History WesternAnimation / TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndmandy

* FiveManBand: ''Underfist''.
** TheHero: Irwin
** TheLancer: Hoss Delgado
** TheBigGuy: Jeff the Spider (Doubles as TheHeart)
** TheSmartGuy: General Skarr
** KidAppealCharacter: Fred Fredburger

* AmbiguouslyRelated: While it ultimately ends up [[AvertedTrope not being the case]], the first couple episodes aren’t very clear as to whether or not on Billy and Mandy are siblings. The PilotEpisode makes no mention of what their relationship is and it ending with the two of them (and Grim) [[ThatCameOutWrong sharing the same bed]] certainly didn’t help matters. It isn’t until Mandy's parents are introduced is it more or less confirmed that Mandy simply just spends her free time at Billy's house. A gag in a later episode even [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] the fact that she [[TheThingThatWouldNotLeave almost never goes home]].

Rounding out the show's cast are Billy's parents [[BumblingDad Harold]] and [[SuperOCD Gladys]], who have unfortunately passed their respective stupidity and insanity onto their son; Irwin, Billy's [[RememberTheNewGuy other]] best friend and the TokenMinority (who also has a massive, unrequited, crush on Mandy); Sperg TheBully; Mindy the AlphaBitch; [[KiddieKid Pud'n]], Billy and Irwin's sometime-friend; [[Franchise/EvilDead Hoss]] [[Film/EscapeFromNewYork Delgado]], a supernatural bounty hunter with more brawn than brains; Eris, the goddess of chaos and discord; General Skarr, formerly seen in ''WesternAnimation/EvilConCarne'', who moves in next door and now wants to just garden instead of conquer the world; Nergal, the Sumerian Death God who lives in Earth's molten core and just wants to be friends with everyone, really; Nergal Jr., Nergal's son and Billy's cousin; Jeff, a friendly GiantSpider who's convinced Billy is his father ([[SpidersAreScary much to Billy's horror]]); a [[Series/SanfordAndSon Redd Foxx]]-inspired version of {{Dracula}} who is Irwin's grandpa; and Fred Fredburger, a green {{Cloudcuckoolander}} demon...[[BuffySpeak thing]] who is just as dimwitted as Billy, if not more. Adventures abound as the human duo and their unwilling friend interact with others in their lovely little town of [[IDontLikeTheSoundOfThatPlace Endsville]], facing down all sorts of opponents, from the school bully to sometimes homicidal neighbors to {{Eldritch Abomination}}s born from the most terrifying pits of the human mind.

** Billy's stupidity and other negative traits are significantly cranked up as the series progresses.

* DenserAndWackier: The show becomes more and more bizarre as it goes along, with several plots involving some reeeeaaally out there concepts. From season 3 onward, Mandy and her evil schemes get pushed [[OutOfFocus away from the spotlight]] and more focus is given to Billy's wacky adventures, and the occasional episode would focus on Grim or a side character.

* SpoofAesop: In one episode dealing with Billy's fear of clowns, he learns from his inner frat boy that, just because someone is different from you, you shouldn't be afraid of them. Instead, you should be '''angry''' at them!

** Likewise, after retrieving Grim's scythe and defeating Jack O'Lantern in the HalloweenSpecial:
--->'''Billy''': You know, Grim, [[NeverMyFault if you didn’t loan me the scythe in the first place, this kind of thing would never happen]].\\

* WhamLine: Grim delivers one in "Dracula Must Die". [[spoiler:"Irwin's Grandmama is Dracula's wife?!"]]

** In "The Show That Dare Not Speak Its Name", Pinface at one point refers to Billy as Mandy’s “boyfriend”, and unlike in the episode "Opposite Day" (where Billy was quick to say “SheIsNotMyGirlfriend”), ''neither of them deny it''.

Rounding out the show's cast are Billy's parents [[BumblingDad Harold]] and [[SuperOCD Gladys]], who have unfortunately passed on their respective stupidity and insanity onto their son; Irwin, Billy's [[RememberTheNewGuy other]] best friend and the TokenMinority (who also has a massive, unrequited, crush on Mandy); Sperg TheBully; Mindy the AlphaBitch; [[KiddieKid Pud'n]], Billy and Irwin's sometime-friend; [[Franchise/EvilDead Hoss]] [[Film/EscapeFromNewYork Delgado]], a supernatural bounty hunter with more brawn than brains; Eris, the goddess of chaos and discord; General Skarr, formerly seen in ''WesternAnimation/EvilConCarne'', who moves in next door and now wants to just garden instead of conquer the world; Nergal, the Sumerian Death God who lives in Earth's molten core and just wants to be friends with everyone, really; Nergal Jr., Nergal's son and Billy's cousin; Jeff, a friendly GiantSpider who's convinced Billy is his father ([[SpidersAreScary much to Billy's horror]]); a [[Series/SanfordAndSon Redd Foxx]]-inspired version of {{Dracula}} who is Irwin's grandpa; and Fred Fredburger, a green {{Cloudcuckoolander}} demon...[[BuffySpeak thing]] who is just as dimwitted as Billy, if not more. Adventures abound as the human duo and their unwilling friend interact with others in their lovely little town of [[IDontLikeTheSoundOfThatPlace Endsville]], facing down all sorts of opponents, from the school bully to sometimes homicidal neighbors to {{Eldritch Abomination}}s born from the most terrifying pits of the human mind.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: In ''Wrath of the Spider Queen'' during a flashback when Boogey cheats during the Reaper election, he states the only way someone could win the election fairly after the ballot is stuffed is if everyone remaining voted for that person. [[spoiler:It turns out this is actually how Grim won. He stopped Boogey from cheating then replaced all the voting ballots with ones that had Velma's name on them instead. When Velma thought he rigged it for himself he chased Boogey down and did a terrifying performance in front of the whole school, so everyone who hadn't voted yet voted for him instead of Velma or Boogey.]]

* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: Billy's dad's lucky pants are immune to lasers, supernatural forces, and mustard.

** If she '''does''' smile, the very fabric of reality is pulled apart. A [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments Moment of Funny]] ensues.

* TheDeathOfDeath: In "Night of the Living Grim", Grim ends up becoming sick with Encroaching Doom Syndrome, so he is brought to the doctors in the underworld. However, they are unable to save him, and he ends up passing away... in that [[HumanityEnsues he is now a living human being]].

* DeathAndTheMaiden: In "Grim In Love", Grim falls in love with a Goth woman named Malaria. She shares his sadistic sense of humor and they both enjoy each other's company. By the end, he reveals to her that he is the real Grim Reaper and that all of his friends are actual monsters, leading her to [[spoiler:run away in sheer terror]].
* DeathByDeaging: In "Halls Of Time", Billy and Irwin ends up putting theirs, Mandy and Grim's [[DeathsHourglass hourglasses]] upside down. They end up becoming younger and younger until they vanish.

*** "YOU FOOLS! YOU'VE MESSED WITH THE NATURAL ORDER!"

** Likewise, after retrieving Grim's scythe and defeating Jack O' Lantern:

* FaceYourFears: In order to claim possession of Horror's Hand (which makes people see their worst fears come to life), Billy, Mandy, and Irwin must face their fears to overcome it. None of them succeed.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: In ''Wrath of the Spider Queen'' during a flashback when Boogy cheats during the Reaper election, he states the only way someone could win the election fairly after the ballot is stuffed is if everyone remaining voted for that person. [[spoiler:It turns out this is actually how Grim won. He stopped Boogy from cheating then replaced all the voting ballots with ones that had Velma's name on them instead. When Velma thought he rigged it for himself he chased Boogy down and did a terrifying performance in front of the whole school, so everyone who hadn't voted yet voted for him instead of Velma or Boogy.]]

** In TheMovie (the last one):
--->'''Mandy''': What are you doing?\\
'''Billy''': I'm singing! There's always singing in animated movies!

** "Billy's Growth Spurt" even has a Nonindicative Title Slide depicting Billy as a middle-aged hick, when in fact the episode revolved around a growth on his back that eventually detached and turned into a miniature version of Billy (affectionately named "Yawb-yawb" by Billy himself for the sound it makes).

* OhCrap: Jack O'Lantern displays this expression when the knight who killed him ([[spoiler:really Irwin in a knight costume]]) has returned to finish the job.

* {{Retcon}}: Grim's origins have been fairly inconsistent throughout the series. In "A Grim Prophesy", his parents teach and instruct him to be the reaper as a child, and make him reap during the stone age. In the episode where he explains why his father loves country rock more than him, the flashback shows that he just stumbles upon the reaper scythe while walking along a street, contradicting the other episode. The Spider Queen special shows that he gains the role of Reaper through some underworld middle school program, where he must prove he is capable of getting said role.

The cartoon lasted seven seasons (2001-2008) with two {{MadeForTVMovie}}s; ''[[WesternAnimation/BillyAndMandysBigBoogeyAdventure Billy & Mandy’s Big Boogey Adventure]]'' and ''Wrath of the Spider Queen'', a couple of specials -- including a crossover with ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'' [[note]]Coincidentally, the only other CN series to be greenlit based directly on fan voting.[[/note]] -- and a spin-off attempt called ''[[WesternAnimation/{{Underfist}} Underfist: Halloween Bash]]''.