the show, where he spoke more freely usually. Due to perhaps ExecutiveMeddling, he played it more straight later. Even in the later seasons, it's occasionally subverted. Notably, the episode "Muted Muriel" cheats a bit by having him explain to Muriel, in perfectly coherent English, how the MonsterOfTheWeek needs to be staved off.

* EvenTheLovingHeroHasHatedOnes: Muriel is a NiceGirl through and through; she's always kind to people she meets and invites them into her home, and she loves Eustace of all people despite his {{Jerkass}} personality. However, she makes it very clear on multiple occasions that she ''hates'' [[ObnoxiousInLaws Ma Bagge]]. Best seen in "Mother's Day", where she refuses to accompany Eustace to visit her ("I'm not going to see that woman!") or the ending of "The Sand Whale Strikes", where she actually seems pleased that the woman's lost.

** In ''The Hunchback From Nowhere'' he surprisingly calls Courage by his name.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: While he rarely shows it, Eustace's PetTheDog moments and his AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther moments with Muriel show that there actually is some amount of heart buried beneath that crotchety greedy exterior.

[[folder:Courage Bagge]]

* CovertPervert: Courage is a NiceGuy, but there are occasional hints of him having a perverted side. In "Remembrances of Courage Past", he's scrambling around a laboratory and opens a door with a woman showering in it. He closes it, but doesn't leave before getting a second glance, and this is when he was [[DirtyKid just a puppy]]! It's also strongly implied he keeps a [[PornStash suggestive collection]] in his computer.

* CatharticChores: It's implied that cooking and cleaning are Muriel's way of coping with Eustace's boorish behavior and other dangerous things that attract her. In "King Ramses Curse", when the final curse is destroying their home, Muriel freaks out and proceeds to go into CopeByCreating mode by frantically cooking and baking dozens of cakes and only stops when the curse is over.

* TrrrillingRrrs: She sometimes trills her "R"'s.

* WhatTheHellIsThatAccent: Her dialect is some weird mix between Scottish and MinnesotaNice; one gets the impression that she's originally from Scotland but lived in the Midwestern US for so long that her accent Americanized somewhat.

* NeverGetsFat: A gluttonous LazyBum who always wants Muriel to cook for him, but for some reason his hard-working wife is overweight, while he remains skinny. Subverted when he transforms into a Kangaroo Monster in "The Transplant" and actually gets [[FatBastard very fat]] after eating too much.

** "Night of the Were-mole" ends with Eustace dragged underground by a were-mole transformed Dr. Vindaloo. We first hear Eustace screaming in horror, but then whacking sounds followed with Eustace chuckling in satisfaction -- implying that ''Eustace'' of all people may have won the fight against a were-mole.

* CovertPervert: Courage is a NiceGuy for the most part, but there are occasional hints of him having a perverted side. In "Remembrances of Courage Past", he's scrambling around a laboratory and opens a door with a woman showering in it. He closes it, but doesn't leave before getting a second glance, and this is when he was [[DirtyKid just a puppy]]! It's also strongly implied he keeps a [[PornStash suggestive collection]] in his computer.
* CowardlyLion: Even if he's seized with terror he stops at nothing to protect his owners from the supernatural. Literally in the Italian dub, where his name is changed to Leone, Italian for "lion".

%%* HumiliationConga: Quite a few episodes have Courage taking ''a lot'' of beatings, such as "Mega Muriel the Magnificent" and "Courage vs. Mecha-Courage". (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample; what sort of beatings does he take exactly?)

* CovertPervert: Courage is a NiceGuy for the most part but there are occasional hints of him having a perverted side. In "Remembrances of Courage Past" he's scrambling around a laboratory and opens a door with a woman showering in it. He closes it but doesn't leave before getting a second glance and this is when he was [[DirtyKid just a puppy]]! It's also strongly implied he keeps a [[PornStash suggestive collection]] in his computer.
* CowardlyLion: Even if he's seized with terror he stops at nothing to protect his owners from the supernatural. Literally in the Italian dub where his name is changed to Leone, Italian for "lion".
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Not an idiot per say; he's more [[CowardlyLion chicken than dog]] but when Muriel is in danger, [[{{Determinator}} he'll always do whatever it takes]] [[HeroicDog to save the day]].
* DarkAndTroubledPast: [[spoiler:His parents were kidnapped by a MadDoctor when he was only a pup.]] [[FreudianExcuse It's no wonder why he's so timid]].

* DirtyCoward: Usually {{averted}} but PlayedStraight on at least one occasion; in "Shirley the Medium", while he at first tries to save Eustace from the monster in Horst's money box when the monster blocks off their escape route Courage yells, "Okay, you can have him!", throws Eustace to the beast and [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere bugs out in a hurry]]. Since this is [[{{Jerkass}} Eustace]] we're talking about you won't feel bad for him.
* DogsAreDumb: [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] and quite [[AvertedTrope Averted]] all things considered. While Eustace always calls him a "stupid dog" [[SmarterThanTheyLook Courage is anything but stupid]] (heck, he has far more common-sense than either of [[TooDumbToLive the two humans]] he lives with).

** He gives the Cruel Veterinarian, the same man who [[KickTheDog took away his parents]] a taste of his own medicine by sending him back into the rocket where he is sent to the moon and mercilessly mauled to death by the same dogs he sent to the moon (including Courage's parents).
** There are plenty of instances where Courage will torment Eustace or even allow him to get hurt. Such as one time when he was so fed up by [[UngratefulBastard Eustace]] that he threw him to a monster's hands with no hesitation.
-->''Okay, you can '''have''' him!''
* DubNameChange: In the Italian dub his name is Leone (it means [[ADogNamedCat "Lion"]] which makes him an almost literal example of a CowardlyLion).

* FurIsClothing: PlayedForLaughs in "The Quilt Club" and "Le Quack Amnesia Specialist," in which the lower half of Courage's fur is ripped off and in both instances, he's wearing briefs. Like most examples, this is probably non-canon (as not only has he taken baths in his fur, but in a more serious moment in which Freaky Fred shaved him, he is not wearing underwear).

* GoodIsNotSoft: As kind as Courage can be a close look at his actions shows that he has no compunction at all about leaving villains to their fate and is actually willing to try fighting them head on if needed. Villains who are misguided or who are well intentioned but otherwise resorting to drastic methods he will be willing to help. Villains who are irredeemable, knife twisting jerks he will gladly leave to die.
* GrowlingGut: At the beginning of the game ''VideoGame/CreepTV'', a grumbling sound is heard and the narrator supposes Courage must be hungry, setting up the tutorial for the game's controls in which the player gets him some dog food. However, the grumbling continues even after Courage eats the food, and it turns out the sound was actually coming from the TV in which Eustace and Muriel are trapped in.
* GuileHero: Being a small and meek dog, he's not usually in a position to out-muscle or beat up the villains and monsters he's up against, leading to him trying out some more hare-brained, deceptive or diplomatic ways to defeat them.

* HeroicSelfDeprecation: The whole premise behind "Perfect", is this. He is faced with a SadistTeacher known as The Perfectionist who constantly berates him for not being perfect, and it got so bad it gave him horrible nightmares
* HeroicWillpower: On at least two occasions, Courage has been hypnotized or otherwise have his mind controlled by something (a hypnotic advertisement in "King of Flan" and the [[StockAnimalDiet GodBone]] in "Stormy Weather"). In all of these cases Courage fights off the effects through a combination of [[{{Determinator}} sheer will]] and remembering that Muriel is relying on him to come through for her. There are also many cases where he faces his fears by remembering that Muriel is in trouble unless he saves her as well.
* HeyYou: Much like how Eustace almost never calls Courage by name he also never calls him by name. Heck, he didn't even address him in any way except for "farmer" when talking to the Shadow. Despite this Courage ''does'' know what his actual name is, such as singing "Eustace and Muriel" in order to preserve their marriage against the Goose God's advances.
* HumiliationConga: Quite a few episodes have Courage taking '''a lot''' of beatings. Such as ''Mega Muriel the Magnificent'' and ''Courage vs. Mecha-Courage''.
* InformedSpecies: Downplayed; he is called a beagle by some sources and while he doesn't look like one (aside from his short stature and floppy ears) he certainly acts like one; [[TruthInTelevision real-life beagles are known for being jumpy, fearful and extremely loud when they howl]] -- just like Courage.

* CatharticChores: It's implied cooking and cleaning are Muriel's way of coping with Eustace's boorish behavior and other dangerous things that attract her. In ''King Ramses Curse'', when the final curse is destroying their home, Muriel freaks out and proceeds to go into CopeByCreating mode by frantically cooking and baking dozens of cakes and only stops when the curse is over.

* DoesNotLikeSpam: She ''hated'' macaroni and cheese when she was a kid.

* EvenTheLovingHeroHasHatedOnes: Muriel is a NiceGirl through and through; she's always kind to people she meets and invites them into her home, and she loves Eustace of all people despite his {{Jerkass}} personality. However, she makes it very clear on multiple occasions that she ''hates'' [[ObnoxiousInLaws Ma Bagge]]. Best seen in "Mother's Day" where she refuses to accompany Eustace to visit her ("I'm not going to see that woman") or the ending of "The Sand Whale Strikes" where she actually seems pleased that the woman's lost.
-->'''Muriel:''' Well, I'm glad that all worked out.
-->'''Eustace:''' But the whale got me Ma!
-->''([[{{Beat}} beat]])''
-->'''Muriel:''' ''(smiles)'' I'm glad that all worked out.
* EveryoneHasStandards: Even she's forced to vocally agree with Eustace when she realizes MoodSwinger Basil the thief truly is nuts.

* FemalesAreMoreInnocent: Being the only female member of the show's main trio, she [[DamselInDistress often gets victimized]] by certain questionable beings, which even includes her own husband Eustace.

* {{Gasshole}}: Possibly, as shown when squeezed by the clutching foot.
* GenreBlind: [[TooDumbToLive She is quite oblivious to danger]].

* DirtyCoward: He will sometimes leave Courage and/or Muriel to their fate to save his own skin. In fact, in "The Shadow of Courage", at the end of the episode, the titular Shadow declared Eustace to be an even bigger coward than Courage himself.

* TheDitz: Shirley the Medium refers to Eustace exclusively as "the stupid one," and for good reason. He's shortsighted, has a stunning lack of common sense, and overall seems oblivious to the world around him even more so than Muriel. When going on a game show in "Farmer Hunter, Farmer Hunted," he proves to be so dim that he can't even answer questions that a child would have no trouble with.
-->[''when shown a globe and asked what it is''] "It's a bowling ball covered with throw-up!"

* DysfunctionalFamily: He was emotionally abused by his mother and brother. It's unknown what role his father played though, as he's only mentioned and not even seen in flashbacks. Regardless it's no wonder why Eustace is such a [[FreudianExcuse horrible person]].
* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: Despite that love not really being returned. At the end of "Mother's Day", it's implied they have a love/hate relationship.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: He's a cruel old man who hates pretty much everyone. However, Muriel and his mother are the closest thing he has to loved ones, as he has genuine PetTheDog moments with them. He also keeps a picture of his late father under his hat (literally), as seen in "The Sand Whale Strikes", implying he also cared about him. Although, if he cares or not about Muriel varies DependingOnTheWriter.
* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: Almost everyone except Muriel and his mother just calls him "the Farmer" (including Courage himself). In fact, Eustace is the only one of the trio who never had an episode named after him, and the ones that do focus on him refer to him as "Farmer" (ex: "Farmer Hunter, Farmer Hunted", "Aqua Farmer") and a few online sources here and there even refer to him as such.
* EveryoneHasStandards: He's a grouchy, grumpy, mean old git, but even he believes no little boy should be without a hat on a boiling hot summer's day.

* FreudianExcuse: His mother is much worse than he is, and his brother was TheAce and rubbed it in Eustace's face his entire life. The end of "The Curse Of Shirley" has his 'true self' shown to him by a mirror. What was it? [[TearJerker/CourageTheCowardlyDog A sad little boy.]] He also knows his baldness is due to his mother being bald. No wonder he's so screwed up.
* FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse: Despite his awful childhood, no one cuts him any slack. Just ask Shirley.
* GenreBlind: [[TooDumbToLive Eustace can be very stupidly stubborn in the face of danger]].

* GoodScarsEvilScars: He seems to have a rather large scar on the right side of his stomach, indicating that he had a major surgery at some point in his life.

* HairTriggerTemper: He gets angry rather easily, especially when he's around Courage. In one episode, an experimental hair growth serum gives him the ability to make things ''explode'' whenever he's mad [[spoiler:(and it ends with Eustace himself literally exploding)]].

* HiddenHeartOfGold: While physically and verbally abusive to Courage and neglectful to Muriel, he does have ''some'' care for them (or at least Muriel, while he simply tolerates Courage since Muriel is so attached to him) and doesn't throw them out of the house.

* MrFixit: [[ZigzaggedTrope Zigzagged]] [DependingOnTheWriter depending on the episode]]. He claims that he can fix things and we occasionally see him working on things in the background, but whenever his skills as a mechanic is actually brought up in an episode proper he's usually portrayed as inept. However "Windmall Vandals" reveals that Eustace can ''actually'' rebuild the windmill at lightning fast speed; which comes in handy when the titular ghostly vandals come to slaughter the Bagges, as the windmill is the only thing that keeps them at bay. It is implied that Eustace ''can'' fix things but he is either too lazy or angry to put it to good use.

** In Family Business, Eustace wasn't wrong saying Basil deserves to rot in prison.

* MrFixit: Generally averted [[PlayedForLaughs for laughs]]. He claims that he can fix things and we occasionally see him working on things, but nothing comes from it. However "Windmall Vandals" reveals that Eustace can ''actually'' rebuild the windmill at lightning fast speed; which comes in handy when the titular ghostly vandals come to slaughter the Bagges, as the windmill is the only thing that keeps them at bay. It is implied that Eustace ''can'' fix things but he is either too lazy or angry to put it to good use.

* BodyHorror: Several of his screams result in such to him such as his teeth flying out, organs popping out of his body or even him ''turning inside out''.

* HeroicBSOD: In "Remembrance of Courage Past", just seeing a missing dogs ad on the side of a milk carton reminds Courage of his DarkAndTroubledPast, causing him to go motionless aside from blinking for at least twelve hours straight. Only being told he's going to the vet breaks him out of it, because he's fully aware just how evil that very same veterinarian is.
* HeroicDog: When Courage sees danger, he always [[CowardlyLion cowers in fear.]] Then he always rescues his family, in spite of being scared.

** Despite all his screaming and flailing he doesn't run away when his owners are in trouble because "Courage is not the absence of fear; courage is fighting and overcoming your fears."

* MyGreatestSecondChance: [[spoiler:He gets revenge on the man who took away his parents and saves his new owners, preventing [[HistoryRepeats history from repeating itself]].

* StrongFamilyResemblance: It is revealed in "Remembrance of Courage Past" that his parents look just like him, except his dad has bushy eyebrows and a mustache and his mom [[TertiarySexualCharacteristics has eyelashes and lipstick]] and wears a hat and shoes.

* TalkingAnimal: He was very talkative during the first season. But afterwards, the creators decided to try and make him not quite as chatty and mostly saying one-liners now and then.

* BlindWithoutEm: She's shown to have trouble seeing without her glasses in "Muriel Meets Her Match".

* MamaBear: Whenever Eustace scares Courage, she bashes him over the head with a rolling pin or whatever else may be handy at the time.

* BlindWithoutEm: Like Muriel, he can't see well without his glasses. He once got ''dragged halfway across the world'' without even knowing it.

* MeaningfulName: Eustace Bagge could be interpreted as 'Useless Baggage', which is what he is during most adventures. Could also count as a StealthPun for "Money Bag", given Eustace's meaning.

** In "Heads of Beef", he orders Courage a burger after seeing that he was hungry, albeit the smallest one on the menu (though in all fairness, it was still a decent sized burger for a small dog).
** In "The Demon In the Mattress", he helps Courage to save Muriel when she was possessed by a haunted mattress.
** In "Mother's Day", when his mother is desperate about her hair loss, he tries to comfort her and tells her that she looks good to him no matter what.

** In "The Mask", he's very concerned about Kitty after he learns about her past, and reassures Muriel when she worries about her faults (though he [[SubvertedTrope subverts this trope]] in it's literal sense when he makes it clear he doesn't give a damn if Courage is okay or not in the same breath that he reassured Muriel)

* SnapBack: Eustace relies on this trope to continually exist in the show considering a good number of occasions have him separated by the other two by the episode's end with no resolution.

* StrongFamilyResemblance: He looks like his parents and his brother. His father looks exactly like Eustace with a beard.

* TooDumbToLive: Like Muriel, he often blissfully gets in harm's way. Sometimes, Eustace is too ''stubborn'' to get out of harm's way, which often unavoidably [[TheyKilledKennyAgain leads to a gruesome death.]]

* DropTheHammer: His usual response to supernatural threats? "That's it; I'm gettin' me mallet!"

* AllLovingHero: Fearful as he may be Courage is a sensitive and caring soul who relies on his endless empathy for everyone to solve problems and save the day, and he's mortally terrified of even accidentally hurting anything that's not actively malicious. Furthermore he has a knack for befriending monsters and helping them when they need it most.