History Main / PluckyComicRelief

A character whose primary role in the show is to relieve tension with [[CloudCuckooLander oddball]] and/or hysterical antics. They have a job to do, but don't get into the thick of things and can stay somewhat detached. Since their purpose is to relieve tension, they almost always have immunity to dying when compared to the other characters. A guaranteed sign that the series is suffering from CerebusSyndrome or that things are just [[FromBadToWorse going to go to Hell from here]] is to see whether this character [[ShooOutTheClowns either dies, leaves/is left behind, or has a complete and utter meltdown,]] no matter how deserved.

A character whose primary role in the show is to relieve tension with [[CloudCuckooLaner oddball]] and/or hysterical antics. They have a job to do, but don't get into the thick of things and can stay somewhat detached. Since their purpose is to relieve tension, they almost always have immunity to dying when compared to the other characters. A guaranteed sign that the series is suffering from CerebusSyndrome or that things are just [[FromBadToWorse going to go to Hell from here]] is to see whether this character [[ShooOutTheClowns either dies, leaves/is left behind, or has a complete and utter meltdown,]] no matter how deserved.

A character whose primary role in the show is to relieve tension with oddball and/or hysterical antics. They have a job to do, but don't get into the thick of things and can stay somewhat detached. Since their purpose is to relieve tension, they almost always have immunity to dying when compared to the other characters. A guaranteed sign that the series is suffering from CerebusSyndrome or that things are just [[FromBadToWorse going to go to Hell from here]] is to see whether this character [[ShooOutTheClowns either dies, leaves/is left behind, or has a complete and utter meltdown,]] no matter how deserved.

** ''WesternAnimation/{{Mulan}}'': Mushu.

A character whose primary role in the show is to relieve tension with oddball and/or hysterical antics. They have a job to do, but don't get into the thick of things and can stay somewhat detached. Since their purpose is to relieve tension, they almost always have immunity to dying when compared to the other characters. A guaranteed sign that the series is suffering from CerebusSyndrome or that things are just [[FromBadToWorse going to go to Hell from here]] is to see whether this character [[ShooOutTheClowns either dies, leaves/ist left behind, or has a complete and utter meltdown,]] no matter how deserved.

* [[Franchise/ArchieComics Reggie Mantle]], the most comedic and magnificent jock in Riverdale.

-->'''Danny''': [[PrecisionFStrike Oh, shit]]. I'm the comic relief! [[OhCrap This is not going to work!]]

The term comes from Sam Rockwell's "Guy Fleegman" character in the movie ''Film/GalaxyQuest'' (who, in a non-[[GenreBlindness genre blind]] example of LampshadeHanging, is afraid that he is only a RedShirt, until another character ("Fred Kwan") suggests that maybe he is instead the "plucky comic relief"), which of course is spoofing the television show ''Franchise/StarTrek''.

%%* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls''; Mabel fits the role.
** Soos too, on occasion. "Need an amiable sidekick?"

* [[WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls Bubbles, who is the joy and the laughter.]]

** ''WesternAnimation/{{Hercules}}'': Hades, who also happens to be the BigBad.

* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'': Golden Age Etta Candy was a prankster and BoisterousBruiser whose quips and violence was most always played for laughs, though not the character herself which was rather impressive for a short overweight comic relief character in the 1940s.

In some cases, similar to StupidBoss. Many {{sidekick}}s fit this description, as well. See AmusingAlien for otherworldly characters whose ''only'' purpose is comedy. See TheFace, where they have a purpose greater than comedy.

* [[ThoseTwoGuys Pippin and Merry]] in the first ''Film/LordOfTheRings'' movie. Gimli, to some extent, in the other two.

[[folder:Real Life]]
* Omega wolves have a specific role in their pack that encompasses this, often being an instigator of play with their packmates and generally being a source of fun. Omegas' role ''is'' more complex than just comic relief, however.
[[/folder]]

** ''Disney/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs'': Dopey, who's kind of like a tiny Harpo Marx.
** ''Disney/{{Bambi}}'': Thumper
** ''Disney/{{Cinderella}}'': The mice, mainly Jacque and Octavius/Gus
** ''Disney/PeterPan'': Mr. Smee
** ''Disney/{{Sleeping Beauty}}'': The Three Good Fairies and the two kings on certain occasions.
** ''Disney/TheAristocats'': Napoleon and Lafayette.
** ''Disney/TheFoxAndTheHound'': Dinky and Boomer.
** ''Disney/TheBlackCauldron'': Gurgi and Fflewddur Fflam.
** ''Disney/OliverAndCompany'': Tito.
** ''Disney/TheLittleMermaid'': Flounder and Scuttle.
** ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'': Genie, who is very plot-relevant.
** ''Disney/TheLionKing'': Timon and Pumbaa.
** ''Disney/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'': Hugo, Victor and Laverne.
** ''Disney/{{Hercules}}'': Hades, who also happens to be the BigBad.
** ''Disney/{{Mulan}}'': Mushu.
** ''Disney/{{Tarzan}}'': Terk and Tantor
** ''Disney/TheEmperorsNewGroove'': Kronk
** ''Disney/BrotherBear'': Rutt and Tuke
** ''Disney/ThePrincessAndTheFrog'': Louis and Charlotte.
** ''Disney/{{Frozen}}'': Olaf and Sven. Olaf is the more prominent of the two, although he adds some quite heartfelt and "deep" moments to the movie. Sven's facial emotions are quite hilarious, but his few lines voiced by Kristoff provoke laughs.

* PungeonMaster Gavrielle in ''VideoGame/TelepathTactics'' manages to remain chipper throughout the whole campaign even if her brother dies. (She doesn't take the death itself well, though.)

A character whose primary role in the show is to relieve tension with oddball and/or hysterical antics. They have a job to do, but don't get into the thick of things and can stay somewhat detached. Since their purpose is to relieve tension, they almost always have immunity to dying when compared to the other characters. A guaranteed sign that the series is suffering from CerebusSyndrome or that things are just [[FromBadToWorse going to go to Hell from here]] is to see whether this character [[ShooOutTheClowns either dies or has a complete and utter meltdown,]] no matter how deserved.

This trope is also known as the "comic relief" and in TheTeam trope it is known as the Funny Guy. Within TheTeam they serve the same purpose as in the cast ensemble but this is specifically for the in-universe team members instead of the show's audience.

** ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'': Genie.
** ''Disney/TheLionKing'': Timon and Pumbaa

** ''Disney/ThePrincessAndTheFrog'': Louis.

* Jester in ''WesternAnimation/JaneAndTheDragon, because it is quite literally his job. As such, he can still be serious when he wants to.

* Since DivergentCharacterEvolution turned him into a LovableCoward, Luigi tends to fill this role in the ''SuperMarioBros'' games, especially in the ''[[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigi Mario & Luigi]]'' series.

A character whose primary role in the show is to relieve tension with oddball and/or hysterical antics. He has a job to do, but doesn't get into the thick of things and can stay somewhat detached. Since their purpose is to relieve tension, they almost always have immunity to dying when compared to the other characters. A guaranteed sign that the series is suffering from CerebusSyndrome or that things are just [[FromBadToWorse going to go to Hell from here]] is to see whether this character [[ShooOutTheClowns either dies or has a complete and utter meltdown,]] no matter how deserved.

The term comes from Sam Rockwell's "Guy Fleegman" character in the movie ''Film/GalaxyQuest'' (who, in a non-[[GenreBlindness genreblind]] example of LampshadeHanging, is afraid that he is only a RedShirt, until another character ("Fred Kwan") suggests that maybe he is instead the "plucky comic relief"), which of course was spoofing the television show ''Franchise/StarTrek''.

In some cases, similar to StupidBoss. Many {{sidekick}}s fit this description as well. Also see AmusingAlien, for otherworldly characters whose ''only'' purpose is comedy. Finally see TheFace, where they have a purpose greater than comedy.

* Exotico {{tag team}} turned stable, The Christopher Street Connection, were the original plucky comic relief on the Wrestling/RingOfHonor shows. They got beat up ''a lot'' but always managed to come back smiling. Sometimes they feuded with baby {{face}}s but they were never worse than {{tweener}}s themselves. Some later examples include [[Wrestling/LondonAndKendrick Paul London, Spanky]], Wrestling/ColtCabana, [[Wrestling/HunterJohnston Delirious]] and Wrestling/ElGenerico, though ROH has a tendency to turn many of them DarkerAndEdgier, even if only for an angle. Wrestling/JimmyJacobs is one who proved not so plucky and remained a problem child after he found out [[LoveRedeems love doesn't redeem]] till his final days in the company.