History RunningGag / WesternAnimation

** This was so popular, it's gone viral and is used a lot in WebAnimation/YouTubePoop.

* The RunningGag on ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' about Raven's obsession with the secrecy of her room was repeated exactly [[RuleOfThree three times]]:

* ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'' has a few: Kid Flash's habit of picking up souvenirs, Robin's backformations and prefix removal, Superboy's hatred of monkeys, and Artemis nearly drowning has officially been repeated three times, so it counts, too. They're starting to play around the various gags, as well, with Kid Flash complaining about forgetting a souvenir and Robin using one of his created words in a deadly serious context.

* D'Nerd from ''WesternAnimation/TheBOTSMaster'' is a robot that serves as a large databank, and often times would kick into "dictionary mode" to explain the definition of something when the question was meant to receive a more casual response.

** Corey giving his end of episode's {{Spoof Aesop}}s.

* A key element of the humor in ''WesternAnimation/HarveyBirdmanAttorneyAtLaw'' is the numerous running gags, from Phil Ken Sebben's "Ha ha... DoubleEntendre", to Peter Potamus' "Did you get that thing I sent ya?", to Mentok's mindtaking, to Reducto's paranoia and obsession with small things... It's a long list.

** There's two {{running gag}}s involving Woo the Wise. First is his robe lifting up at random moments, which [[ComedicUnderwearExposure exposes his red underwear]], much to his shock and embarassement (bonus points if he's trying to make an important presentation when that happens). Another one is saying that he knows what he's doing, [[KnowNothingKnowItAll yet in his mind he panics that he has no idea and his head is as empty as a balloon]].

* ''WesternAnimation/TheHollow'': Kai constantly think they're DeadAllAlong and asks for confirmation.

** Dale's continued need to smoke, even in under odder circumstances. At one point, when he's about to have his mouth covered, he quickly flips it into his mouth before hand. And after that, smoke can be seen coming out of his nose.

*** Lincoln: making plans with long names (which end in him lampshading them) and reading comics in his underwear.

* ''WesternAnimation/MickeyDonaldGoofyTheThreeMusketeers'' has a running gag of [[VillainWithGoodPublicity Pete]] motioning to a poster for an opera [[AtTheOperaTonight where he plans to overthrow Minnie]]. Everytime it's shown, a small tune plays, noticed only by Pete.
* ''WesternAnimation/MickeyMouseClubhouse'': Goofy has a habit of mispronouncing 'Mouseketool', which often frustrates Donald. Either Mickey or Donald will tell him the right word.

-->"Ah-HYYUCK-hyuck-hyuck-hyuck-hyuck-hyuck-hyuck-hyuck-AHHH-ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"[[note]]After the third time, the two goats stting above him have had enough, and knock him out with a hammer. Then they mock him by doing the exact same laugh.[[/note]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooInArabianNights'', the "Sinbad" story frequently features the evil Captain's run-down boat being sunken by something, and then the luxury cruise ship WesternAnimation/MagillaGorilla was supposed to get on passing by after that.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheScoobyDooAndScrappyDooShow'' Has Scrappy's love of putting ketchup on the most...unlikely of foods.

** In [[Recap/StarWarsTheCloneWarsS1E10LairOfGrievous "Lair of Grievous"]] Jedi Knight Nahdar Vebb says ''"I have a bad feeling about this."'' when Grievous tells them to please enjoy all his home has to offer, as its been prepared for univited guests like them and he's destroyed their transportation and long range communications abilities.

* ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'': Batman was missing from Gotham [[spoiler:and really under Braniac mind control]]. After Superman as Batman leaves after talking to Gordon, one of the cops standing around remarks "Did he look taller to you?". This is carry-over from the print comic running gag where characters often expect Batman to be taller.

** The episode "Spellbound" has Raven's obsession with a book she was reading. Each time she read, the scene is visualized for the audience. And every time she's interrupted, the scene would stop/freeze/burn as it would if it were an old-school projector film. It got worse every time Raven is interrupted, as her temper grows shorter.

* [[DaChief Captain Fanzone's]] car gets destroyed whenever it shows up in ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated''. He also [[WalkingTechbane can never get technology to work properly.]]
-->"This is why I HATE machines!"

** Another one that repeats over and over again throughout the franchise; if a decepticon named ''Cy-Kill'' ever shows up, expect him to be dead within 5 pages, usually by Megatron.[[note]] For those uninformed; Cy-Kill was the BigBad (aka, Megatron's counterpart) in ''WesternAnimation/ChallengeOfTheGoBots'' and when Hasbro later bought up Tonka and locked the trademark, writers have taken a liking to poke fun at their old [[DuelingShows competitors]] expense.[[/note]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime'' has "I needed that!" from Ratchet everytime someone breaks a piece of equiptment Ratchet needed (usually Bulkhead). Even gets called back to in the movie by bumblebee.

** Most characters tend to not be able to tell that Rocko is a wallaby, [[UpToEleven including an actual kangaroo]].

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs'':

* ''WesternAnimation/JohnnyBravo'': The titular character frequently trying to score with a beautiful woman whenever he sees one, then getting hit or injured in some way by her.

* ''WesternAnimation/Johnny Bravo'': The titular character frequently trying to score with a beautiful woman whenever he sees one, then getting hit or injured in some way by her.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheEmperorsNewSchool'', Yzma orders Kronk to "Pull the lever. in order to access her secret laboratory" This often produces comical results.

** Sea Hawk either setting a boat on fire or someone complaining that he set their boat on fire in the past.

** Mr. Lopart refusing help from Handy Manny saying that he can do something himself, only to end up [[ButtMonkey in a pickle]] because of it.

* ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPandaLegendsOfAwesomeness'': Tigress being mistaken for a man.
** "The Princess and the Po"
-->'''Mei Li:''' I never have any friends. Not real friends like you have. Like the cricket and that ''mean man with the stripes''.
** "Big Bro Po" has this:
-->'''Tigress:''' Hey there, you. Um...settling in ok?
-->'''Bian Zao:''' Yes ''sir''!
** "Father Crime"
-->'''Croc Bandit:''' We caught that tiger dude.
-->'''Tigress:''' Tiger ''lady''!

-->'''Tong Fo''': They're not big! I have a small skull...

* ''WesternAnimation/CourageTheCowardlyDog'' has quite a lot of these, most notably:
** Among other things, Muriel's using vinegar in almost everything she makes.
*** And almost everyone not liking vinegar. This includes liking what she makes and immediately hating it once they find out that there's vinegar in it.
** Eustace pulling out his mask to frighten Courage.
** Muriel playing the sitar.
** Eustace complaining about his possessions such as his chair, hat, or truck.
** Muriel asking for or giving tea.
** Di Lung's car suffering severe damage in its every appearance.
** Di Lung yelling "WATCH WHERE YOU'RE ''GOING'', YA '''''FOOL'''''" at people, usually [[HypocriticalHumor for hypocritical reasons]].
** Eustace complaining about Courage sitting at the table.
** "There's something wrong here! Or my name's (something completely random/foreign)...and it's not."
** Whenever Courage runs into a locked door, he usually pulls bone-saws, arc welders, ''heavy artillery'' or whatever in the hopes of opening it. Naturally, it never works.
** Poultry seems to be a recurring theme for villains, with many being chickens, ducks, and geese.

* Almost every ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' character had at least one RunningGag.
** "[[WesternAnimation/BugsBunny I knew]] [[WrongTurnAtAlbuquerque I shoulda taken that left turn at Albuquerque...]]"
** [[WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck Daffy]] getting his bill blown off in creative ways. Only used in a few cartoons, but they were some of the most memorable.
** And let's not forget: "DuckSeasonRabbitSeason".
** [[WesternAnimation/PorkyPig Porky]] stuttering on one word, then replacing it with a different word. "That's ridi-ridi-ridi-prepos-te-th-that's just plain silly."
** "Awww, da poor puddy tat. He faw down!"
** " I taught I taw a puddy tat!" "I did! I did taw a puddy tat!"
** A French female feline somehow suffers a streak of white down her back, immediately attracting the unwanted affections of Pepe Le Pew.
** "Fortunately, [[WesternAnimation/FoghornLeghorn I always keep]] my feathers numbered, for just such an emergency."
** [[RoadRunnerVsCoyote Coyote.]] Cliff. 'Nuff said.
*** Also, the Coyote getting blown up as well as crushed by a boulder.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'':
** Roberto robs the same bank three times in a row, in the ''same episode''.
** Zoidberg's limited knowledge or the human body, his financial status, and him losing [[BizarreAlienBiology an organ he doesn't need]]. It's a SugarWiki/{{Funny Moment|s}} when it's discovered that Zoidberg is actually a doctor of Art History.
** Good news, everyone!
** [[MadLibsCatchPhrase Sweet (something) of (somewhere)]]! Lampshaded in "How Hermes Requisitioned His Groove Back", where he's so freaked out that he can't come up with a real saying and actually ''says'' "Sweet...something of...some place."
*** A simile involving a "green snake" and "sugar cane" (climbing faster than a green snake up a sugar cane, hungrier than a green snake in a sugar cane field, etc.).
*** '''"MY MANWICH!!"'''
** I'm Scruffy. The janitor.
*** I've never seen ''you'' before.
*** Scruffy's never seen you before neither.
** Bender proclaiming that he's 40 percent something, including titanium in "A Head in the Polls", dolomite in "Jurassic Bark", and zinc.
*** ''Attack of the Killer App'' adds 40% chromium to Bender.
*** And ''All the Presidents' Heads'' makes him 40% scrap metal.
*** In "Decision 3012", 40% wire.
*** As an elephant seal in ''Naturama'', he's 40% ass.
*** He's also 60% storage space, [[http://www.halolz.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/halolz-dot-com-futurama-330.04percentbender.jpg and a few other things that don't really... add up]].
** [[CameraFiend Neat! *click*]]
** [[HesDeadJim He's dead.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' has a few running gags.
** Zuko's ship being damaged in Season 1: being buried under an avalanche (Episode 02), being set on fire by Zhao's catapult (07), losing the miniboat over a waterfall (09), being struck by lightning (12), a Shirshu ripping a hole in the deck (15), and finally being ''blown up'' in the season finale.
** [[YuppieCouple The Cabbage Guy]] getting his [[FruitCart cabbage cart]] smashed. ("My cabbages!"). Lapses for the second season before making a surprise return late in the third season when the playwright traveling the world interviewing people to research the Avatar's journey met "a surprisingly knowledgeable merchant of cabbage".
*** In ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', Cabbage Corp is mentioned in several episodes before appearing, with a statue of its familiar-looking founder standing by his cart. As the owner is being arrested and his company's assets frozen, he cries out "Not my Cabbage Corp!".
** Various characters forgetting that Toph can't see, to the point where Toph once {{lampshades}}, "I mean, seriously, what's ''with'' you people?! I'm '''''BLIND!'''''" Toph herself isn't above taking advantage of it in order to pick on others, but one time she gets defensive about not being included in an activity that would ''require'' sight to do. They also subverted it once where Toph mocks Sokka for asking her to take the wheel of an airship, but he wasn't actually talking to her.
---->'''Sokka:''' Take the wheel!\\
'''Toph:''' ''(smirks sarcastically)'' That's a great idea! Let the blind girl steer the giant airship!\\
'''Sokka:''' ''(dryly)'' I was talking to Suki.\\
'''Toph:''' ''(stops smiling)'' Thaaat would make a lot more sense...
*** Taken to extreme when in order to end a rift between Toph and Katara, Sokka writes an apologetic letter supposedly from Toph and sends it to Katara who is not fooled as being blind 'Toph can't write!', Aang still enthusiastically suggests they try again reversing the recipient of the fake letter but Sokka realises 'we may face the same problem'.
** Sokka's fake beard in the third season. Then his alias of "Wang Fire" went on to become a MemeticBadass.
** His [[TerribleArtist terrible drawing skills]] that go from "Lake Laogai" all the way to the GrandFinale. Toph thinks he's a great artist, which is nice of-- heyyyy...
** Every time a character (usually Sokka) tells a bad joke, there is a moment of silence, [[ChirpingCrickets followed by an off-screen cough.]]
** Katara's water bending always gets Sokka wet throughout season one followed with
---->'''Sokka:''' KATARA!\\
'''Katara:''' Sorry Sokka.

* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'': Whenever there's a panicking crowd, a guy can often be heard shouting: "My leg!"
*** Parodied in the episode "Squid Baby", with "My face, my face!... Also my leg, but mostly my face!"
*** An entire episode, simply titled "My Leg!" was made around this gag. It explains how Fred, a background fish, was the one who always said it, and how he always did it in an attempt to be with a Nurse he's in love with.
** How about Old Man Jenkins as a running gag character? Or his name, rather, considering that it's apparently the name of several different elderly fish in Bikini Bottom.
*** As of lately, there's been one consistent design for Old Man Jenkins, and another old fish who originally went by that alias was renamed 'Old Man Walker'.
** "Chocolate? Did you say CHOCOLATE!?!"
** In ''WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobSquarePantsMovie'', we have the reaction to King Neptune's baldness; "B-B-B-Bald! Bald! Bald!" "[[EyeScream My eyes]]!"
** Various things [[MadeOfExplodium randomly exploding in a mushroom cloud for little to no reason.]] [[MemeticMutation Naturally gets combined with the "WTF!!! BOOM!!! meme quite often.]]
** Mrs. Puff getting arrested, when it's usually [=SpongeBob's=] fault. She even spent one whole episode in prison.
** Patrick [[BigEater spending so much time at the Krusty Krab]] that Mr. Krabs sometimes forgets that he doesn't work there.
--->'''Patrick:''' ''(reading card)'' "One of your shipmates has been a bad pirate! Send him to the brig!" Hmmm. It's off to jail for you, Mr. Krabs!\\
'''Mr. Krabs:''' Patrick, you're fired!\\
'''Patrick:''' But I don't even work here!\\
'''Mr. Krabs:''' Would you like a job, starting now?\\
''(hands him a Krusty Krab hat)''\\
'''Patrick:''' Boy, would I!\\
''(snatches the hat back)''\\
'''Mr. Krabs:''' You're fired!
** Plankton getting crushed by a piano in "Fear of a Krabby Patty".
** "Rock Bottom" has a couple, such as [=SpongeBob=] missing the bus, which makes up a large part of the episode, and [=SpongeBob's=] balloon hitting the bus driver.
** One involving Plankton and Karen. She would suggest a way to steal the formula, but he dismisses her for being random or bothering him, [[GladIThoughtOfIt then he would say the exact same idea.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/BojackHorseman'': A regular gag throughout the show is Mr. Peanutbutter calling every time he and Bojack accidentally meet up at the same place a "crossover episode", as both worked on family sitcoms during the 1990s and a crossover between their two shows was one of his biggest dreams. [[spoiler:It finally gets paid off in the final season, when they come across the old set of Mr. Peanutbutter's show at the pop culture wing of the Smithsonian and Bojack humors him by suggesting they finally act out that crossover. Mr. Peanutbutter is so overwhelmed with joy that he breaks down in tears partway through their improv skit.]]

** Brainy had a running gag that ended a lot of episodes. One of the smurfs would get upset at his annoying lectures, and he'd be thrown out of the village, land on his head, and make some sort of funny comment. (For instance, in "The Gingerbread Smurfs" episode, it happened when it was clear he hadn't learned a thing, and said, "I guess that's the way the cookie crumbles!") One time the episode ended outside the village, and he was thrown ''into'' it, surprised that had actually happened.
* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'': "Oh my God, TheyKilledKenny!" "You bastards!"
** Other than the obvious ones, such as Kenny dying, there are other, smaller ones such as Cartman's almost unvarying goal to get "ten million dollars". It's never explained why he wants ''exactly'' ten million dollars, and the closest they get to it is when another character reveals their own plan to get ten million dollars, they say "that's how scams work."
*** In "Cartmanland", it is revealed Cartman always wanted one million dollars to buy a theme park. Why he wants the other nine is never shown.
** Whenever Darryl Weathers shows up, he'll inevitably yell out "DEY TOOK AR JERBS!" or a variation of it.
*** "THEY TOOK OUR JOBS!"
*** "DEY TOOK ERR JERBS?!"
*** "DEY TOOKUR JEEOBS!"
*** DRR TRRKA JRR!!
*** DURKA DUR!
** During the earlier seasons at least, there is at least the outline of one of the aliens from the first episode's heads once per episode. EVERY. SINGLE. EPISODE.
** On the DVD release of the first season, Matt and Trey have "Fireside chats" between the episodes, in which they have a dog named "Old Scratch" who changes breed (and even changes into stuffed animals) each time he is seen.
** There was also more than one mention of Cartman wanting to give Kyle AIDS. Until he does.
** Scott is a dick.
** "You know, I [[AnAesop learned something today]]."
** "RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE!"
** "I'm gonna need about tree fitty."
** "Herro this is Shitty Wok." or when he says "Dem Mongorians broke down my shitty wall!" A.K.A him saying shitty instead of city.
** Season 19 has PC Principal making a speech and--GODDAMMIT, LESLIE, SHUT YOUR FUCKING PIEHOLE!
*** The season also has Caitlyn Jenner running people over with her car, a reference to her infamous February 2015 collision. "Buckle up, buckaroos!"