History Main / GreatGazoo

* Probably the most spectacular Great Gazoo was God in ''God, The Devil, and Bob''. (A similar character has appeared several times in ''FamilyGuy''.)

* [[Comicbook/{{Superman}} Mr. Mxyzptlk]]
* [[Comicbook/{{Batman}} Bat-Mite]]

* Tom Bombadil, in ''[[LordoftheRings The Lord of the Rings]]''. Tom is so powerful that he is able to wear the One Ring and give it up freely without a thought, but spends most of his time wandering in the Old Forest and whimsically singing about himself, and is said by Gandalf to be capable of withstanding an assault by any force of the world, unless they were all allied against him. He provides a convenient plot device to allow the hobbits to escape the Barrow Wights and take their swords (which later prove {{PlotContrievance| essential to the story}}, since the swords are the only thing deadly to Nazgul).

This is a WackyGuy but with (effectively) magical powers -- often in the form of a SufficientlyAdvancedAlien. The Great Gazoo allows for nearly any number of other plots, thereby guaranteeing high drama or [[HilarityEnsues ensuing hilarity]] (hopefully). Often is a ScrewySquirrel or AmusingAlien. When the Great Gazoo is portrayed as nearly omnipotent they usually have to be outsmarted or outwitted in order to be defeated. A direct assault never works.

[[quoteright:329:[[GunnerkriggCourt http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pubftvTypically based on Puck (i.e. "the god of mischief") from mythology, this is a WackyGuy but with (effectively) magical powers -- often in the form of a SufficientlyAdvancedAlien. The Great Gazoo allows for nearly any number of other plots, thereby guaranteeing high drama or [[HilarityEnsues ensuing hilarity]] (hopefully). Often is a ScrewySquirrel or AmusingAlien. When the Great Gazoo is portrayed as nearly omnipotent they usually have to be outsmarted or outwitted in order to be defeated. A direct assault never works.

[[quoteright:329:[[GunnerkriggCourt http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/spankies.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:329:The one who's [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu getting spanked]] stole the moon once.]]

Typically based on Puck (i.e. "the god of mischief") from mythology, this is a WackyGuy but with (effectively) magical powers -- often in the form of a SufficientlyAdvancedAlien. The Great Gazoo allows for nearly any number of other plots, thereby guaranteeing high drama or [[HilarityEnsues ensuing hilarity]] (hopefully). Often is a ScrewySquirrel or AmusingAlien. When the Great Gazoo is portrayed as nearly omnipotent they usually have to be outsmarted or outwitted in order to be defeated. A direct assault never works.

* Tom Bombadil, in ''[[LordoftheRings The Lord of the Rings]]''. Tom is so powerful that he is able to wear the One Ring and give it up freely without a thought, but spends most of his time wandering in the Old Forest and whimsically singing about himself. He provides a convenient plot device to allow the hobbits to escape the Barrow Wights.

Basically, a WackyGuy but with (effectively) magical powers -- often in the form of a SufficientlyAdvancedAlien. The Great Gazoo allows for nearly any number of other plots, thereby guaranteeing high drama or [[HilarityEnsues ensuing hilarity]] (hopefully). Often is a ScrewySquirrel or AmusingAlien. When the Great Gazoo is portrayed as nearly omnipotent they usually have to be outsmarted or outwitted in order to be defeated. A direct assault never works.

* Puck (or Robin Goodfellow) in {{Shakespeare}}'s ''[[AMidsummerNightsDream A Midsummer Night's Dream]]''.

* Ryuk from ''DeathNote'' is most definitely a GreatGazoo. His only real manipulation is letting humans think they are in control of the situation as part of his ScrewySquirrel routine. He is very potent, impossible to harm conventionally, and the only way to defeat him would be manipulate him into a certain set of actions. [[spoiler: Which his carefree attitude makes impossible.]]

Bjork, as depicted in "The Bjork Show" at ThatGuyWithTheGlasses.

** In one episode, the Simpsons are at an animation convention, and Bart & Lisa watch a clip from an {{Anime}}:
-->'''Lisa:''' [[FridgeLogic "Wait, I'm confused, why was a wolf shooting a web?"]]
-->'''Bart:''' [[MST3KMantra "Cartoons don't have to make sense."]]
-->'''Ozmodiar:''' * appears out of nowhere* "He's right, you know!"

* Simkin from the ''DarkSwordTrilogy'' is a rare example of a human-looking Great Gazoo. He spends most of the books simply inventing his own plotlines if he doesn't like the situation he's in.

** In the Freedom City splatbook, that cosmic imp is Quirk, a teenage expy of Superman's foe, Mr. Mxyzptlk.
** In the Halt Evil Doer! setting, the resident cosmic imp is Mr. Hoppy, a demonic cartoon KillerRabbit who happens to rule Hell.

-->''Q's interest in you has always been very similar to that of a master and his beloved pet.''
-->'''Data, to Picard'''. ''[[StarTrekTheNextGeneration All Good Things...]]''

* The Green Ghost (a.k.a. Slimer) in the ''Ghostbusters'' movies.

* Ryuk from ''DeathNote'' is most definitely a GreatGazoo. His only real manipulation is letting humans think they are in control of the situation as part of his ScrewySquirrel routine. Being a death god he is very potent, impossible to harm conventionally, and the only way to defeat him would be manipulate him into a certain set of actions. [[spoiler: Which his carefree attitude makes impossible.]]

* Puck, in {{Shakespeare}}'s ''[[AMidsummerNightsDream A Midsummer Night's Dream]]''.
** His name in that play is ''Robin Goodfellow,'' but he's based on the ''original'' "Puck" from English mythology-- similar to Pan.
*** He uses both names in the play.

** Tom's immunity to the Ring is not openly explained, and can be many things other than "power" - like a blessed ignorance. He is also (or pretends to be) powerless to carry the Ring to its destruction.

** He was just a wacky guy on ''Mork & Mindy.''

[[GunnerkriggCourt http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/spankies.jpg]]
[[caption-width:329:The one who's [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu getting spanked]] stole the moon once.]]

* {{Disney}}'s ''{{Disney/Aladdin}}'' has the zany Genie.
** Virtually ''any'' good magical character in Disney is typically pretty whacky; the Three Good Fairies, the Fairy Godmother, Peter Pan etc.

* [[TheMagicSchoolBus Ms. Frizzle]], complete with [[TheFrizzle her very own subtrope]].

----
<<|CharacterNamedTropes|>>
<<|{{Tricksters}}|>>

* Tzeentch in Warhammer4000 fits to a T.