History Main / SlidingScaleOfTrollCruelty

Trolling seems to mean different things to different people. To some, it means cruel manipulation of people's emotions ForTheEvulz. To others, trolling is like pulling pranks, yanking people's chains and provoking a reaction for harmless amusement. This scale is about those variations and comes in 5 grades depending on the cruelty of the person in question.

How funny the audience finds the trolling and how cruel the "troll" is are not mutually exclusive, though it should be noted that Type 5's are so cruel and malicious that's very rare for them to be funny in contrast to TheGadfly, who's almost always funny.

Lack of understanding of this scale is one of the reasons why gadflies are often mistaken for a {{Troll}} on the internet, thus MistakenlyBanned for trolling.
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[[AC:Type One: Harmless Amusement]]

These characters only seek harmless amusement when they mess with people. Their antics entail minor pranks and good spirited yanking of people's chains to get a reaction. At this stage, even the target is unlikely to really mind much and may even find it ActuallyPrettyFunny.

The defining trope for type 1 is TheGadfly.

!!Examples

[[folder:Anime And Manga]]
* Konata Izumi from ''Manga/LuckyStar'' is fond of messing with Kagami, but it's purely to get a reaction from her.
* ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya's'' Koizumi, mainly to Kyon.
** In ''Manga/TheVanishingOfNagatoYukiChan'', Ryoko likes playing this at times, often to Haruhi.
-->'''Ryoko''': Hee-hee, sorry, Suzumiya-san, you're just such an easy target!
-->'''Haruhi''': Geez, you guys are hard on me. You ''and'' Kyon...
-->'''Ryoko''': And yet, you don't seem to mind so much. Maybe you're a bit of a masochist?
* Kirito, the protagonist of ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline'' is fond of messing with his friends and teammates, and even random bystanders upon occasion, especially during the GGO arc.
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[[folder:Video Games]]
* Wrex from ''VideoGame/MassEffect1'' is fond of asking truly outrageous questions to squad mates just to how how they'll react, particularly whether they would win in a fight with Shepard.
* Jade Curtiss from ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss''. Borderline type 2.
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[[folder:Visual Novel]]
* Mion Sonozaki from ''VisualNovel/HigurashiNoNakuKoroNi'', especially towards Keiichi. Seems to be how she expresses her affection to him.
* [[ServileSnarker Ronove]] in ''UminekoNoNakuKoroNi'' likes to play little pranks to [[{{Tsundere}} his mistress Beatrice]] and laugh at her expense. She doesn't dislike it though, since it's "not boring".
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[[folder:Western Animation]]
* Princess Celestia from ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', though some of her more mischievous acts border on type 2.
** Pinkie Pie as well. She loves a good prank, but only if the target will also regard it as ActuallyPrettyFunny. She'll abort a prank if the target is too sensitive (like Fluttershy).
* Ikki from ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra''.
* Marceline from ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime''
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[[AC:Type Two: Mischievous]]

Mischievous. The mischievous grade's acts are still more annoying than malicious and motivated by entertainment, but they will involve more intense pranks and will start getting on the nerves of their targets. Unlike a type 3, a type 2 will get upset if their pranks actually hurt people physically. Often the method of action for a benign TricksterMentor.

Defining tropes are TricksterMentor. Darker form of TheGadfly. A typical DeadpanSnarker goes here.

!!Examples

[[folder:Anime And Manga]]
* Tomo's antics in ''Manga/AzumangaDaioh'' are more harmful and jerky than a type 1. Some of her pranks can border on type 3.
* Yuu Yanase from {{Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi}} slides between type 2 and type 1. His type 2 antiques are toward his love rival Hatori and his type 1 leans toward his love interest Chiaki.
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[[folder:Video Games]]
* Lady Palutena from ''VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising'', who likes to mess with Pit via telepathy mid battle.
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[[folder:Visual Novel]]
* Shion Sonozaki's normal personality in ''VisualNovel/HigurashiNoNakuKoroNi'' is essentially a slightly darker version of Mion's gadfly behaviour. [[spoiler:However, in arcs where she snaps, she becomes a type 5]]. Her favorite targets are Mion, Keiichi, and sometimes even Kasai.
** Also from that series, Satako Houjou, who serves as a prankster version.
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[[folder:Web Comics]]
* God in ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}'' behaves like a type 2.
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[[folder:Western Animation]]
* King Bumi from ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' loves causing mischief and playing pranks, saying "Messing with people is fun."
* Pre-{{Flanderization}} Bart Simpson from ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' played pranks but got upset when people actually got hurt from them. Later incarnations are type 3.
* Muscle Man from ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow''. In one episode he goes through a HeroicBSOD after one of his pranks seriously hurts Pops.
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[[AC:Type Three: Dick]]

These trolls don't actually commit outright evil acts, aren't motivated by evil, but by amusement. These people are morally ambiguous and don't care if people get hurt by their pranks and mischief. These characters are usually neutral, tending towards chaos.

Example tropes: Low grade {{Troll}}s, ItAmusedMe. A more abrasive DeadpanSnarker falls here.

!!Examples

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* Scratchmen Apoo of ''OnePiece'' launches an attack on Kizaru that he knows will be non-fatal out of a desire to anger the enemy before leaving.
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[[folder:Live Action Television]]
* Q from ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' is the poster boy of type 3 behavior.
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[[folder:Video Games]]
* Etna from the ''Franchise/{{Disgaea}}'' series is very capricious, not caring if anyone gets hurt in her amusement.
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[[folder:Visual Novel]]
* Lambadelta from ''VisualNovel/UminekoNoNakuKoroNi'' isn't so much evil, as completely morally ambiguous and hates boredom. Is among the least nasty {{Troll}}s in a cast that's full to the brim with them, receiving the nick name of "Trolls trolling trolls trolling trolls."
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[[folder:Web Comics]]
* The trolls in ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' vary wildly in their position on the scale, namely due to many of them being lousy at trolling. None of them are type 5's with the worst being a type 4. Appropriately, in their first appearance, they were indeed alien internet trolls.
* Mal in ''Webcomic/HeadTrip'', especially the bit about the book spoilers.
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[[folder:Western Animation]]
* Gilda the Griffon from ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', who ''[[KickTheDog makes Fluttershy cry]]'' because the latter bumped into her while [[FriendToAllLivingThings helping ducks through a crowded marketplace]].
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[[AC:Type Four: Malicious]]

Mean Spirited. Type 4 is where the troll in question starts becoming cruel. Their trolling is mean spirited but can still be darkly funny to the audience depending on the delivery. These characters are usually evil.

Example Tropes: {{Troll}}, AffablyEvil, LaughablyEvil. Typical internet trolls are either here or type 5.

!!Examples

[[folder:Anime And Manga]]
* Izaya from ''LightNovel/{{Durarara}}''. In fact, he's an actual internet troll.
* The internet troll in ''Manga/CromartieHighSchool.''
* ''Manga/DeathNote's'' Ryuk, who drops his death note out of amusement from the chaos it sows. He in particular laments that shinigami have the Death Note, but are constantly lazy and don't use it except to extend their own lives.
* Meru from ''Manga/SayonaraZetsubouSensei.''
* Aizen from ''Manga/{{Bleach}}''. He is known as ''[[FanNickname Trollzen]]'' for a reason.
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[[folder:Comic Books]]
* {{Deadpool}} averages out here due to his complete utter insanity and BlueAndOrangeMorality.
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[[folder:Video Games]]
* Fenrich of ''VideoGame/Disgaea4APromiseUnforgotten'' is here as opposed to Etna since his manipulation is crueler than hers.
* [[spoiler: Hades]] from {{Kid Icarus Uprising}} is here unlike Palutena. He enjoys seeing people suffer sure, but most of the things he says and does are so funny that it barely prevents him from being a type 5. He even makes up a story about wanting to help revive a little girl's parents using the Wish Seed, but not only do the accompanying illustrations show the girl's parents as zombies, but [[spoiler:the Wish Seed itself is a lie that he created, and he manipulates Palutena and Pit into trying to reach it before he can. They realize the truth midway through the mission, and proceed to kill the Phoenix to prevent the Underworld from using it, but that ends up playing into his plan to get the humans to go to war over it]].
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[[folder:Visual Novel]]
* Beatrice of ''VisualNovel/UminekoNoNakuKoroNi'' spends the first half of the series as a Type 4.
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[[folder:Western Animation]]
* Discord in ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic''. Natural, considering he's played by Creator/JohnDeLancie, who also played Q.
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[[AC:Type Five: Cruel]]

These trolls are at maximum grade cruelty, motivated not by direct amusement but rather by causing emotional torment. Rarely are type 5 trolls ever funny. And rarely do they combine the motivation of being both direct amusement and emotional torment.

Example Tropes: ManipulativeBastard, FauxAffablyEvil, ForTheEvulz

!!Examples:

[[folder:Anime And Manga]]
* In ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', Tobi, (a "[[{{SarcasmMode}} good boy.]]" who pretends to be a lighthearted and goofy member of Akatsuki) initially seems like a Type 2 with his enjoying getting on Deidara's nerves. However, when he drops the facade and the full extent of his evil is revealed, he falls in here. [[KickTheDog A shining example]] is when he, after killing many ninja [[spoiler:including Neji, who gave his life to protect Naruto]], mocks Naruto's promise to keep all his comrades from dying, sending him close to the DespairEventHorizon.
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[[folder:Comic Books]]
* SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker from ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' is one the rare examples of a type 5 that's actually funny by virtue of ''extreme'' BlackComedy.
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[[folder:Fan Works]]
* In ''Fanfic/ThePrayerWarriors'', it is said that some [[HarryPotter Hogwarts]] students like to haze newcomers (such as by applying electric shocks) in order to make them angry enough to do the same to others.
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[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* Uber nasty trolling is pretty much a requirement for followers and daemons of Tzeentch in ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}''. More infamous incidents of their trolling include the fall of the Scourged chapter and the incident involving the Changeling giving a renegade governor something to "end the battle" in exchange for sacrificing his daughter. That gift happened to be a Deathwing teleporter homer he stole before the battle.
* Of course the example above also applies to ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/BlazBlue's'' Terumi Yuuki, who's one of the most iconic trolls in all of gaming.
* Handsome Jack of ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands 2}}'', who has the dubious honor of being so cruel and nasty he might be Terumi's Western counterpart. His deeds range from [[EvilIsPetty childish]] (like naming a horse "Butt Stallion" in "honor" of the [[PlayerCharacter Vault Hunters]]) to [[MoralEventHorizon pure evil]] (such as [[spoiler:turning Bloodwing into a TragicMonster]]).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Visual Novels]]
* Bernkastel of ''VisualNovel/UminekoNoNakuKoroNi'' is the absolute darkest point in the scale, known infamously for her nick name of "Trollkastel", with her defining moment being "[[spoiler: Angi]] burgers", then reminding Battler about it to make him get back involved with the game.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* The Magic Man from ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime.''
[[/folder]]
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* In ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', Tobi, (a "[[{{SarcasmMode}} good boy.]]" who pretends to be a lighthearted and goofy member of Akatsuki) initially seems like a Type 2 with his enjoying getting on Deidara's nerves. However, when he drops the facade and the full extent of his evil is revealed, he falls in here. [[KickTheDog A shining example]] is when he, after killing many ninja [[spoile:including Neji, who gave his life to protect Naruto]], mocks Naruto's promise to keep all his comrades from dying, sending him close to the DespairEventHorizon.

** In ''Manga/TheDisappearanceOfNagatoYukiChan'', Ryoko likes playing this at times, often to Haruhi.

* In ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', Tobi's a [[{{SarcasmMode}} good boy.]]

* Konata Izumi from ''Manga/LuckyStar'' is fond of messing with Kagami, but its purely to get a reaction from her.

* Wrex from ''VideoGame/MassEffect1'' is fond of asking truly outrageous questions to squad mates just to how how they'll react.

* ''Manga/DeathNote's'' Ryuk, who drops his death note out of amusement from the chaos it sows.

* [[spoiler: Hades]] from {{Kid Icarus Uprising}} is here unlike Palutena. He enjoys seeing people suffer sure, but most of the things he says and does are so funny that it barely prevents him from being a type 5.

These characters only seek harmless amusement when they mess with people. Their antics entail minor pranks and good spirited yanking of people's chains to get a reaction. At this stage, even the target is unlikely to really mind much.

Trolling seems to mean different things to different people. To some, it means cruel manipulation of people's emotions ForTheEvulz. To others, trolling is like pulling pranks, yanking people's chains and provoking a reaction for harmless amusement. This scale is about those variations and comes in 5 grades depending on the cruelty of the person in question.

[[folder: Anime And Manga ]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

[[folder: Visual Novel ]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* Princess Celestia from ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', though some of her more mischevious acts border on type 2.

[[folder: Anime And Manga ]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

[[folder: Visual Novel ]]

[[folder: Web Comics ]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

[[folder: Live Action Television ]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

[[folder: Visual Novel ]]

[[folder: Web Comics ]]

[[folder: Anime And Manga ]]

* Aizen from ''Anime/{{Bleach}}''. He is known as ''[[FanNickname Trollzen]]'' for a reason.

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

[[folder: Visual Novel ]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

[[folder: Anime And Manga ]]

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

[[folder: Table Top Games ]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

[[folder: Visual Novels ]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

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* Kyubey from ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' has a reputation on the internet for being a very nasty troll.

* Uber nasty trolling is pretty much a requirement for followers and daemons of Tzeentch in ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}''

* Bernkastel of ''VisualNovel/UminekoNoNakuKoroNi'' is the absolute darkest point in the scale, known infamously for her nick name of "Trollkastel".

* Mera from ''Manga/SayonaraZetsubouSensei.''

* SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker from ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' is one the rare examples of a type 5 that's actually funny.

These trolls are at maximum grade cruelty, motivated not by direct amusement but rather by causing emotional torment. Rarely are type 5 trolls ever funny. And rarely do they combine the motivation of being both direct amusement and emotional torment. Being here is sometimes seen as a sign that this character is a CompleteMonster.

* [[ServileSnarker Ronove]] in ''UminekoNoNakuKoroNi'' likes to play little pranks to [[HairTriggerTemper his mistress Beatrice]] and laugh at her expense. She doesn't dislike it though, since it's "not boring".

* King Bomi from ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' loves causing mischief and playing pranks, saying "Messing with people is fun."

* Fenrich of ''VideoGame/Disgaea4APromiseUnforgotten'' is here as opposed to Etna since his manipulation is crueler than her's.