History Main / AmusingAlien

* ''Series/TeenTitans'': Starfire's odd Tamaranean customs and fish-out-of-waterness is the show's main source of funny.

** He's an alien?

* The main character of the recent movie "Paul" is this. He ''is'' voiced by Seth Rogen.

* Starfire in {{TeenTitans}}, broken English aside, is more {{Stripperiffic}} than anything else in the comic.

* ''TeenTitans'': Starfire's odd Tamaranean customs and fish-out-of-waterness is the show's main source of funny.

** Thinks it's a good idea to give spine-snapping hugs to nearly every new friend they make, and...

* [[MorkAndMindy Mork from Ork]], probably the TropeCodifier and MostTriumphantExample.

While the AmusingAlien might have a serious (or mundane) task in the story, a character belongs in this trope only if comedy is his '''primary''' reason for existing in the work. An elf archer who [[PungeonMaster tells puns incessantly]] is not an AmusingAlien, whereas an elf archer whose arrows [[AccidentalAimingSkills always take an unexpected path to hit their targets]] would be. If the character becomes irrelevant or uninteresting when played seriously, then he's an AmusingAlien.

[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/InvaderZim_1852.gif]]

* There's a variety in {{Futurama}}, [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg plus Zoidberg]].

* Tom Servo and Crow from ''MysteryScienceTheater3000''.

why do u monrns have content warnings

[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/InvaderZim_1852.gif]]
[[caption-width-right:300:He's got the whole world in his hands...and no clue what to do with it. ]]
An AmusingAlien is a sci-fi, fantasy, or otherworldly character whose main purpose is to [[RuleOfFunny amuse the audience]] ("alien" is not always literal).

While the AmusingAlien might have a serious (or mundane) task in the story, a character belongs in this trope only if comedy is his '''primary''' reason for existing in the work. An elf archer who [[PungeonMaster tells puns incessantly]] is not an AmusingAlien, whereas an elf archer whose arrows [[AccidentalAimingSkills always take an unexpected path to hit their targets]] would be. If the character becomes irrelevant or uninteresting when played seriously, then he's an AmusingAlien.

Most of the time, the AmusingAlien will be a secondary or background character, to avoid excessively derailing the plot with their antics. The primary exception is in comedies, where casting an AmusingAlien as the main character leads to lots of easy jokes.

May overlap with FunnyForeigner, but the two tropes are not identical. An otherworldly FunnyForeigner elicits laughs from their ignorance and bizarre behavior; an AmusingAlien, on the other hand, can be anything from TheSmartGuy, a DeadpanSnarker, or a GenreSavvy FourthWallObserver. As a general rule, if the AmusingAlien is of a race or species that's common in the work, the trope is FunnyForeigner instead.

If there's a multi-character party, the AmusingAlien will probably be the TeamPet, the NonHumanSidekick, or the TokenNonHuman.

Given the subjective nature of comedy, the risk is high that an AmusingAlien can end up becoming an AlienScrappy if not handled carefully. This trope documents AmusingAlien characters that were ''intended'' to be funny; whether or not they succeed is [[YourMileageMayVary another matter...]]

Also see AlienAmongUs, PetMonstrosity, PluckyComicRelief, FantasticAnthropologist, and CrazyCulturalComparison.
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!!Examples:

[[AC:{{Anime}} & {{Manga}}]]
* Mokona from ''MagicKnightRayearth'', until [[spoiler:it's revealed that he's actually the creator of both Cephiro and Earth.]]
* 7-Zark-7, from ''BattleOfThePlanets'', the American adaptation of ''ScienceNinjaTeamGatchaman''.
* America's little buddy Tony of ''AxisPowersHetalia'', provided you find his habitual cursing and severe hatred of the English amusing.

[[AC:ComicBooks]]
* From the MarvelUniverse:
** The Impossible Man.
** [[EntryPimp Using a broad definition]] of "otherworldly character", SquirrelGirl counts.
** Before he became DarkerAndEdgier, TheAwesomeSlapstick certainly qualified. The guy [[http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0_ynVlwAg9U/RgXoGtCU7pI/AAAAAAAABW0/eWYHK-O8dM0/s1600-h/9d.jpg dunked a bucket of water on Ghost Rider's head]], fer crissakes...
** The monsters of ''Fin Fang Four'' (Gorgilla, Fin Fang Foom, Elektro and Googam) probably qualify: they're former monsters who are "rehabilitated" and do mundane jobs (window washer, parking lot attendant) at the [[Comicbook/FantasticFour Baxter Building]].
** Lockheed of the {{Comicbook/X-Men}}.
* From the DCUniverse:
** Mr. Mxyzptlk
** Bat-Mite
** Don't ferget {{Lobo}}, ya bastiches!
* Starfire in {{TeenTitans}}, broken English aside, is more {{Stripperiffic}} than anything else in the comic.
* ''2000 AD'' had loads
** The Gronk in StrontiumDog
** The trio of heros in ''Ace Trucking Co'' were all amusing aliens
** Grobbendonk in {{Nemesis the Warlock}}

[[AC:{{Film}}]]
* [[StarWars C-3PO,]] in all of the movies.
** [[AlienScrappy Jar-Jar Binks]] and [[BrianBlessed Boss Nass]] from ''StarWars: ThePhantomMenace''.
** Greedo from ''StarWars: ANewHope''. Note that he wasn't ''trying'' to be funny, but his only purpose in the film was to be a punchline for Han Solo.
* Several in the ''MenInBlack'' franchise, including Frank the Pug and the Worm Guys.
* Pizza the Hutt, Yogurt, Barf the Mawg, Dot Matrix, and the Dinks in ''{{Spaceballs}}''.
* Gimli the Dwarf in ''TheLordOfTheRings'' live-action movies.
* Bubo the mechanical owl from the original ''ClashOfTheTitans'' was this from time to time.

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]
* Rincewind's Luggage from the {{Discworld}} novels, though the humor tends to be more... violent.
* An entire species of Amusing Aliens: [[{{Hoka}} the Hokas]].
* An hilariously out-of-the-ordinary example of this trope occurs in DianeDuane's YoungWizards novel ''Wizard's Holiday'', when Dairine attempts to lead her three alien wizard guests on a trip to the mall. Considering that one of them is a tree, one a giant centipede, and the third a sun prince who looks like an anime character, you can guess what kinds of AmusingAlien antics will happen.

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]
* [[MorkAndMindy Mork from Ork]], probably the TropeCodifier and MostTriumphantExample.
* {{Alf}}
* [[SaturdayNightLive The Coneheads]]
* Tom, Dick, Harry, and Sally from ''ThirdRockFromTheSun''
** Along with their Supreme Leader, the Big Giant Head (as portrayed by WilliamShatner).
* All the eponymous ''Aliens In The Family''.
* Uncle Martin from ''MyFavoriteMartian''. Also the film and SaturdayMorningCartoon versions.
* V.I.C.I. from ''SmallWonder''.
* Alpha 5 from ''MightyMorphinPowerRangers''.
* The [[StarTrekTheNextGeneration Pakleds]] start off as a straight example of this trope [[spoiler:but actually use their ignorant appearance to deceive others.]]
** ''Double'' subverted by the Pakleds, actually: [[spoiler:they're bright enough to steal technology and kidnap Geordi [=LaForge=] but not bright enough to actually ''use'' their stolen technology without the help of a kidnapped engineer...nor to see through the technobabble and bad acting the Enterprise crew uses to effect a rescue.]]
** And they ''are'' slow - just not ''quite'' as much as people tend to think
* Morn, the perpetual barfly at Quark's Bar on ''DeepSpaceNine'', is a meta example; he's described as an extremely talkative being who knows the funniest joke in the universe, and others have attributed various fantastic feats to him. Even so, he's always shown in stoic silence on the show.
* Meego, the ShapeShifter alien from the CBS sitcom of the same name.
* Angelo from ''Mike And Angelo''.
* Twiki from ''{{Buck Rogers In The 25th Century}}''.
* George Sunday/Thermoman from ''MyHero''.
* Jeannie from ''IDreamOfJeannie''.
* Brian and Sophie Johnson, the titular parents of ''MyParentsAreAliens''
* Hymie from ''GetSmart!''
* Tom Servo and Crow from ''MysteryScienceTheater3000''.
* ''[[MisterEd Mr. Ed]]''
* ''TheAddamsFamily'' and ''TheMunsters''.
* Sheldon Cooper from ''TheBigBangTheory'' is an ''Earthling'' example.

[[AC:VideoGames]]
* Tingle from the various ''LegendOfZelda'' games.
* Hans the winged pig in ''ValkyriaChronicles''.
* Almost all of the [[YouNoTakeCandle vorcha]] from MassEffect 2.
* Most of the aliens in {{Deadlock}} fall under this category.

[[AC:WebComics]]
* Kiki from ''SluggyFreelance'', if a talking ferret is considered "otherworldly".
* Div from ''PennyArcade'', an alcoholic DeadpanSnarker [=DivX=] player.
** Also from ''PennyArcade'', the Fruit Fucker.
* Ahem in ''TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob.'' A sort of [[StarfishAliens three-legged jellyfish,]] he's described as a useless, cowardly slacker, but one who is fun to hang out with.

[[AC:WebOriginal]]
* AgamemnonTiberiusVacuum and the Vacuum Consortium. SUBMIT WILLINGLY!

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]
* Mr. Mxyzptlk from the {{DCAU}}, appropriately [[ActorAllusion voiced by Gilbert Gottfried]].
* Roger from ''AmericanDad''.
* Pleakley from ''LiloAndStitch''.
** Stitch himself is also [[ComedicSociopathy a good example]].
* ''InvaderZim''
* There's a variety in {{Futurama}}, [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg plus Zoidberg]].
* ''TeenTitans'': Starfire's odd Tamaranean customs and fish-out-of-waterness is the show's main source of funny.
** She also drinks mustard as if it were soda, and...
** Confuses the familiarity levels of social greetings, and...
** Thinks it's a good idea to give spine-snapping hugs to nearly every new friend they make, and...
** Misinterprets Earth Slang and...("You diggin' the scene?" "I... did not know we were supposed to bring shovels!")
** is allergic to chromium. (The reaction is [[PowerIncontinence sneezing star-bolts.]]
* Uni the unicorn from ''Series/DungeonsAndDragons''.
* Slimer in ''TheRealGhostbusters''.
* Orko from ''MastersOfTheUniverse''.
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* Pizza the Hutt, Yogurt, and Dot Matrix in ''{{Spaceballs}}''.
** Don't forget Barf the Mawg. And the Dinks.

* Ax from {{Animorphs}} is an example of this, particularly in the form of SenseFreak and ExtremeOmnivore humor.

** Using a broad definition of "otherworldly character", SquirrelGirl counts.

** Before he became DarkerAndEdgier, [[http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix2/slapstick.htm Slapstick]] certainly qualified. The guy [[http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0_ynVlwAg9U/RgXoGtCU7pI/AAAAAAAABW0/eWYHK-O8dM0/s1600-h/9d.jpg dunked a bucket of water on Ghost Rider's head]], fer crissakes...

* Sheldon Cooper from ''TheBigBangTheory''.

* MrBean is sometimes interpreted as being one of these.

* Sheldon Cooper from ''The Big Bang Theory''.

Also see: AlienAmongUs; PluckyComicRelief; FantasticAnthropologist; and CrazyCulturalComparison.

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