History Main / GoldfishPoopGang

* Tim and Travis in ''Series/BigWolfOnCampus'', two bullies who want to get rid of the "Pleasantville Werewolf" (AKA Tommy, our protagonist). They initially act as adequate threats whenever a MonsterOfTheWeek isn't involved, but steadily become minor obstacles to quickly subdue, and eventually just [[DemotedToExtra stop showing up together]].

A comedic version of the RecurringBoss, the Goldfish Poop Gang are characters who keep popping up, requiring you to fight them multiple times through the game. They [[VillainDecay quickly devolve]] from being [[QuirkyMinibossSquad actual threats]] to [[IneffectualSympatheticVillain pesky nuisances]], something the party may [[LampshadeHanging comment on]].

May overlap with recurring {{Quirky Miniboss Squad}}s if they're not treated seriously. Frequently overlaps with being an IneffectualSympatheticVillain or HarmlessVillain. May also fill the shoes of the UnknownRival, explaining why they keep coming back to annoy the party. Occasionally made a threat with TeamRocketWins. In Anime they're often a TerribleTrio.

** Popple the Shadow Thief from ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiSuperstarSaga'';

** And they're back on the newest movie, ''Anime/DragonBallZBattleOfGods''. [[spoiler:As children, after asking Shenlong for youth, on an ironic reversal of what they did on ''Anime/DragonBallGT''.]]

* Giacomo in ''VideoGame/BatenKaitosOrigins'': Arrogant and headstrong, he goes from being a cruel WakeUpCallBoss to one of these over the course of three fights. The last time he and Sagi fight, it's revealed TheEmpire ''threw him out'' for being one of these, and Sagi even admits to envying his perseverance. However, by the time ''VideoGame/BatenKaitos'' rolls [[FromNobodyToNightmare around]], [[TookALevelInBadass well...]]

* In ''VideoGame/BreathOfFireIII'' Ziggy is just a jerk you have to help a guy beat up to eventually gain access to a ship. But in ''VideoGame/BreathOfFireIV'' a similar Ziggy shows up who constantly challenges the party to fight him, and is not all that much of a threat what with low HP and, at his worst, can poison a member of your party.

* Solt & Peppor in ''VideoGame/ChronoCross'' are a combination of this and HeKnowsAboutTimedHits. The last time you fight Solt & Peppor (which is optional), [[TookALevelInBadass they actually get serious]]. Their Cross Slash attack can do enough damage to kill one of your party members, which you might not expect, and they'll deal out relatively strong magic damage. They still aren't immensely difficult, especially compared to other optional boss battles, but they're not the free win they used to be, either.
* For most of the first episode of ''VideoGame/{{Deltarune}}'' you had Suzie and Lancer, your "archenemies" who primarily showed up, cackled about how evil they were and how screwed you were at facing them, and then run away giggling. Notably, they underwent a quick HeelFaceTurn once [[KnightOfCerebus The King Of Spades]], the ''real'' villian of the game, shows his presence.
* The [[MeaningfulName quite appropriately nicknamed]] Mid-Boss in ''VideoGame/DisgaeaHourOfDarkness'', as well as Axel[=/=]Akutare in the [[VideoGame/Disgaea2CursedMemories sequel]] (you fight each one at least four times during the course of their respective games).

* Inverted in ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' with [[DemonicSpiders hit-squads from the NCR, and/or Caesars Legion.]] They will send a squad of Legionaries or Rangers occasionally if you pissed either side off one too many times, and they will most of the time catch you off guard, and possibly half-cocked, as their weapons can even eat through Power Armor like a hot knife through butter. Plus their armor is pretty strong as well. And even if you manage to defeat one of these death squads, you can count on another ambushing you sometime during your travels through the Mojave. Played straight once you reach higher levels and get better weapons and armor for yourself and your follower.

* [[BraggartBoss Gilgamesh]] in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'' is the first one in the series, and one of the most popular ones too. He is once again a GoldfishPoopGang member in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'', going most of the game as Alleyway Jack before revealing his true identity. He also reappears as an OptionalBoss in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'', makes a cameo in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'' if the player has acquired Odin (who is killed by Seifer and replaced by Gilgamesh), and was retroactively added to ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' in the Advance series as a hidden esper. He is an OptionalBoss again in ''Final Fantasy Advance: Dawn of Souls'' and a DLC boss in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII-2'', but he's vastly more difficult in that game. He is the only character in the series that is implied to have been the same person from game to game, in effect becoming goldfish poop for the whole series.
** [[EnsembleDarkhorse Ultros]] and Typhon in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI''.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXI'' has the [[TerribleTrio Chebukki siblings]], who have a tendency to [[ProfessionalButtKisser brown nose]] whoever is currently antagonizing you in the ''Chains of Promathia'' storyline. [[spoiler: Including an [[OmnicidalManiac omnicidal]] deity.]]

* The BB Bandits in ''VideoGame/FossilFighters''--or at the very least, the main TerribleTrio, consisting of leader Vivian, obnoxious lackey Snivels, and TeamPet Rex. When they first appear, they might seem tough, but quickly prove to be little more than a recurring nuisance. Even when you invade their base! However, after you beat the game [[spoiler: and after their HeelFaceTurn]], they're upgraded to {{Superboss}} status--and a ''hard'' {{Superboss}} they are, too.

* Subverted with the three Garlyle Forces female sergeants Nana, Saki and Mio in ''VideoGame/Grandia1''. You encounter and fight them repeatedly, but if anything they get more dangerous as the encounters go on, using a lot of new moves and fighting more as a team. They must have been [[TookALevelInBadass leveling up and getting new kit]] just as busily as your party.

* Dondera Tank from ''VideoGame/HolyUmbrella'' is an unusual example in that your first encounter with him is a HopelessBossFight. He still returns repeatedly after being defeated, each time with a new body and the same old bluster. In his fourth appearance, he gets taken out by another character before the player can fight him. The fifth time around, he desperately tries to prove he's still relevant by singing a VillainSong and [[BreakingTheFourthWall breaking the fourth wall]] when Dondera complains about it.

* Pete in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' fills this role perfectly, though he actually becomes a legitimate threat in the Paradox Cups thanks to the restrictions set upon you and his stats getting boosted to extremes.
* Kayla, Wally, and Ink from ''VideoGame/{{Landstalker}}'', full stop. They get a single moment of competence when [[spoiler:they hold Friday hostage in exchange for the Lithograph]]. Beyond that, every time they show up, it's only so that they can be subjected to [[HumiliationConga increasingly cruel and hilarious punishments]]. It's so bad that [[TheUnfought you never actually fight them]]; their rotten luck always does them in before you ever get the chance.

* Tony and Renee, [[AccidentalMisnaming A.K.A. the "Mook Squad"]] from ''VideoGame/ManaKhemiaAlchemistsOfAlRevis''. Even Tony's (self-proclaimed) {{archenemy}}, Flay, doesn't take them seriously after a while. When they make a BigDamnHeroes moment to pull off an EnemyMine (if they're actually considered ''real'' enemies), the party's reactions to their arrival are, hilariously:

* The Beastector in ''VideoGame/MischiefMakers'', a trio of animal-men who have giant robots and goofy voices. They constantly hound Marina and bicker among themselves, and are actually challenging bosses, but in the grand scheme of the plot, they serve little purpose. They ''do'' [[spoiler:end up as the final boss; after the real plot is over of course]].
* Dotty and Petty in ''VideoGame/MonsterRancherEVO'' most definitely fit this definition. You battle their weak monsters every so often, and they play this trope as straight as possible, often citing "Evil Villain Rules" that they live by.

* Sly in ''VideoGame/MysticArk''. He's actually something of a threat when you first meet him in the second world, but then after beating the Beetle King, the guy starts to get a little strange. Then he just doesn't show up until the final world of the game where he expects you to give a flying hoot when he shouts "My plan is too brilliant for a dumbass like y-o-u to understand!" though he's surprising pathetic for a boss that late into the game, but then again, the game decides to subject you to two more moderately hard boss fights after him. He also never really did explain what that brilliant plan was...[[WildMassGuessing perhaps he's supposed to be Darkness' right-hand man?]]

* Cruelly deconstructed in the second ''VideoGame/{{Robopon}}'' game, where the "rival" is an impoverished orphanage owner who challenges you to win money "for the children!" and has an absolutely pathetic team that always has at least one [[JokeCharacter Gear or Bulbot]].
* The Scorpion Army from ''VideoGame/SecretOfMana''.

* ''VideoGame/SkiesOfArcadia'''s Baltor the Black Bearded is an example of this. He is the first ship battle you have to fight against, and is relatively challenging when you come across him. However, the second time you fight him much later in the game, you have [[CoolAirship the most powerful airship built to date]] that has a cannon that you literally use to [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu kill ancient gods of destruction]], while he [[VillainForgotToLevelGrind still has the same old sailing ship he used last time]]. Too bad Baltor [[WeWillMeetAgain can't let go of things...]]

* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'': The Mario RPGs love these. It's seemingly mandatory for them to feature at least one in every game:

* Sir Ronvid of the Small Marsh in ''VideoGame/TheWitcher3WildHunt'' is a knight who challenges Geralt to a duel multiple times to defend the honor of his love Maid Bilberry. Ronvid is comically incompetent at combat and Geralt gets more annoyed with every challenge.