History Main / StepfordSnarker

* ''Series/DawsonsCreek'': The self-proclaimed 'Black Sheep' of his family riddled with insecurities and DaddyIssues, Pacey Witter most definitely qualifies as this. He has as a very sardonic, self-aware view of the world and himself. Lampshaded by Joey:
--->'''Joey''': You know Pacey. I mean, if he can't come up with a clever quip about something, he goes stoic.

** His brother Jamie is another good example, possibly even moreso since his surface-level jadedness means most readers don't even realize how damaged he is inside until he becomes a POW character in book three.

** When the Ninth Doctor gets snarky about humanity, it's often a sign that he's very upset and trying hard not to show it. Rose even lampshades this in "The Doctor Dances".

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11772125/1/Metroid-Kamen-Rider-Generations-Full-Series Metroid: Kamen Rider Generations]]'', [[Series/KamenRiderGaim Mitsuzane]] is often written as this combining with StepfordSmiler in spades. His reason to throw a lot of snarks even if it doesn't even make sense to snark at all. Once you learn about [[DarkAndTroubledPast his past]], Mitsuzane has been struggling to get over it, to the point he becomes insecure of himself and no longer reform connections with his former friends in Zawame, considering the grave sins he had committed during his betrayal against Kouta.

** Faith. To the [[BrokenBird extreme]]. Also with shades of {{StepfordSmiler}}. Being a product of a {{DarkandTroubledPast}}, Faith hid all her unhappiness and self-loathing behind a tough-ass attitude and bad girl snark. Faith's bottling of her own demons got so bad she [[TraumaButton finally exploded]] and went on a [[JumpingOfftheSlipperySlope killing spree]], only magnifying her defense mechanism (She hated herself even more evil, but hid it behind cruelty). Eventually after [[RedemptionQuest redemption]] by Angel, she becomes more at peace with herself but still keeps up the snarky smokescreens--to a less psychotic degree, of course.

%%* On ''Series/WillAndGrace'' Will's mother Marilyn (Blythe Danner) fits this trope to a T

%%** Toby Ziegler fits the trope as well, albeit it a more mild fashion.

* In ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'': Dave, though that be more like NotSoStoic. Dave uses irony and jokes to hide his emotions.

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* There's a whole bit on Creator/PattonOswalt's ''My Weakness is Strong'' album about how much he'd grown to depend on cynicism and sarcasm as a defense mechanism, and how he had to suddenly abandon that when, after he voiced the main character of ''Ratatouille'', he found himself on all sorts of children's programming being interviewed by actual children. Suddenly he had to be sincere, and ''he hated it'' because his crutch was gone.

* ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'' has [[WorldOfSnark quite a lot of snarkers]], most of whom are garden variety {{Deadpan Snarker}}s, but [[IronMan Tony Stark]] and [[TheIncredibleHulk Bruce Banner]] specifically fit this trope because their sarcasm is respectively a defence mechanism and a way of maintaining self-control. This is particularly evident after [[spoiler: Agent Coulson]] gets killed, and Tony snarks about how stupid he was to face Loki alone, but is clearly using it to cover up his own grief. Given that Tony's [[Film/IronMan own films]] show his life to be something of a mess, with quite a lot of moral emptiness (before he decides to become a superhero), alcoholism, and relationship issues (continuing after he becomes a superhero) he counts as this trope in all his films.
* By ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld'' Loki is this. A few unguarded moments show that he actually still does care (at least about Frigga, though possibly about Thor and his former friends too) but he spends most of his time among other people, especially the Asgardians, snarking at them to cover up both this and his pain that they now (at least seem to) hate him.

* Rocket Raccoon in ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'' may seem like a jerk, but it turns out he only acts tough and sarcastic to hide his anger over being the only one of his kind who can talk.

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* ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'' has [[WorldOfSnark quite a lot of snarkers]], most of whom are garden variety {{Deadpan Snarker}}s, but [[IronMan Tony Stark]] and [[TheIncredibleHulk Bruce Banner]] specifically fit this trope because their sarcasm is respectively a defence mechanism and a way of maintaining self-control. This is particularly evident after [[spoiler: Agent Coulson]] gets killed, and Tony snarks about how stupid he was to face Loki alone, but is clearly using it to cover up his own grief. Given that Tony's [[Film/IronMan own films]] show his life to be something of a mess, with quite a lot of moral emptiness (before he decides to become a superhero), alcoholism, and relationship issues (continuing after he becomes a superhero) he counts as this trope in all his films.
* By ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld'' Loki is this. A few unguarded moments show that he actually still does care (at least about Frigga, though possibly about Thor and his former friends too) but he spends most of his time among other people, especially the Asgardians, snarking at them to cover up both this and his pain that they now (at least seem to) hate him.

* Rick from ''Film/{{Casablanca}}'' comes off as an uncaring wiseass, but we soon learn he's covering up deep pain over being exiled from his home country and losing the love of his life.
* Almost every line Lane Leonard has in the movie ''Film/SnowDay'' is pretty much either a sarcastic insult towards Hal's plan to win over Claire, or her just pointing out how dumb his plan is. However, she's really just insulting him because she's a bit bitter that he's not in love with her like she is with him.
* Rocket Raccoon in ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'' may seem like a jerk, but it turns out he only acts tough and sarcastic to hide his anger over being the only one of his kind who can talk.
* Sgt. Craig from ''Film/TheVictors'' may come off as rough around the edges, but he hides his pain and weariness behind such an exterior.

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** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'' has the DarkMagicalGirl Rhajat: she's sour and grumpy and obsessed with creepy things, but her supports with her parents and fellow child characters reveal her to be quite awkward and vulnerable. She even ''cries'' in her A support with [[spoiler:her father]] Hayato.

* WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}, in later seasons of her show, becomes even ''more'' acerbic and sharp-tongued as [[ComingOfAgeStory she faces more real-life adolescent challenges.]]

* Soren in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTellius Fire Emblem: Path Of Radiance]]''. When his facade even slightly pulls back, Ike notices. [[DefrostingIceQueen Thanks to Ike's willingness to listen, he's mostly feeling better in the sequel]], although there are still some loose ends to tie up (namely, that Ike couldn't remember their first encounter).
* Rhajat in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'', especially in the localization where she's as much a creepy snarker as the character she's an {{Expy}} of. She's sour and grumpy and obsessed with creepy things, but her supports with her parents and fellow child characters reveal her to be quite awkward and vulnerable. She even ''cries'' in her A support with [[spoiler:her father]] Hayato.

* There's a whole bit on Creator/PattonOswalt's ''My Weakness is Strong'' album about how much he'd grown to depend on cynicism and sarcasm as a defense mechanism, and how he had to suddenly abandon that when, after he voiced the main character of ''Ratatouille'', he found himself on all sorts of children's programming being interviewed by actual children. Suddenly he had to be sincere, and ''he hated it.''

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11772125/1/Metroid-Kamen-Rider-Generations-Full-Series Metroid: Kamen Rider Generations]]'' [[Series/KamenRiderGaim Mitsuzane]], ''[[HurtingHero of all people]]'', with shades of a StepfordSmiler and SadClown. Sarcasm is his only excuse as a mask from his well-hidden self-loathing and GuiltComplex. His snarks often land badly at anyone, mostly [[ComedicSociopathy at the expense]] of, [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11772125/94/Metroid-Kamen-Rider-Generations-Full-Series for instance]] [[Series/KamenRiderDrive Gou]].
-->'''Ghor:''' Hey, kid? You seem to be so down over and over again? In the battlefield, you tend to make those one-liners. And yet, you use them as an excuse to mock other people's misfortunes; especially when Shijima Gou's bike turned into [[ChronicallyCrashedCar a piece of scrap metal]] while pulling off those absurdly stunts.
-->'''Micchy:''' Actually... ''(before he can say something, Samus interrupts and fills it in for him.)''
-->'''Samus:''' Mitsuzane likes to screw around and [[YouFightLikeACow mock his enemies' misfortunes]] with biting one-liners in the middle of the battlefield when he feels so [[SadClown miserable]].

* Kirito in ''WebVideo/SwordArtOnlineAbridged''. In the first two episodes he was a pure HeroicComedicSociopath. The death of the girl he was opening up to in episode 3 made him decide to double down on that attitude, but at the same time it messed him up to the point that he finds himself unable to be as uncaring as he pretends to be. Of special note is episode 8, when he tries making a BondOneLiner when Corvatz is killed by Gleam Eyes to cover up how shaken up he is.

--->'''Ghor:''' Hey, kid? You seem to be so down over and over again? In the battlefield, you tend to make those one-liners. And yet, you use them as an excuse to mock other people's misfortunes; especially when Shijima Gou's bike turned into [[ChronicallyCrashedCar a piece of scrap metal]] while pulling off those absurdly stunts.
--->'''Micchy:''' Actually... ''(before he can say something, Samus interrupts and fills it in for him.)''
--->'''Samus:''' Mitsuzane likes to screw around and [[YouFightLikeACow mock his enemies' misfortunes]] with biting one-liners in the middle of the battlefield when he feels so [[SadClown miserable]].

* ''Series/{{Nashville}}'': Juliette Barnes doesn't spare anyone the snark and occasional jerk part of her JerkWithAHeartOfGold peresonality. However, she was brought up by a seriously damaged mother solo, developed a tough shell to get through her personal and professional life, is difficult to work with, has a truly heroic capacity for the demon drink, and did not take well to motherhood ("Gimme the damn baby!") to the extent of having to go into rehab.