History Main / TimeTravelingJerkass

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* A recurring character in the WebVideo/{{Smosh}} video "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSH4kAIln4k 22 CRAZY VINES (That Don't Exist)]]" is Timmy the Time-Traveling Troll. Examples of {{troll}}ing include making Ludwig van Beethoven go deaf by making him listen to {{dubstep}}, making Hitler laugh at Borat and then telling him that he's Jewish, and telling the dinosaurs that they're all going to die from a meteor.

* ''Literature/SlaughterhouseFive'': The fatalistic Tralfamadorians are this to the rest of the universe, given that they're the ultimate cause of its destruction via a testing accident.

* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'': Since the ExpansionPack ''The Burning Crusade'', the Infinite Dragonflight tries to mess with several key events of the history of Azeroth and it's up to the players to stop them in the Caverns of time dungeons.

Will usually result in the traveler trying to MakeWrongWhatOnceWentRight, or in some other cases the generic TimeFreezeTrollingSpree. Will definitely run afoul of the TimePolice if they haven't [[{{RetGone}} Ret Goned]] them yet. Will probably not work in a setting where YouAlreadyChangedThePast.

* Kang The Conqueror from ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'' also counts: a well-off guy from a utopian future who was so bored from everything being so peachy, he went back in time to live out the warrior fantasies he developed looking through events of the past. As such, he went back to Ancient Egypt with futuristic tech to rule as a brutal Pharaoh named Rama-Tut, which not only gave birth to the evil mutant Apocalypse but started events that would lead him to continuously antagonize the heroes of the 21st century.
* ''ComicBook/BoosterGold:'' Rip Hunter, leader of the Time Masters. He's notionally good but tends to manipulate Booster in the name of protecting the timeline. Come his return from being erased, he's gotten worse. ''ComicBook/FlashpointBeyond'' has Batman call him a smug, unlikable jerkwad who lords his future knowledge over people in the most condescending fashion possible (and the fact he and the other Time Masters seem to have locked up a bunch of superheroes suggests they've ''stopped'' being heroes at all...)

* ''WebVideo/UnusAnnus'': In the video "Like It or Not... This is What The New Human Looks Like", {{LetsPlay/Markiplier}} discusses (and would relish) being this:

* ''Film/BackToTheFuturePartII'': 2015 Biff takes a sports almanac back to the 1950s and gives it to his past self with the idea that he can get rich and have everything he wants. This results in [[BadFuture Lone Pine 1985]], a dystopia where Biff [[MurderTheHypotenuse murdered George]] and married Lorraine, who can't get away from him thanks to the power he has. When Marty tries to nab the almanac, he discovers that 2015 Biff also warned his past self about the possibility. Marty barely escapes with his life. Fortunately, WordOfGod claims [[spoiler: [[KarmaHoudiniWarranty he gets shot and killed by Lorraine in the '90s]].]]

* Played with in ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'': '''''YOU''''', the player, can become this, due to the normal nature of video games in general. If you're so inclined, you can affect the outcome of the game by just being a jerk to the characters in the game, or you can go on a rampage, and then erase every event that happened up to a certain point just by quitting the game and resetting your progress to that point, or even the very beginning; rewinding time so to speak. This may also be reflected in characters somehow remembering events that technically never happened to them. However, [[spoiler:if you keep going too far, and ignore the moral message of the game, it will be SURE to let you know once you've finished said rampage.]]

-> '''Timmy''': Hey, Beethoven, you wanna hear music from the future? ''[plays dubstep]''
-> '''Beethoven''': Oh my God, that shitty music made me go deaf!

* ''ComicBook/BoosterGold:'' Rip Hunter, leader of the Time Masters. He's notionally good, but tends to manipulate Booster in the name of protecting the timeline. Come his return from being erased, he's gotten worse. ''ComicBook/FlashpointBeyond'' has Batman call him a smug, unlikable jerkwad who lords his future knowledge over people in the most condescending fashion possible (and the fact he and the other Time Masters seem to have locked up a bunch of superheroes suggests they've ''stopped'' being heroes at all...)

* Per Degaton, from ''ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica'', is an example. Frustrated for not being able to harm the JSA chronologically in their last encounter, Degaton uses his time-traveling abilities to "watch life hurting [his enemies]." He spends his next appearances confronting JSA members just to tell them when they'll die. For example, he provides the revelation of the gruesome punishment that Atom Smasher will suffer at the hands of the Spectre, and then appears as the punishment happens just to say [[IWarnedYou "I told you so!"]]

* ''Fanfic/WeightOffYourShoulder'': When [[WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug Marinette]] contemplates giving up her Guardianship and passing on the Earrings to a successor, Bunnyx arrives to convince her that she's making a mistake. Instead of reassuring her that [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre she's better than she realizes]], however, she orders her to "[[QuitYourWhining suck it up]]". Then she [[LooseLips accidentally reveals]] that in the future, Hawk Moth will [[spoiler:get his hands on the Miracle Box]]. Naturally, Marinette and the kwamis are horrified, but Bunnyx casually dismisses this as "just how things have to happen", showing NoSympathy for anyone who will suffer at the villain's hands. When Marinette decides to ScrewDestiny, creating a better timeline, Bunnyx is hellbent on [[MakeWrongWhatOnceWentRight "fixing" everything]] -- and it's eventually revealed that [[spoiler:she's been abusing her powers for ''ages'', trying to force [=LadyNoir=] to happen despite the relationship always ending in tragedy]].

* This doesn't really occur much for Tree in ''Film/HappyDeathDay'' as she's too focused on trying to figure out who's trying to kill her so she can escape her GroundhogDayLoop (the most she does is stroll around on her college campus buck naked in one loop), but she indulges into it in the sequel ''Film/HappyDeathDay2U'' because she's been sent ''back'' to the time loop and is incredibly frustrated, acting even more dickish than usual to those she passes by when she realizes she back into it. Later on she realizes this is a slightly alternate universe where Carter, her boyfriend in her own universe, is hooked up with AlphaBitch Danielle; combine this with her decision to commit suicide rather than wait for the killer to get her means in one loop she goes skydiving without a parachute -- or any clothes at all besides underwear -- and go splat right in front of them while they're making out while FlippingTheBird.

* ''Film/{{Retroactive}}'': A scientist invents a time machine which traps Karen in a twenty-minute time loop trying to stop a dangerous criminal, Frank, from wreaking havoc. When Frank discovers the time machine in the next-to-last loop, he makes it clear he's going to use the machine to kill Karen as many times as possible, at least until he gets bored of her death rattles.

* A short story by Creator/GeorgeRRMartin titled "Unsound Variations" revolves around one man inviting some former college buddies of his to dinner and using the opportunity to gloat that he invented a machine that allowed MentalTimeTravel to his younger self, which he then used to sabotage their lives in revenge for a bunch of petty slights. This [[NiceJobFixingItVillain ends up backfiring on him big time]] because, when he described the destinies that he prevented them from having, instead of [[BreakingSpeech finally shattering whatever little hope they still held]], it reignited now that they knew what they could have achieved if some petty little idiot hadn't become obsessed with revenge [[DisappointedByTheMotive over stupid things like getting lesser grades than them]]. The BigBad ends up [[SelfDisposingVillain accidentally killing himself]] by using his machine [[ExplosiveOverclocking one time too many]] to go back and get revenge for being mocked. Well, it looks like that to the protagonists and makes no difference to them, because of the way time travel works. Every time he travels back into past, the villain's current body dies and he creates a new timeline. It is implied that this was just his latest and most successful "revenge timeline" and he still failed.

** Time Lords who are not the Doctor often fall into this archetype, starting with the [[Recap/DoctorWhoS2E9TheTimeMeddler Meddling Monk]] and his callous disregard for established earth history. Then [[Recap/DoctorWhoS6E7TheWarGames The War Chief]], with his intentions of becoming a GalacticConqueror. Then TheMaster, whose motives vary with each regeneration, from lust for power, to just wanting to get under the Doctor's skin.

* The ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS5E9AMatterOfTime A Matter of Time]]" features a time traveler from the future named Rasmussen who wants to observe the ''Enterprise'' at a historic mission, but spends most of the trip stealing equipment from the crew, badgering them with annoying questions, and even inappropriately hitting on the ship's doctor. It turns his real mission from the future is [[spoiler:a sham, he's actually from the past and he killed the real time traveler before stealing his time machine to use for fun and profit.]]

[[folder:Fan Fiction]]
* ''Fanfic/WeightOffYourShoulder'': [[WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug Bunnyx]] (the [[FutureMeScaresMe future]], time-traveling self of Alix Kubdel) initially appears to have manifested in the present day to prevent Marinette Dupain-Cheng from doing a very stupid mistake by quitting being a Guardian, but almost immediately after appearing [[LooseLips revealed that the future]] (the events of the series post-"[[Recap/MiraculousLadybugS04E03GangOfSecrets Gang Of Secrets]]") would involve Hawk Moth obtaining nearly all of the Miraculous and increasing his terrorizing of Paris and showcased NoSympathy for the people this would hurt. Shortly after Marinette quits being a Guardian and the new Ladybug destroys Hawk Moth and all of his minions, Bunnyx keeps trying to undo this because 1) it is preventing her from [[TimeTravelTenseTrouble becoming Bunnyx]] and 2) because she has become the ultimate ShipperOnDeck of [=LadyNoir=] and has modified the timeline again and again to put them together (to no avail -- it is a very toxic relationship, but Bunnyx [[IRejectYourReality won't hear it]]) and she absolutely refuses to allow her efforts to be stopped.

* ''Film/{{Repeaters}}'': '''Michael'''. Once he realizes he's trapped in a time loop, he more or less goes berserk, indulging in armed robbery, murder, [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil rape]], and several other crimes before [[spoiler: committing suicide once the loop ends. Too bad he's still trapped in another one]].

--> '''Ethan:''' "Why do you want to control time?
--> '''Mark:''' "'Cause you can do whatever you want!"
--> '''Ethan''': "Meddling with time has severe consequences, Mark."
--> '''Mark:''' "Not in multiverse theory! You can do whatever you want! Who's gonna stop you? The TimePolice? They don't exist yet; you made sure of that."

* ''Film/BackToTheFuturePartII'': 2015!Biff takes a sports almanac back to the 1950s and gives it to his past self with the idea that he can get rich and have everything he wants. This results in [[BadFuture Lone Pine 1985]], a dystopia where Biff [[MurderTheHypotenuse murdered George]] and married Lorraine, who can't get away from him thanks to the power he has. When Marty tries to nab the almanac, he discovers that 2015!Biff also warned his past self about the possibility. Marty barely escapes with his life. Fortunately, WordOfGod claims [[spoiler: [[KarmaHoudiniWarranty he gets shot and killed by Lorraine in the '90s]].]]

* ''Film/GroundhogDay'': Phil Connors is the TropeCodifier for the [[GroundhogDayLoop "looping day" variant]]. He gets pretty nasty when he realizes he can do whatever he wants and no one will remember it, leading to (in no particular order) rudeness, assault and battery, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking poor table manners]], suicide, and [[ItMakesSenseInContext vehicular mayhem with a groundhog]]. Learning to make the most of his imprisonment is [[CharacterDevelopment what leads him to become a better person by making the most of the loop as it occurs]].

* This doesn't really occur much for Tree in ''Film/HappyDeathDay'' as she's too focused on trying to figure out who's trying to kill her so she can escape her GroundhogDayLoop, but she indulges into it in the sequel ''Film/HappyDeathDay2U'' because she's been sent ''back'' to the time loop and is incredibly frustrated, acting even more dickish than usual to those she passes by when she realizes she back into it. Later on she realizes this is a slightly alternate universe where Carter, her boyfriend in her own universe, is hooked up with AlphaBitch Danielle; combine this with her decision to commit suicide rather than wait for the killer to get her means in one loop she goes skydiving without a parachute -- or any clothes at all besides underwear -- and go splat right in front of them while they're making out while FlippingTheBird.

* ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'': The "Dicks With Time Machines" sketches play this straight by having a time traveler ruin J.K. Rowling's writing career, stop Paul Revere from completing his midnight ride, and [[InvertedTrope inverts it]] when he prevents Hitler from taking power in Germany (by showing a video of him suffering diarrhea).

-> '''Timmy''': Hey Beethoven, you wanna hear music from the future? ''[Plays Dubstep]''
-> '''Beethoven''': Oh my god that shitty music made me go deaf!

* A short story by Creator/GeorgeRRMartin titled "Unsound Variations" revolves around one man inviting some former college buddies of his to dinner and using the opportunity to gloat that he invented a machine that allowed MentalTimeTravel to his younger self, which he then used to sabotage their lives in revenge for a bunch of petty slights. This [[NiceJobFixingItVillain ends up backfiring on him big time]] because, when he described the destinies that he prevented them from having, instead of [[BreakingSpeech finally shattering whatever little hope they still held]], it reignited now that they knew what they could have achieved if some petty little idiot hadn't become obsessed with revenge [[DisappointedByTheMotive over stupid things like getting lesser grades than them]]. The BigBad ends up [[SelfDisposingVillain accidentally killing himself]] by using his machine [[ExplosiveOverclocking one time too many]] to go back and get revenge for being mocked.

* Eobard Thawne, AKA Reverse Flash, from Creator/DCComics. He's constantly travelled to the Flash's childhood to do everything short of killing him to ruin his life (because actually killing him would cause a [[TimeParadox paradox]]). To wit:

* Kang The Conqueror from Creator/MarvelComics also counts: a well-off guy from a utopian future who was so bored from everything being so peachy, he went back in time to live out the warrior fantasies he developed looking through events of the past. As such, he went back to Ancient Egypt with futuristic tech to rule as a brutal Pharaoh named Rama-Tut, which not only gave birth to the evil mutant Apocalypse but started events that would lead him to continuously antagonize the heroes of the 21st century.
* Per Degaton, also from Creator/DCComics, is an example. Frustrated for not being able to harm the JSA chronologically in their last encounter, Degaton uses his time-traveling abilities to "watch life hurting [his enemies]." He spends his next appearances confronting JSA members just to tell them when they'll die. For example, he provides the revelation of the gruesome punishment that Atom Smasher will suffer at the hands of the Spectre, and then appears as the punishment happens just to say [[IWarnedYou "I told you so!"]]

* ''Literature/SixteenThirtyTwo'': It's mentioned in passing that the (literal) AlienSpaceBats who tossed the town of Grantville, West Virginia back in time to the UsefulNotes/ThirtyYearsWar are a bunch of jerks who perform these kinds of acts all of the time as a kind of self-proclaimed "[[MadArtist art]]". The note that provides this {{Handwave}} finishes by mentioning that the aforementioned aliens [[KarmaHoudiniWarranty were completely annihilated shortly after transporting Grantville]] by another alien race who was fed up with their crap.

-->-- ''WebVideo/{{Smosh}}'', "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSH4kAIln4k 22 CRAZY VINES (That Don't Exist)]]"

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretShow'': In [[Recap/TheSecretShowS2E5VictorOfTheFuture "Victor of the Future"]], Future Professor Professor turns out to be an even bigger asshole than his younger self. When asked by present Victor how he defeated the Floaty-heads back when this was happening for him, he trolls him by having him play a guessing game and then throw ''potatoes'' at their ship.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'': In ''[[Recap/FuturamaM1BendersBigScore Bender's Big Score]]'', the Nudists get their hands on a time sphere (formed through a code on a tattoo on Fry's butt), fully intending to use it to steal things of all value from history. After realizing that they can't use it to go to the past without causing a paradox that would result in their demises, they get a brainwashed Bender to do it for them. Additionally, the Nudists don't care that the time sphere could lead to [[ApocalypseHow/ClassX4 the destruction of the universe]] until after they have obtained everything of value in history.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretShow'': In [[Recap/TheSecretShowS2E5VictorOfTheFuture "Victor of the Future"]], Future Professor Professor turns out to be an even bigger asshole than his younger self. When asked by present Victor how he defeated the Floaty-heads back when this was happening for him, he trolls him by having him play a guessing game and then throw potatoes at their ship.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLegoMovie2TheSecondPart'': Rex Dangervest decides to undo his DarkAndTroubledPast by returning to the past and manipulating his younger self into destroying the universe and dooming all his friends to eternity of imprisonment in a dark dimension.