History Literature / EdgarAndEllen

* AntiHero / VillainProtagonist: In the books, the twins are {{Villain Protagonist}}s in the first book and {{Anti-Hero}}es in the rest. In the cartoon, it varies from episode to episode.

* [[spoiler: {{Immortality}}: Regularly consuming balm will grant Type II. This is how Augustus Nod survived underground for 200 years.]]

* GirlPosse: Stephanie has one in Cassidy Kingfisher and Pepper Poshi. (They're in the books too, but the lack of school scenes means we don't really get to see them acting as such)

* TheEuropeanCarryAll: Edgar's purse-- um, "temporary satchel substitute".

* BlackSheep: Miles is one of these within his family. This is seen when he shows interest in unusual things, such as Ellen's carnivorous plant.

* GadgeteerGenius: Both of the twins to some extent, but especially Edgar. Exaggerated in the animated series, which allows them to build much more elaborate contraptions.

* FamilyUnfriendlyDeath: [[spoiler: Uta Glögg.]]

* KubrickStare: [[spoiler: The Mayor in ''Nod's Limbs'', demonstrating that Dumb does not always [[DumbIsGood equal Good.]]]]

* TheEuropeanCarryAll: Edgar's man-purse...um, ''satchel.''

# ''Rare Beasts''
# ''Tourist Trap''
# ''Under Town''
# ''Pet's Revenge''
# ''High Wire''
# ''Nod's Limbs''
# ''Hot Air'' [[hottip:*:The first book in the ''Nodyssey'' sub-series]]
# ''Frost Bites''
# ''Split Ends''

Additional material includes: ''Mischief Manual'', ''Hair 'Em Scare 'Em'' (a pop-up book), and ''Graphic Novelty'' (a comics collection).

* ''Rare Beasts''
* ''Tourist Trap''
* ''Under Town''
* ''Pet's Revenge''
* ''High Wire''
* ''Nod's Limbs''
* ''Hot Air'' [[hottip:*:The first book in the ''Nodyssey'' sub-series]]
* ''Frost Bites''
* ''Split Ends''

* EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette: Edgar and Ellen (again).

A series of children's books by Charles Ogden that was adapted into an animated series. The title characters, a pair of 12-year-old[[hottip:*:In the books they eventually turn 13. This is never outright stated, but it can be deduced from various in-text references to the passing of time.]] twins, are notorious pranksters who cause mischief and mayhem in the town of Nod's Limbs. The two of them live in a thirteen-story house on the edge of town with their pet (named 'Pet'), a strange creature that vaguely resembles a one-eyed, hairy mop head. Their groundskeeper, Heimertz, lives in a shack near the house, never says a word, and wears a perpetual SlasherSmile. There is also a junkyard near the house where the twins get parts for the many unlikely contraptions that they build. Nod's Limbs itself is an overly cheerful town run by the inept Mayor Knightleigh. His daughter, Stephanie Knightleigh, is Edgar and Ellen's main rival in their quest for amusement.

This sums up the animated adaptation. The book series starts with the same basic setup, but soon moves into an overarching plot.

* GadgeteerGenius: Both of the twins, but especially Edgar.

* AlternateContinuity: Not explicitly, but there were a couple of important changes made to the show that clearly set it apart from the books.

* LighterAndSofter: Granted, the books started out with a similar tone.

* DrunkWithPower:
** Ellen in the episode "Commander in Stripes".
** Edgar in ''Split Ends''.
** In the books, the balm apparently has this effect on people; the condition is known as Mad Duke's Disease.

[[folder:Tropes unique to the books]]

[[folder:Tropes unique to the TV series]]

* DrunkWithPower: Both twins on separate occasions.

* AbsurdlySpaciousSewer: Explained in-universe. First, they're the storm drain variety of sewer, not the sewage kind. Second, they were originally built so that people could take leisurely, well-lit strolls in them, but gradually fell into disrepair and had the lighting grates paved over.

* BlackSheep: Miles is one of these within his family. For one thing, he shows interest in unusual things, such as Ellen's carnivorous plant.

* {{Flashback}}: The prologues of ''High Wire'' and ''Nod's Limbs''.

* MadScientist: Edgar. Ellen could qualify as a mad botanist.

* PerpetualSmiler: Heimertz, as noted above.

* {{Shadowland}}: Smelterburg is this to Nod's Limbs in the TV series. In the books, Lach Lufless plays this role.

* SlasherSmile: Just...Heimertz. (Interestingly, he seems to be physically incapable of ''not'' smiling.)

* ThirteenIsUnlucky: The twins' house has thirteen floors, and their mere presence is certainly bad luck for the rest of town. In a slight aversion, though, only eleven of those stories are above ground; the other two are basement levels.

* BittersweetEnding: ''Frost Bites'', as the twins are forced to separate at the end.

* TheScapegoat: The mayor makes Bob the intern pretend to be the Mason.

* AntiHero or VillainProtagonist: [[YourMileageMayVary YMMV.]]

* [[StandAloneEpisode Stand Alone Book]]: ''Rare Beasts'' is unique in that it has no ties to the rest of the series.

* AlternateContinuity

* LighterAndSofter: Granted, the books started out with a similar light-hearted tone.

And do exactly the contrary.''\\