History IdiotBall / Fanworks

[[AC:''WesternAnimation/Frozen2013'']]

* ''Fanfic/TheUltimateEvil'': In the Hollowlands Penitentiary chapter, when Valerie hears that a prisoner has landed himself in solitary confinement, she assumes without any proof that it's the undercover Jackie and rushes to meet him, ending up berating herself for getting herself in a locked cell with Shendu.

* Rose Potter, from ''The Girl Who Lived'' series, tends to get thrown the IdiotBall often, due to having [[GodModeSue special powers that Canon Harry lacked]], which would allow her to solve the plot before it even got started, unless she did something [[WhatAnIdiot entirely stupid]]. For example, in Rose Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Rose can control her connection with Voldemort, and knows Occlumency and Legilimency. Thus, she knows that the image of Sirius Voldemort sent her was fake. What does she do? Why, exactly what Canon!Harry did, except she did it in full knowledge that it was a trap. Did she tell Dumbledore, and with him, the Order of the Phoenix? No. Did she, knowing that her going there with a few friends was exactly what Voldemort wanted, and with no reason to take the bait, did she do nothing and inform the adults who wouldn't be playing into Voldemort's hands by walking into his trap? No. She, although she has no reason to, does exactly what Voldemort wants her to do, and is considered smart for doing so.

* [[https://archiveofourown.org/series/1633756 For The Want of a Nail]] provides two seperate examples:

[[AC:''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'']]

* The entire plot of [[Fanfic/ProjectChimeraTheAtticHypothesis The Attic Hypothesis]] was set in motion by an idiot ball rolling down the metaphorical hill of scientific advancement.

[[AC:Manga/MyHeroAcademia]]

[[AC:''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen}}'']]

* Naruto in ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5012103/1/That-Look That Look]]'' at times seems to juggle as many {{idiot ball}}s as he can find. Perhaps the worst is that he required several explanations to understand why a reservoir that supplies over 70% of Suna's water would be a good military target, despite knowing full well that Suna is in the middle of a ''desert''. That he spends the entire mission being insubordinate to his superior ([[YourCheatingHeart because two years prior he learned she was cheating on him]]), even after she explains she could have him court-martialed for disobeying orders, further exasperates things.

[[AC: ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'']]

[[AC: ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'']]

[[AC: ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'']]

[[AC: ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'']]

[[AC: CrossOver]]
* In ''[[{{Fanfic/AceCombatTheEquestrianWar}} Ace Combat: The Equestrian War]]'', Rainbow Dash trusts [[spoiler: Gilda]] who wants to talk with her about something. Considering the last time Rainbow saw her was after Pinkie Pie's party, [[{{BlatantLies}} there's absolutely no way she would do Rainbow any harm]].

* In the ''{{Series/Firefly}}[=/=]Series/DoctorWho'' crossover fanfic ''Fanfic/TheManWithNoName'', some of the characters are hunting Reavers. When they stop, thinking they've heard something, [[ItsProbablyNothing the Doctor keeps going anyway]], walking smack right into one. Even the Doctor admits it was blindingly stupid.

[[AC: ''Manga/DeathNote'']]

[[AC: ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'']]

[[AC: ''Manga/FairyTail'']]

[[AC: ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen|2013}}'']]

[[AC: ''Anime/GirlsUndPanzer'']]

[[AC: ''Franchise/HarryPotter'']]

[[AC: ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'']]

[[AC: ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'']]

[[AC: ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'']]

[[AC: ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'']]
* From ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/4991314/1/Escape-from-the-Hokage-s-Hat Escape from the Hokage's Hat]]'', we have the advisers council (Homura and Koharu) and the Daimyo. See the council want to banish Naruto and have convinced the Daimyo to agree both saying it's part of a TheNeedsOfTheMany type situaton. This is naturally pointed out as stupid since Konoha is recovering from an invasion and kicking out the PersonOfMassDestruction who can either protect the village or act as a deterrent to any attacks is just asking for trouble.
* Naruto in ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5012103/1/That-Look That Look]]'' at times seems to juggle as many [[IdiotBall idiot balls]] as he can find. Perhaps the worst is that he required several explanations to understand why a reservoir that supplies over 70% of Suna's water would be a good military target, despite knowing full well that Suna is in the middle of a ''desert''. That he spends the entire mission being insubordinate to his superior ([[YourCheatingHeart because two years prior he learned she was cheating on him]]), even after she explains she could have him court-martialed for disobeying orders, further exasperates things.

[[AC: ''Franchise/NeonGenesisEvangelion'']]

[[AC: ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'']]

[[AC: ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'']]

[[AC: ''Franchise/StarTrek'']]

[[AC: ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'']]

[[AC: ''Series/WhoseLineIsItAnyway'']]

[[AC: ''Disney/{{Frozen}}'']]

* In ''Ash's ''New Look Series'' the titular character thought a place named "Salon Rocket" was a bit suspicious and went in to investigate. He then sees Team Rocket in a PaperThinDisguise and asks if they met before. This eventually resulted in Ash getting a makeover by them.

* The cast of ''Fanfic/HogwartsExposed'' grab the IdiotBall frequently, but special mention has to go to the scene in which Harry, Hermione and the entire Hogwarts faculty get outwitted by Crabbe and Goyle.

* In ''[[Anime/{{Pokemon}} Ash's]] [[FanFic/NewLookSeries New Look]]'' the titular character thought a place named "Salon Rocket" was a bit suspicious and went in to investigate. He then sees Team Rocket in a PaperThinDisguise and asks if they met before. This eventually resulted in Ash getting a makeover by them.

* {{Lampshaded}} in "Fanfic/PastContinuous". Eleya remarks in her InternalMonologue that the coalition could have avoided a lot of trouble by basing the effort to retake Deep Space 9 out of a nearby Bajoran military base instead of the middle of a major city.

[[AC: ''Franchise/WhoseLineIsItAnyway?'']]
* In the fanfic ''IProopedMyPants'' all of the characters get this at some point. After their mansion burns down, the Zharjeks all take minimum wage jobs at a hotel, even though they are still supermodels. And when the Mafia kidnaps [[spoiler:Tiffany]], they let her use her phone as long as she doesn't use it to call the police.

* Naruto in ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5012103/1/That-Look That Look]]'' at times seems to juggle as many [[IdiotBall idiot balls]] as he can find. Perhaps the worst is that he required several explanations to understand why a reservoir that supplies over 70% of Suna's water would be a good military target, despite knowing full well that Suna is in the middle of a desert. That he spends the entire mission being insubordinate to his superior ([[YourCheatingHeart because two years prior he learned she was cheating on him]]), even after she explains she could have him court-martialed for disobeying orders, further exasperates things.

* You wanna know how bad the CaptainObviousReveal is in ''FanFic/TheEndOfEnds''? In Beast Boy's letter to the Titans, he lists his true name: [[FirstEpisodeSpoiler Garfield]] ''Logan''. And no one, not even Beast Boy's ''former'' group, The Doom Patrol, managed to figure out Count ''Logan'''s true identity.

* PlayedForLaughs in ''FanFic/ChildOfTheStorm.'' Harry kvetches to Carol about having to carry [[BigEater Ron]] up eight flights of stairs after the latter falls into a food coma. Not only is he [[ForgotAboutHisPowers both a telekinetic and a wizard who knows how to do a basic Levitation Charm,]] he also has a pair of highly intelligent, pony-sized wolves with him who would probably be willing to carry Ron on their back.
** Snape grabs it firmly in the sequel, when he, as per canon, makes a snarky remark about Harry [[spoiler: supposedly entering his name in the Goblet of Fire]]. Pissing off a demigod is stupid enough. Doing so when said demigod currently has a HairTriggerTemper thanks to having just recently been put through a TraumaCongaLine? He's ''lucky'' that all Harry did was to be rude back.

* Naruto in ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5012103/1/That-Look That Look]]'' at times seems to juggle as many [[IdiotBall idiot balls]] as he can find. Perhaps the worst is that he required several explanations to understand why a reservoir that supplies over 70% of Suna's water would be a good military target, despite knowing full well that Suna is in the middle of a desert.

[[AC: ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000''

** The fanfic ends with [[spoiler:Voldemort having Harry, who has his wand and nothing else, surrounded by Death Eaters who are ordered to shoot Harry if he does anything. So does Voldemort take away his wand so Harry would be completely helpless? No. He instead acts even stupider than his book counterpart and lets Harry keep his wand.]]