History YMMV / ThePowerpuffGirls

''For YMMV tropes pertaining to the reboot, go [[YMMV/ThePowerpuffGirls2016 here]].''
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!!YMMV tropes with their own pages:
[[index]]
* [[Memes/ThePowerpuffGirls Memetic Mutation]]
* [[WhatAnIdiot/ThePowerpuffGirls What an Idiot!]]
[[/index]]

!!General examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:#-D]]
* AccidentalAesop: The episode "Buttercrush" can be taken as a G-Rated metaphor for child grooming. Buttercup develops a crush on the considerably older Ace and he lets her hang out with the Gangreen Gang, so that they can take advantage of her powers and destroy her sisters.
* AccidentalInnuendo: Mojo utters this little gem in "Los Dos Mojos."
-->"I'm wet! I'm naked! [[SexyShirtSwitch Your sister is wearing my clothes]]!"
* AdaptationDisplacement: Several episodes were directly or indirectly distilled from PPG print material:
** "Stray Bullet", from comic book story "Squirrely Burly" (issue #1).
** "All Chalked Up," from Scholastic Book, same title.
** "[=PowerProf.=]," from Scholastic Book "Powerpuff Professor."
** "Substitute Creature," from Little Golden Book, same title.
** "Neighbor Hood," from comic book story "Remote Controlled" (issue #7). The episode was originally penned for season 1 but fearing a lawsuit from the producers of ''Series/MisterRogersNeighborhood'', the outline was given to DC Comics for the comic story.
** "Lying Around The House," indirectly from comic book story "Big Fish Story" (issue #21).
** "Simian Says," indirectly from comic book story "See You Later, Narrator" (issue #46).
** "Deja View" (comic issue #50) was intended as a season 5 episode but was shelved due to being overbudget (half of the ep was to be in CGI) and having a tight deadline. Like "Neighbor Hood"/"Remote Controlled," the story outline was given to DC and made into a comic.
* {{Adorkable}}:
** Blossom is a CuteBookworm with [[SuperOCD OCD-like]] tendencies. Especially when she gets endearingly excited when Dr. Kenzington comes to school. Then there's how she acts when around her crush Jared Shapiro or whenever somebody talks about him.
** Bubbles' childish attitude and love for stuffed animals qualify her for this.
* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation:
** Him's CampGay tendencies are an act to trick his enemies into letting their guard down. He occasionally slips out of the act when angered or excited, before quickly realizing his mistake and going back to acting. Now that's a tactic only the devil or devilish will think of using.
** Professor Utonium reveals in "Keen On Keane" that he does, in fact, remember how he was once brainwashed by an evil cat, yet he acted like it was AllJustADream at the end of "Cat Man Do." Did his memories eventually return (not uncommon in post-BrainwashedAndCrazy cases)? Did he make the girls fill him on the weeks (days, at the least) he couldn't remember and explain how he ended up outside that building in the middle of the night? Or was he merely pretending he couldn't remember to try to make it easier on the girls?
** In "A Very Special Blossom", Blossom stole the golf equipment to give to Professor Utonium for Father's day. Was Blossom just a DesignatedVillain, who felt bad for what she did and only wanted to make Professor Utonium happy, or was she a little brat who was intelligent enough not to steal but did it anyway to get praise, making it sound like it was the Professor's fault [[NeverMyFault ("That's what drove me to crime!")]] and [[LaserGuidedKarma got what she deserved at the end]]?
** Did the Rowdyruff Boys become more dumb for CharacterizationMarchesOn, or did HIM make them that way to make them follow his orders without question?
** At the end of "Moral Decay", the sad face Buttercup makes as she finds out the Professor found her secret stash of money has sparked two theories. Did Buttercup [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone actually feel sorry]] about her actions in the episode, or was she just disappointed about her money being taken away?
** Is Bubbles genuinely ditzy, is she [[ObfuscatingStupidity faking it]], or is she just [[SmarterThanYouLook smarter than she seems]]? "Him Diddle Riddle" suggests the latter. Another proof that she is not lacking in common sense is when Blossom's brains and Buttercup's brawn failed to topple a lizard beast in "Three Girls And A Monster," and Bubbles succeeds with politeness and beguiling innocence.
** The Gangreen Gang, depending on which part of the fandom you ask. Either they're no good, criminal thugs and delinquents; or abandoned / orphaned teens that have been left behind by society and they commit these criminal acts in a way to lash out at their predicament in life. Interesting to consider because their crimes for the most part are in very low scale when compared to the likes of Mojo's or HIM's.
* AlternateSelfShipping: It's not uncommon to ship the girls with their {{Evil Counterpart}}s from an AlternateUniverse, the Powerpunk Girls.
* AndYouThoughtItWouldFail: The test screening for the first pilot was [[https://youtu.be/MKEfQGoviQQ?t=20m18s an absolute disaster]], with children complaining about the unusual character designs and one even going as far as to say that Craig [=McCracken=] should ''be fired''[[note]]This kid would later serve as the inspiration for [[TakeThat the show's bully Mitch Mitchelson]][[/note]]. Craig went to work redesigning the characters with more traditional features, but then-president of Creator/CartoonNetwork and future Creator/AdultSwim founder Mike Lazzo reassured him that a negative reaction was better than a lukewarm reaction, and that they shouldn't change a thing.
* AnimationAgeGhetto: Toyed with. The cartoon was originally conceived as "The Whoopass Girls," and the fact that it wasn't exactly originally conceived as a children's show [[{{demographically inappropriate humour}} eventually showed]]...''big time''. All while [[ParentalBonus not actually making it inappropriate for kids]].
* AssPull:
** In "Insect Inside" Blossom produces a giant jar to contain a mass of cockroaches. Lampshaded by the narrator who talks about Blossom's knowledge of where to get giant jars, and in a later episode where she pulls out a giant match, which she claims to have gotten [[ContinuityNod from the same place]].
** During "HIM Diddle Riddle," the girls are tasked with taking down a giant monster without using their powers. Buttercup runs off and comes back in a helicopter with a gatling gun. Where did that come from, how did she get it, and how does she know how to pilot it?
* AuthorsSavingThrow: Many fans did '''''NOT''''' like Rainbow's fate at the end of the Season One episode "Mime For A Change". Perhaps to rectify this, he is seen again at the girls' birthday party (in the season two episode "Birthday Bash") as a free and happy clown. What helps is that the writers never intended to hurt Rainbow at the end of "Mime...".
* BadassDecay:
** HIM was introduced as a hellish, almighty being so fearsome that even saying his real name was enough to horrify a person, and was pretty solid NightmareFuel. By "Meet the Beat-Alls", he is reduced to as much of a feeble joke as any other villain.
** The Rowdyruff Boys. When they first appeared, they were taken completely serious by the Powerpuff Girls, due to being the most powerful opponents they've ever faced. After getting revived, they spend much of their times being DumbJock villains, and the Girls don't even take them that seriously anymore.
** There was a time when Mojo Jojo was consistently one of the most badass enemies of The Girls, as he succeeded in taking over the city in the Movie, overpowered all 3 of the Girls when the Professor granted him their superpowers, showed traits both from a GadgeteerGenius and an experienced martial artist, took out an alien overlord with ease, etc. In later seasons, his plans become much more stupid, such as one episode where his master plan is to pretend to pee on the girls' bed to annoy them, or another where he causes trouble by teaching the citizens to speak with his [[SesquipedalianLoquaciousness bizarre speech pattern]].
* BaseBreakingCharacter:
** Buttercup. She's loved on one side of the fandom for being [[LittleMissSnarker the snarkiest]] and [[LittleMissBadass the toughest]] of the girls, and [[JerkassWoobie how sympathetic she is]], while another side dislikes her for her {{Jerkass}} behaviour.
** Blossom -- some find her bland, snooty, bossy and she can be kind of a jerk to her sisters, while there are those who love her for being ''very'' {{Adorkable}} and the smart, level-headed matriarch of the team.
** Even Bubbles is not exempt from this, though she's often liked for her joyful personality, some find her to be an [[ProneToTears annoying crybaby]] who [[Main/DoubleStandard seems to get away with some things just because she's the "cute one"]] (which is subjective).
%%* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: That... weird hot dog song in the first episode.
* BrokenBase:
** The 2014 re-designs of the girls have solicited reactions raging from "awww how cute!" to "OH GOD {{KILL IT WITH FIRE}}!". And now that the special itself has aired, opinions are divided on if the special was a fun and fast paced trip down memory lane that should lead to a revival series, or if it was a rushed mess that needs to just stay a one off. There is something of an agreement that the last few minutes of the special felt rushed and that it would have benefited from being longer, but whether or not if a person thought the rest of the special was good or not is, naturally, a matter of opinion.
** The 2009 special. Some say it is the best episode of Powerpuff Girls while others say it is one of the worst. Still others prefer this episode as the Series Finale.
** Whether or not the episodes "Equal Fights" and "Members Only" (which revolve around [[StrawFeminist radical feminism]] and [[StayInTheKitchen toxic masculinity]] respectively) fall under ValuesDissonance or ValuesResonance. Each episode also has an individual broken base:
*** "Equal Fights." Some believe that feminism was too weighty a subject for a lighthearted children's show (even Lauren Faust thinks so, even though she does agree with the episode's message), while others feel that its motives are clear and effective (at the very least, it's the best they could have done with this subject under these circumstances). Others split the difference and say it was a good Aesop but the execution could have been done better.
*** Many fans see "Members Only" as one of the funniest episodes of the series, but there are some who are rather peeved that the episode had Major Glory and the other ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'' superheroes being chauvinistic and condescending to the Powerpuff Girls.
** "See Me, Feel Me, Gnomey" is either a beautifully animated episode with an incredible opera rock soundtrack that showed the writers weren't afraid to make bold choices or a mediocre special dragged down by a nonsensical plot and the poor singing voices from the [=VAs=].
* CharacterRerailment: Many fans despised the Mayor after the later seasons {{flanderiz|ation}}ed him into being an idiotic manchild, but the 2014 special has him back to being the kindhearted and only slightly ditzy goof that he was at the start of the show. He even encourages Professor Utonium not to give up on snapping the girls out of Mojo Jojo's mind control and expresses remorse for insulting Ms. Bellum for refusing to open his jar of pickles.
* CommonKnowledge: Bubbles' special power is her sonic screams. Except it's not. Her special power is her ability to speak many different languages (including animal languages like squirrel). Whilst bubbles has used sonic scream more often then the other girls, it is an ability they all share. Not helping things is that nearly all video games (exept Relish Rampage, where she is given a stronger eye beam called "vaperize") give sonic screams as bubbles uniquie power equivelent to Blossoms ice breath. [[note]] And in case you're wondering, the video games tend to give Buttercup either whilwinds or fireballs has her speical power[[/note]]
* CompleteMonster: One-shot villain [[ADickInName Dick Hardly]], from the season 4 episode [[Recap/ThePowerpuffGirlsS4EP6 Knock it Off]]", is a former colleague of Professor Utonium defined by his {{greed}}. Seeing financial profit in Utonium's daughters, Dick manipulates the girls into giving him samples of Chemical X and mass produces [[ShoddyKnockoffProduct crude replicas]] of the girls that [[CloneDegeneration deteriorate easily]]. Displaying his callousness towards his sapient creations by ordering a perfect replica of Buttercup melted down for its excess Chemical X, Dick traps the real Powerpuff Girls and slowly, painfully drains them while boasting that he could kill the girls and have Utonium as his slave at the same time. With no charm or comedic traits to his name, Dick was a monster even before drinking Chemical X.
* CrackPairing:
** Each girl has her own popular, cracky pairing in the fandom: Bubbles x Him, Blossom x Mojo, and Buttercup x Ace — though the last one was actually canon [[PrecociousCrush for one episode]]. Each of these [[FoeYay pairs one of the girls with her]] ArchEnemy.
** Any or all of the Powerpuff Girls with their respective Rowdyruff Boy counterpart is also a popular pairing choice.
** Pairing the girls with their Rowdyruff counterparts has always been the most preferred pairings as it takes up the lion's share of fanfiction, fanart, and fanvideos. However over time, these pairings have been switched up into similarly cracky pairings where each sister is paired up with another brother. This has gotten so prevalant that there are now ship names (Color-coded for the original pairings, Color-clash for one switch up and, (amusingly) Color-crack for another switch up)
%%* CreepyAwesome: HIM, all the time.
* CrossoverShip:
** Blossom x [[WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory Dexter]] is popular, due to them having a SharedUniverse and both being intelligent redheads.
** Bubbles x [[WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends Mac]] is also rather popular.
** Thanks to [[http://princesscallyie.deviantart.com PrincessCallyie]], Princess x [[WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown Jack Spicer]] is becoming popular.
** Buttercup x [[WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents Trixie Tang]] is also becoming popular, thanks to [[http://toongrowner.deviantart.com toongrowner]].
** With the release of ''VideoGame/FusionFall'', Bubbles x [[Franchise/Ben10 Ben]] has gained popularity, even getting [[https://ben-and-bubbles.deviantart.com a group on Deviantart]].
** There's a community that ships Blossom with [[WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack Aku]] of all people.
* CriticalResearchFailure: Done by [[TheSmartGuy Blossom]] of all people in "Power Noia":
-->'''Blossom:''' Seven doesn't ''have'' a square root. It's prime![[labelnote:Actual correct answer?]]Seven does have a square root, it's just irrational. Its square root is about 2.65. [[FridgeLogic In her defense, she might not have learned square roots of prime numbers in school yet.]][[/labelnote]]
* DemographicallyInappropriateHumor:
** In the season 4 episode "Super Friends," a new neighbor moves in next door to the girls. While introducing her to the Professor, she alludes to being the result of a SurprisePregnancy.
-->'''Bubbles''': This is our dad. He made us in his laboratory by accident.\\
'''Professor''': Well, what can I say...\\
'''Robyn''': Don't worry, Professor -- I was an accident, too!\\
''[Professor's eye suddenly spring up]''
** The reason Ms. Bellum she is only seen from the chest down has often been suggested as being a joking way of explaining that [[MyEyesAreUpHere everybody is staring at her breasts most of the time]]. This is emphasized in "The Powerpuff Girls' Best Rainy Day Adventure Ever," in which Blossom dresses as Ms. Bellum by combing her hair over her face and shoving a few stuffed animals down the front of her dress.
** The episode where Sedusa replaces Ms Bellum features a series of visual double entendres -- for example, "Ms Bellum" helping the Mayor sharpen a pencil while he gets a blissful look, then pulls back the pencil to discover only a nub left.
** In "Stray Bullet", when the girls are arguing over whether a squirrel they've adopted is a boy or a girl, shouting over each other so you can't tell what they're saying, once Blossom and Buttercup fall silent Bubbles yells "Squirrels ''eat'' nuts, stupid!"
** At the end of the episode Cootie Gras, when Mojo was thrown in jail, a large, burly prisoner was looking down on him with a sly smile. The Narrator's quip? "[[PrisonRape Love is in the air. Can't you just smell it?]]"
** Once, the girls asked the Mayor for an extraordinary amount of money for their services. The Mayor literally has what appears to be a heart attack, then after calming down says "I'm no sugar daddy. Those days are over." "Sugar daddy" refers to a rich man who pays a large amount of money or expensive gifts for sex or company from a younger person.
* DesignatedHero:
** The Squirrel from "Fuzzy Logic" is treated as being a hero, even though Fuzzy's rampage in Townsville was partially his fault, and he apparently never felt it was important to bring that up.
** The Girls themselves [[DependingOnTheWriter can occasionally]] fall into this area. The aforementioned "Mime for a Change" and "Slave the Day" have them beat up characters who were either [[NotHimself not entirely at fault]] or [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone incredibly remorseful for their actions]] and they are supposed to still be cheered for it (as seen from the Narrator's comments). In the former episode's case, [[WhatCouldHaveBeen Craig and the writers actually wanted Rainbow the clown to be let off the hook]], but [[ExecutiveMeddling Mike Lazzo himself insisted on having Rainbow being beaten up and jailed]], and the ensuing fan backlash from this would be enough [[StartMyOwn for Lazzo to start]] Creator/AdultSwim a few years later, not unlike how Jeffrey Katzenberg started Creator/DreamWorks. Seeing as Rainbow was free and happy as a guest in the episode "Birthday Bash", it seems the writers eventually got their way.
* DesignatedMonkey: Buttercup comes off as this at times. She gets put on the receiving end of humiliation and seems to get less respect compared to her sisters. Some examples include in "Nuthin' Special", wherein she spends the entire episode sad and angry over how she doesn't have a special power [[spoiler:if you don't count tongue rolling]], "Cover Up", when she was forced to give up her SecurityBlanket [[DoubleStandard despite the fact she is also 5 and Bubbles has Octi]], and in "Down And Dirty" where she gets kicked out of the house and is chased by villagers with pitchforks [[DisproportionateRetribution just because she was unwilling to bathe.]] Not to mention, compare and contrast "Moral Decay" and "Bubblevicious" -- in each episode, Buttercup and Bubbles both go OffTheRails and start attacking people, Buttercup for {{Greed}} and Bubbles to prove she's "hardcore". However, the treatment they receive is different and wildly unfair -- Buttercup attacks villains so she can steal their teeth for money, which is bad. What do her sisters do? [[DisproportionateRetribution They get every villain in Townsville to beat her up and the episode ends with Buttercup having to use the money to pay for dental bills.]] How does Bubbles get punished for beating up villains ''and'' civilians? Nothing -- she storms off when Blossom and Buttercup give her a WhatTheHellHero, Mojo Jojo kidnaps her for unrelated reasons and zaps her with a laserbeam to lead her sisters into a DeathTrap, and when her sisters come to rescue her, they get knocked out by Mojo and Bubbles beats him up and apologises for running away, so ultimately, [[DoubleStandard Bubbles gets away with exactly the same behaviour Buttercup doesn't, because she's the "joy and the laughter."]]
* DesignatedVillain:
** The [[BlueAndOrangeMorality Hawk]] in "Stray Bullet." It only wanted to eat and possibly [[FridgeHorror feed its young]]. Alas, it bore the unfortunate fate of being [[WhatMeasureisANonCute a predator]] in a children's cartoon and being pit against an archetypical "cute" animal, and, as a result was slated to die.
** The Sandman, sure he used a machine to put everyone to sleep, but all he wanted was some sleep himself since he's up all night taking care of his duties and the girls give him hell by invading his dreams.
* DoNotDoThisCoolThing: Parodied in "Mojo Jonesin'." It has a pretty clear message about how DrugsAreBad and that you should never take a drug that gives you superpowers just because having superpowers is cool... which is followed immediately by both the girls and the kids who Mojo tricked admitting that having superpowers ''is still really freaking cool!''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:E-I]]
* EnsembleDarkhorse:
** Bunny, the fourth Powerpuff Girl that Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup made, has some love from the fan-base, probably due to her episode being an ''absolute'' TearJerker. She's even mentioned in Creator/{{Bleedman}}'s ''Webcomic/PowerpuffGirlsDoujinshi''.
** Robin Snyder from "Superfriends". She only appeared as a major character in that one episode (though she remained a reoccuring background extra), but Robin is one of the most popular characters on the show because of how cute she is, also ''especially'' for her "I was an accident too" line.
** Dick Hardly only appeared in one episode because he was KilledOffForReal, but is still among the show's most popular villains.
** Mr. Green's only appearance was "Substitute Creature", yet a lot of fans fell in love with him for being a CuteMonster with a kind, gentle heart.
** The Rowdyruff Boys were intended to be one-shot villains, but they garnered such huge fan support with tons of fan art to even a [[http://web.archive.org/web/20091231163325/http://www.rowdyruff.net/index1.shtml website built around them]] (which is unfortunately now disabled, the link is to an archive of the site) that the writers eventually caved and brought them back, redesigned and having more depth than just being evil counterparts to the girls.
** The Powerpunk Girls, of a MirrorUniverse in the comic exclusive story "Deja View" ([[WhatCouldHaveBeen that was planned to be on TV]]), are fairly popular as well.
** After their leader joined Music/{{Gorillaz}}, the Gangreen Gang has since then enjoyed a ''huge'' surge in popularity, becoming one of the most beloved characters amongst fans for their distinct designs and personalities. [[TheDragon Snake]] seems to be developing a bigger following of his own too.
* EvilIsCool:
** Mojo Jojo counts for being such an epic BigBad, and HIM, who happens to be {{Satan}} and extra points for that the Girls are afraid of him. They are both so awesome in all their appearances as main antagonists, that they're the most recurring ones.
** The Rowdyruff Boys may be loud and rude in general, but they definitely fit into this trope as they actually defeated the Powerpuff Girls in a 3 vs 3 fight.
* EvilIsSexy:
** Sedusa, for being a MsFanservice, a Femme Fatale, and for being a fairly attractive [[EveryoneLovesBlondes blonde]] as Ima Goodelady.
** [[StrawFeminist Femme Fatale]], like Sedusa, is another female villain with a curvy body, [[{{Irony}} despite the fact that she's a extreme misandrist]].
** Ace of the Gangreen Gang is surprisingly popular among [[AllGirlsWantBadBoys the female fans]].
* {{Fanon}}:
** Professor Utonium as at least half-Asian pops up due to his resemblance to WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack and the fact it [[AsianAndNerdy fits a popular stereotype]].
** Quite a few fans think the girls see Ms. Bellum as a [[ParentalSubstitute maternal figure]], though Utonium is still shipped with Keane more than Bellum.
** There are disproportionate amount of fanfics about the characters as teens, however there's quite a bit of fanon, especially in {{Dark Fic}}s, that they cannot age due to being {{Artificial Human}}s. Other side-effects include being immortal and (especially in Blossom's case) being very precocious to the point of CreepyChild degrees.
** Fans ignore the fact the Powerpuffs have [[FingerlessHands no fingers]], toes, or [[TheNoseless noses]]. Then again, Cartoon Network [[VideoGame/FusionFall did that once, too.]]
** Buttercup is given an individual superpower, much like Blossom's ice breath.
** Some fans believe "Princess" is a nickname.
* FanonDiscontinuity:
** The episode "Town And Out" is the most noteworthy case of this. It features the girls and the professor moving to Citiesville where they endure the abuse of its unfriendly and apathetic citizens; the apparent intent was to showcase how the girls would fare in an allegedly more "realistic" setting where their powers might be frowned upon by the public; [[MisaimedFandom instead, fans tended to see it as a needlessly cruel and unpleasant episode.]]
** Many fans also pretend the episode “Moral Decay” never happened because the writing made everyone in the Utonium family come across as [[JerkassBall very uncharacteristically unlikable at one point or another ]] in order to turn Buttercup into a [[CompressedVice very uncharacteristically greedy and sadistic villain]] and the [[UnintentionallySympathetic punching bag]].
** Some fans pretended that anything after TheMovie never happened due to a [[SeasonalRot noticeable drop in quality]] as Creator/CraigMcCracken, as well as most of the old staff like his future wife Creator/LaurenFaust, left the show to work on ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends''.
* FandomEnragingMisconception: Don't you ''ever'' mispronounce the show's name as "The Powderpuff Girls" in the presence of the fans.
* FanPreferredCouple:
** A fair portion of the fanbase were in favor of Professor Utonium and Ms. Keane hooking up. Alas, it was not to be. (So far.)
** Most fanfics consist of pairing up usually aged up versions of the Powerpuff Girls with the Rowdyruff Boys. The default ships are Blossom/Brick, Buttercup/Butch, and Bubbles/Boomer however some fans mix them up.
** Though not as popular as others, when it comes to femslash most pair up either Blossom or Buttercup and Princess.
** Pairing the girls with normal kids is also popular with fans. Buttercup and Mitch in particular gets quite a bit of fan work, helped by ShipTease moments between them in the show.
* FirstInstallmentWins: The original 1998 series is by far the most beloved part of the franchise, while both the [[Anime/PowerpuffGirlsZ anime adaptation]] and [[WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls2016 sequel series]] are highly [[ContestedSequel contested]] at best and outright [[{{Sequelitis}} inferior]] at worst.
* FunnyAneurysmMoment: "Knock It Off" was a parody of misrepresenting the Powerpuff Girls and using them for merchandise. In 2016, many would argue [[WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls2016 the reboot]] resembles something Dick Hardly would come up with.
* GeniusBonus: One of the names on the [[FreezeFrameBonus Permanent Naughty List]] in the ChristmasSpecial is Adolf Schickelgruber, also known as UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler (Schickelgruber was his father's original last name).
* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: Japan absolutely cherished the PPG. So much so that [[Anime/PowerpuffGirlsZ they made their own version of the series]]. Even a decade after the cartoon finished, the girls were still being used to market things.
* GirlShowGhetto: A lot of men mention that as boys they were embarrassed to be seen watching a "girl's show" like ''The Powerpuff Girls'', and treated it as a GuiltyPleasure. This is despite the fact that the show wasn't female-aimed at all; it was an unisex cartoon that had the same aesthetic as other Cartoon Network shows at the time, which wasn't really favoring a specific gender to say the least.
* HeartwarmingInHindsight: One episode, "Meet The Beat-Alls", has a script composed of song lyrics from Music/TheBeatles. This is heartwarming to a fan of both ''PPG'' and The Beatles on its own, but even moreso when [[http://www.avclub.com/article/watch-the-trippy-video-for-ringo-starrs-i-wish-i-w-106741 Ringo Starr himself composed a song for the 2014 CGI special]].
* SugarWiki/HeReallyCanAct:
** Creator/TaraStrong as Bubbles. She may be a funny ditz most of the time, but when she's sad, you know you'll be too. Possibly the best example could be Bubbles's [[InelegantBlubbering horrifyingly realistic blubbering fit]] in "All Chalked Up".
** Creator/TomKane as the Professor during his sobbing fit during "Knock It Off", and as HIM for making any scene he appears in ''terrifying''.
** Creator/TomKenny really shines through as the LargeHam Narrator, especially in the [[TearJerker sadder scenes]] like [[KilledOffForReal Bunny's death]] in "Twisted Sister", [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness where he sounds absolutely heartbroken at the events of the episode and on the verge of tears]], or when he [[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou yells at the girls]] in "Tough Love" while under HIM's mind control.
** Creator/JeffBennett, known for playing usually comical characters or villains, gets some major props for his terrifying performance as the [[CompleteMonster monstrously vile]] one-shot villain Dick Hardly, especially in his ''much more'' [[OneWingedAngel monstrous One-Winged Angel form]].
* HilariousInHindsight:
** After Steve Harvey took over as the host of ''Series/FamilyFeud'', one question made the resolution of "The Boys are Back in Town" ''so much better''.
--->"A wife can really cut her husband down to size by making fun of his what?" His manhood. (Which is the number 1 answer, labeled as ''Shrinky Dinky'') \\
'''Steve:''' All you women that's out there clapping, listen to me... Don't call it your man's Shrinky Dinky, okay, you'll wind up in a real situation, I can tell you that right now. You got a lot of stuff, but what I ''ain't 'bout to be'' is Shrinky Dinky.
** In the episode "Bought and Scold", Princess Morbucks buys Townsville and declares that "crime is now legal". In 2013, ''Film/ThePurge'' used this idea in a PlayedForDrama way. Additionally, Princess was HoistByHerOwnPetard when the Powerpuff Girls used her own law against her and rob her, which was similar to how [[spoiler:the New Founding Fathers of America were killed when they revoked a rule on Purge Night that protected themselves]] in the third ''The Purge'' movie, ''Film/ThePurgeElectionYear''.
** Outside of Townsville, there's an agricultural district called VideoGame/{{Farmville}}.
** "Meet the Beat-Alls" was an episode full of references to The Beatles and contained animated cameos of younger versions of Beatles members. For the 2014 special they actually managed to get Music/RingoStarr himself to be a guest voice, and prior to the special's airing made a song and music video called [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54C7Ev-REkw Wish I Was A Powerpuff Girl]].
** In the episode "Equal Fights", as the girls fly Femme Fatale to jail and she fills their heads with her StrawFeminism beliefs, she asks them if they have their own movie. Come 2002, [[WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirlsMovie they can safely say they do]].
** At least a couple of references to {{Music/Gorillaz}} are hidden throughout the series, particularly on newspapers and in ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirlsMovie''. What was thought to be a ShoutOut years ago turned out to be a SharedUniverse when '''Ace''' of the Gangreen Gang temporarily took up Murdoc's role as the band's bassist in 2018. It also becomes funny when you remember that some people used to compare Murdoc to Ace, since they look similar.
** In "Him Diddle Riddle", Bubbles exclaims that she loves ponies. Fast forward a few years, and [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Tara Strong]] ''[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic is]]'' [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic a pony]].
** In "Stuck Up, Up and Away", the Girls tell Princess Morbucks that she can't be a Powerpuff Girl because [[CrimefightingWithCash being rich isn't a superpower]], to which Princess replies, "Tell that to Franchise/{{Batman}}!" In the 2017 ''Film/{{Justice League|2017}}'' movie, [[Franchise/TheFlash Barry Allen]] point blank asks Bruce Wayne what his alter-ego's powers are, to which the Dark Knight bluntly replies, "I'm rich."
* IdiotPlot:
** Dance Pantsed's plot hinged on the girls not realizing that they could've picked up the jar of pickles with their FingerlessHands (though, to be fair, it was {{lampshade|Hanging}}d by the mayor).
** In "Daylight Savings", both Ms. Keanie and Professor Utonium grab the IdiotBall HARD by somehow getting the impression that making the girls get some sleep (so that they can be awake enough to do such ''incredibly'' important things like answering correctly what is a dog and what is a ball) is somehow more important than '''lives of thousands of people from Townsville.''' On top of that, Professor Utonium could have easily fixed the problem by just making some device that makes you instantly awake or something.
** In "The Rowdyruff Boys", Mojo Jojo learns how the girls were created by ''calling the Professor on the phone'', identifying himself only as a stranger to Bubbles when she's the first to answer before putting the Professor on. The reason he even comes up with his own formula by which to create the boys is because the Professor apparently has no problem telling a total stranger, who should sound a lot like the girls' ''archnemesis'' the formula that made them come to life!
** "Monkey See, Doggie Two" seems to deliberately invoke this trope, as Mojo tries his scam to transform the whole world into dogs yet again, with the exception of the Powerpuff Girls, even though the change had left them at a clear disadvantage as well. Mojo's entire plot was to ensure that the girls could not defeat him the same way they did the last time they were dogs, by arming himself with a shield to prevent them from biting him. It completely flies past him that now he simply opened himself up to one of their usual beatdowns since they're still themselves, and the girls lampshade this idiocy by telling him that they plan on doing ''exactly'' that.
** Both episodes to feature the Dynamo ride on this:
*** In "Uh Oh Dynamo" the entire plot is kicked off by the Professor randomly freaking out about the safety of the girls after just a few punches from the mutant fish creature, even though they've easily faced worse foes before. He then assembles the massive robot Dynamo for the girls to use when the monster returns yet again, threatening to ground them if they refuse. They end up doing a lot more harm than good, destroying the entire city before they've defeated the monster.
*** "Live and Let Dynamo" takes it even further, where we find out that the Professor didn't destroy the Dynamo after its first rampage, a revelation that leaves the girls just as baffled. Even more egregious however is that it is the ''Mayor'' who somehow got into Dynamo, activated it, and caused it to go out of control yet again. While the Mayor is known for his stupidity, absolutely no explanation is offered for why he was anywhere near the robot, the same robot that ''he himself'' ordered the girls not to use again.
* IncestYayShipping: It's not uncommon within the fandom to pair the girls with one another.
* InformedWrongness: "Cover Up" has Blossom and Bubbles pressure Buttercup to get rid of her SecurityBlanket, claiming it's an emotional crutch, even though A) Buttercup is at an age where it's considered acceptable to have a security blanket, and B) [[{{Hypocrite}} Bubbles has Octi, who is also an emotional crutch]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:J-Z]]
* JerkassWoobie:
** Buttercup full-stop, if you think about it long enough. First of all, the professor had no good reason officially to name her Buttercup other than that it starts with "B". Second, she has no unique power (though she is occasionally implied to have better super strength than her sisters). Finally, nobody really pays her any attention, and when they do, it's usually when she's in trouble. Some episodes have her punished for behavior her sisters have been allowed to get away with. Even some fans never seemed to care much, instead opting to exploit her misery and attitude for kicks and giggles.
** Mojo Jojo, in episodes like "A Very Special Blossom" when he is not planning to commit crimes and is only just earnestly saluting his dead father, but nearly gets arrested for something Blossom did, and "The Powerpuff Girls Rule!", when he gives up on making the world better.
** Blossom in "A Very Special Blossom". She may have stolen the golf equipment and was [[NeverMyFault implied to feel not entirely at fault for it]] but she had good intentions behind it; she had only wanted to make the Professor happy.
** Boomer of the Rowdyruff Boys could come off as this. Yes, he is part of an evil trio, but he gets bullied by his brothers a lot. The fact that Boomer is more sensitive than his brothers and how cute he is certainly amps up his woobie-ness factor.
* LauncherOfAThousandShips: The Powerpuff Girls themselves can be guilty of this, but out of the three of them, '''Blossom''' takes the cake. Not only has she been shipped with [[FoeYay Mojo Jojo, HIM]], [[SpearCounterpart Brick]], [[FoeYay Boomer, Butch]], [[HoYay Princess]], [[IncestYayShipping her own sisters]], and her [[ScrewYourself evil counterpart Berserk]], but she has also been shipped with WesternAnimation/{{Dexter|sLaboratory}}, [[WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown Jack Spicer]], and '''''[[WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack AKU]]''''', of all people!
* LGBTFanbase: Buttercup's tomboyish nature makes her popular with queer women and trans men.
* LoveToHate:
** HIM. He manages to be one of the most popular villains in the series to be incredibly frightening and efficient, especially in the earlier seasons.
** Mojo Jojo. And Princess. And the Gangrene Gang. And Sedusa. Not so much the less evil Fuzzy Lumpkins or the completely hapless Amoeba boys.
** Dick Hardly. His sole appearance means it's the primary reason for his popularity, mostly for how good he was at being an absolutely vile villain.
** Princess Morbucks. She had many appearances where her snooty attitude ruined something, coming to a head when she wanted all kids on the naughty list except for her.
* MagnificentBastard: "[[Recap/ThePowerpuffGirlsS6EP16SeeMeFeelMeGnomey See Me, Feel Me, Gnomey]]": [[OurGnomesAreDifferent The Gnome]] seeks to create a utopia revolving around himself. To this end, he manipulates the Powerpuff Girls into making a deal with him promising to get rid of the town's villains if they gave him their powers in return. Quickly asserting himself as the ruler of Townsville after vanquishing the other villains, the citizens of Townsville worship the Gnome and establish a cult dedicated to him. In his final moments, the Gnome [[HeelRealization realized the error of his ways]], and willed himself to die, concluding that he couldn't exist in his perfect utopia.
* MemeticMolester:
** On [[Website/FourChan /co/]], the question "Why did the Professor want to create a little girl?" is often brought up.
** HIM, because of his creepy mannerisms and being a transvestite villain. Not to mention one episode had him ''licking'' Professor Utonium.
* MisaimedFandom: In the ClipShow spoofing episode, one of the "flashbacks" was of the Powerpuff Girls being bimboish teenagers who have given up crime fighting to hang out at the mall and flirt with the also teenaged Rowdyruff Boys. The whole sequence is rumored to have been a [[TakeThat parody of extremely bad PPG fanfiction]]. A great deal of fans [[{{Irony}} completely]] [[PoesLaw missed the point]] however, and the sequence ironically ended up inspiring even more fanfiction with similar plots.
* {{Moe}}: Bubbles is cuteness ''personified''. This is a literal statement. The ending theme song calls her "the joy and the laughter" and is generally considered to be the "sugar" part of the formula. The other girls have their moments, too.
* SugarWiki/MostWonderfulSound:
** Bubbles giggling.
** The sound(s) the girls make when flying.
** The theme song and outro by Biz, the triumphant voice of the Narrator, the endearing, soft-spoken voice of the loving Professor Utonium and the adorable, collective laughter of the girls after a Heartwarming moment and/or a job well done. Also:
-->'''Narrator''': "[[CatchPhrase And so, once again, the day is saved...thanks to...]]'''''[[CatchPhrase THE POWERPUFF GIRLS!]]'''''"
* {{Narm}}: In "Cover Up", the scene where Buttercup gets beat up by a monster not much bigger than her loses all its suspense when Buttercup gives a LittleNo. It's just the ''way'' she says it that makes it so narmful. And the fact that without context, [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything the whole thing just looks like a rape scene]] just adds to its narmy factor.
* NarmCharm:
** Bubbles's [[InelegantBlubbering bawling]] in "All Chalked Up" may sound over-the-top, but the moment building up to it plus the sad music in the background whilst Bubbles is sobbing still makes it a TearJerker.
** In "Cover Up", Buttercup's delivery of her LittleNo might be pretty darn funny, but the horrified yet accepting look on her face that she's about to get pummeled by the monster, doubled by Buttercup's [[ButtMonkey relentless bad luck]] before that scene is nonetheless emotionally grueling.
* NauseaFuel:
** In "Paste Makes Waste" a fly gets hit with toxic waste, mutating it into a disgusting thing about three times its size that can barely fly under its own weight. It falls into Elmer's paste, and, without looking, [[IAteWhat Elmer eats the mutant fly with a handful of glue.]]
** "Sun Scream" focuses almost entirely on the girls suffering sunburn, with even the simplest of movements being cringeworthy to watch. The episode ends with the girls applying Aloe Vera which ''cracks off'' their sunburned skin (we even see one of Buttercup's flakes dripping). The con artists they were confronting are so disgusted that they beg to be put in jail.
** The Rowdyruff Boys doing the most disgusting things ever in "The Boys are Back In Town", including throwing a scab at the Girls, hacking loogies at them, and stuffing a slug down Bubbles' dress.
** Bubbles ([[ItMakesSenseInContext disguised as Boomer]]) being forced to eat a cockroach in "Bubble Boy". And in that same episode, Bubbles trying to hack up a loogie like the other two Boys, along with her sisters telling her how to do so in graphic detail.
** The fact that Buttercup once got into a relationship with Ace in "Buttercrush" is pretty gross, especially since ''he's a teenager and she's only 5.'' Of course, while he was revealed to only have been using her, it doesn't make it any less creepy.
* NeverLiveItDown:
** While Buttercup is in fact a JerkWithAHeartOfGold and has proven herself to be a decent person despite her violent and rude ways, a few fans refuse to forget about episodes where she is particularly deplorable such as knocking villains' teeth out just so she can get money in "Moral Decay" and making Bubbles cry in "All Chalked Up".
** Even though Blossom and Bubbles are both kind and friendly people, some fans never let their hypocrisy of making Buttercup give up her blanket in "Cover Up" despite Bubbles having her own security blanket slide.
** Princess Morbucks will mostly be remembered for starting Film/ThePurge. Even the girls brought THAT up in "'Twas the Fight Before Christmas".
** Mitch Mitchelson [[BadPeopleAbuseAnimals abusing and later flushing Twiggy down the toilet]] in "Gettin' Twiggy with It" is what several fans tend to remember him most for.
** All three girls are remembered for the scene in “Candy Is Dandy” when they broke into the jail and beat the living daylights out of Mojo Jojo because he took their candy.
* OlderThanTheyThink: The opening sequence of "Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice" depicted at the start of each episode actually originated from a 19th Century Nursery Rhyme [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_Are_Little_Boys_Made_Of%3F What Are Little Boys Made Of?]] As the title suggests, the formula for the Rowdyruff Boys (Snips, Snails and Puppy Dog Tails) comes from the same poem, with Mojo even [[GeniusBonus namedropping the poem]] before beginning his experiment.
* OneSceneWonder:
** The flashback in "City Of Clipsville" showing the Powerpuff Girls and Rowdyruff Boys as teenagers. It's supposed to be a TakeThat to fanfic writers who'd make something like that, but it instead became one of the most popular scenes in the series.
** The one-shot villain [[TestosteronePoisoning Mascumax]] from "Members Only" left quite an impression due to his [[LargeHam extremely hammy]] and [[RatedMForManly overly masculine]] dialogue. Bonus points for being voiced by Creator/ClancyBrown!
* OnlyTheCreatorDoesItRight: The series is generally thought to have gone downhill when Creator/CraigMcCracken and much of the writing crew left the series to work on ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'', with Seasons 5 and 6 having suffered for it.
* ParanoiaFuel: The episode "Supper Villain" hammers in that your average, everyday neighbor with an average, everyday family could actually be a sociopathic supervillain wannabe without anyone knowing it.
* PeripheryDemographic:
** At the peak of popularity, most of the show's fans were boys... not that every guy would admit to watching it in public. Nowadays it seems fine to admit you watched this show. The show was intended for a unisex audience, though most of the merchandise was aimed at girls.
** The episode "Meet The Beat-Alls," originally conceived as 11 straight minutes of ParentalBonus, was popular amongst children in the intended demographic who were big Beatles fans.
* PoorMansSubstitute: Craig [=McCracken=] originally wanted Jack Black to voice the Gnome in "See Me, Feel Me, Gnomey" but by the time they got to production he was too busy and expensive, so they instead got Jess Harnell doing a Jack Black-like voice.
* RonTheDeathEater: Poor Buttercup. From the way a lot of her haters speak, you'd think she was a Sociopath who cared nothing for her sister's suffering in spite of the fact that she's had a number of [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold kindly]] [[PetTheDog moments]] and her rudeness is implied to stem from feeling unnoticed. Never mind the fact that Bubbles and Blossom have done bad things themselves (In "Bubblevicious" and "A Very Special Blossom", respectively.)
* SeasonalRot:
** Of the four seasons that were under Craig [=McCracken's=] supervision, Season 2 is often regarded as the weakest. Although it does have some fan favorite episodes such as "Beat Your Greens", "The Powerpuff Girls' Best Rainy Day Adventure Ever" and "Speed Demon", several episodes of it often crossed the line into SadistShow territory and relied on using an IdiotPlot more than anything else, the worst offenders being "A Very Special Blossom" and "Daylight Savings".
** Many fans thought Seasons 5 and 6 marked a noticeable decline in quality, making the jokes much more cruder than in previous episodes and putting the characters through very noticeable {{Flanderization}}. This is because Craig and most of his crew left to work on ''Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends'', leaving the show to [[ProductionPosse the same showrunner and production team]] that worked on ''Dexter's Laboratory'' during SeasonalRot while Genndy Tartakovsky was with ''Samurai Jack''.
* SignatureScene:
** The "UpToEleven" scene in "Bubblevicious".
** The narrator lashing out at the girls in "Tough Love".
** The "Love Makes the World Go Round" song from "Mime for a Change".
* SpecialEffectFailure: There are some points in the series where you can clearly tell that characters have been chroma-keyed into the scene.
* TastesLikeDiabetes:
** "Love Makes the World Go Round" is a generally fine song, though the part sung by Blossom at the end is truly a triumphant example of saccharine lyrics.
--->'''Blossom:''' Puppy dogs, [[CuteKitten kitty cats]], swimming through love.
** The ShowWithinAShow "The Wonderful Whimsical World of Willy" in ''Neighbor Hood'' revolves around an absurdly cutesy and saccharine kids show that features horses with happy meters, maids making happy stew, talking squirrels, and all hosted by a clowny man who throws on happy and sad masks.
* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: Cartoon Network managed to get former Beatle Music/RingoStarr to guest star in the 2014 computer animated special as a math themed celebrity named [[PunnyName Fibonacci Sequin]], but he doesn't get many speaking lines (though he does drop a hilarious Beatles reference at one point) and never sings (odd when one remembers that dancing played a part in the special's plot). At the very least, though, CN and Ringo did make a song and music video called "Wish I Was a Powerpuff Girl" that aired during commercial breaks leading up to the special.
* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot:
** Who else wanted the villains to sing a Beatles cover in "Meet the Beat-Alls?"
** Some fans were likely disappointed that the best they could come up with for Buttercup's special power was [[spoiler: to curl her tongue]], especially as in that episode, the girls [[NewPowersAsThePlotDemands exhibited completely new powers they'd never used before.]] Doubles as an InUniverse example, since even ''the Narrator'' though Buttercup's special power was lame.
* UnintentionallySympathetic:
** Buttercup in the episode "Cover Up". The episode tries to show that somehow she's insane for liking a blanket and she put all her strength into it, but remember that she is only 5, that's a perfectly suitable age for somebody who likes a blanket. The fact that she cries her heart out when the blanket is lost doesn't help at all. Also at the end of the episode she is understandably pissed at Blossom for giving her a fake blanket, and she is forced to give up her blanket to match. Not to mention, ''Bubbles'' is allowed to keep Octi, but Buttercup isn't allowed a blanket for some reason.
** Buttercup again in "Moral Decay", for a few viewers. She was being a humongous jerk, but many viewers thought that her sisters leading her to get the shit beaten out of her and later getting her money taken away at the end was too harsh of a punishment.
** Buttercup once again in the episode "Down and Dirty". We're supposed to believe she deserves being run out of her home and town because she doesn't want to take a bath. As any parent can tell you, that's typical behavior for a small child.
** The gnome in "See Me, Feel Me, Gnomey". Yes, he turned Townsville into a giant {{Cult}}, but really think about this. The gnome rids the world of the Powerpuff Girls' RoguesGallery at a time when they were at their worst, bringing the city into ruins ''and'' overpowering the girls. Had the gnome not intervened, it would have stayed that way. In addition, the reason the townspeople became the gnome's followers in the first place--willingly, mind you--was because they were genuinely grateful for how easier he made their lives by getting rid of the villains. As icing on the cake, the gnome was never shown to be hurting or terrorizing the townspeople, which is all the villains have been doing in the beginning of the episode. While the connections to communism aren't exactly subtle[[note]]which might be a reason as to why the episode was banned[[/note]], is this really any worse than worldwide destruction and chaos?
* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic:
** Elmer Sglue from "Paste Makes Waste". While the other kids had no right to bully him, he rampages through the entire city after becoming a giant paste monster and [[MisplacedRetribution attacks people who hadn't done anything to him]], even tearing up a few buildings and using them as bowling pins. It's not even a case of him going berserk -- he was in complete control of his actions the entire time and could have stopped whenever he felt like it. His attacking Miss Keane and trying to suffocate Blossom and Bubbles are particularly heinous acts since [[UngratefulBastard they had tried to stop the bullies from picking on him]].
** Blossom and Bubbles in "Cover Up". The episode attempts to show them as in the right, but they shamelessly pick on Buttercup for her having a SecurityBlanket, even Bubbles, [[{{Hypocrite}} who has an emotional crutch of her own, Octi the octopus.]] At the end, they even force Buttercup to give up her blanket.
** Blossom, Bubbles, and even the Professor in “Moral Decay.” Yes, Buttercup attempting to knock out Bubbles teeth for profit until the Professor stopped her was awful. Buttercup knocking out the teeth for profit of villains who were doing nothing wrong, was awful, and completely worthy of punishment. But we’re really supposed to believe [[DisproportionateRetribution she deserved to have her sisters team up with Mojo Jojo and the group of 15+ villains she knocked the teeth out of, not all of them illegally in universe, to have the teeth beaten out of her mouth as karma, while they watched it happens from the sidelines in sadistic glee?]]
* UglyCute:
** The Powerpuff Girls Xtreme, especially the ones that aren't [[BodyHorror completely deformed]], may look, act, and sound completely off, but they still have some of the cute charm as the real Powerpuff Girls.
** Bunny. Despite her [[{{Gonk}} grotesque appearance]], is often considered adorable due to being a genuine misunderstood and confused GentleGiant.
** Some people consider Fuzzy Lumpkins to be this when he's not angry.
* ValuesDissonance:
** It's hard not to see HIM's [[CampGay effeminate personality]] and scare tactics as playing at least a little into GayPanic. Of course, he's terrifying for plenty of other reasons.
** Lil' Arturo showing off a switchblade-style comb to the Powerpuff Girls' school. These days, it would more or less be justified for the girls to take him down for bringing at first glance what appears to be a weapon to class.
** ''Equal Fights'' operates on a very Nineties understanding of feminism that has not aged well.
* ValuesResonance: While the "eat your vegetables" {{Aesop}} of "Beat Your Greens" has always been a good one, the football player kid saying that vegetables are for "sissies" and being dressed down by Buttercup for it holds particular relevance today, given that one of the biggest hurdles for men embracing vegetarianism is the cultural idea that [[RealMenEatMeat meat-eating is inherently masculine]].
* ViewerGenderConfusion:
** You'd probably be forgiven for mistaking Buttercup for a boy, because of her tomboyish behavior. Being voiced by Creator/ElizabethDaily ''certainly'' doesn't help, due to Daily using a [[TomboyishVoice raspy and manly voice.]] In the 2016 reboot, she sounds even more like one!
** Him is occasionally mistaken for a female because of the way he dresses. However, it's occasionally said in the show that Him doesn't really have a gender.
* {{Wangst}}: Both {{invoked}} and PlayedForLaughs with Bud Smith.
-->'''Bud:''' Nobody understands me!
* WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids: The show itself originally ''wasn't'' intended for kids (after all, its working title was ''The Whoop-Ass Girls''), but when it was pitched to Cartoon Network, the executives wanted it to be directed towards the younger audience everyone knows and love today. The original intent becomes more and more obvious later in the series.
* WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs: According to Craig [=McCracken=], Chemical X is just a generic super substance and was only named such because they could no longer use the original extra ingredient: "A can of whoopass." However, a subset of the fanbase insists that it's a metaphor for ecstasy and that the whole show is meant to seem like a drug trip as a result (the show was made at the height of rave culture, after all).
* TheWoobie:
** More often than not, it's Bubbles. She's so good at looking like a kicked puppy when she's sad.
** All three Girls in the movie, because of how much they were ostracized by the townsfolk.
** All three Girls fall under this in "Sweet 'N Sour" where the Fluffy Bunch is robbing Townsville blind due to their blatant cuteness. It's hard not to wanna hug all three girls when the whole town turns on them and denounces them as animal haters.
** All of the Girls in "Little Miss Interprets" after they wrongly think the Professor doesn't want them anymore.
** Buttercup in "Cover Up", when she cries about her blankie being missing. Plus, it can seem unfair to some, since Bubbles is allowed to keep [[CompanionCube Octi]], but Buttercup ends up getting rid of her blanket by the end of the episode.
** Mojo Jojo in ''The Powerpuff Girls Rule''. His dream had been shattered, and though he wanted to rule the world, it's still sad to see ''Mojo Jojo'' lose all hope for the first time. Also, after he finds hope again, we learn that he had good intentions all along, which makes him qualify even more.
** Blossom in "The Mane Event" when she gets embarrassed by her TraumaticHaircut, and in "Not So Awesome Blossom" after her confidence is lost.
** Robin in "Super Friends" after the trio ditch her repeatedly to do superhero work, especially if you've been abandoned by your friends in real life. Then her next friend Princess Morbucks only uses her and talks her into committing a crime, and turns her in.
** Bunny from "Twisted Sister". She truly did mean well, but she [[DramaticallyMissingThePoint missed the point of the Girls's instructions]] and [[NiceJobBreakingItHero unintentionally made things worse]]. Even worse, the Girls tell her she's not meant to be one of them (although they did regret it later). [[spoiler:The poor girl ends up dying at the end of the episode.]]
[[/folder]]
----

* InformedWrongness:
** Buttercup's attitude towards Elmer after he became a monster. She's treated as being in the wrong for refusing to apologize to him after bullying him, but as she points out, Elmer was [[MisplacedRetribution attacking people that didn't even do anything to him]], including [[UngratefulBastard his teacher that actually stood up for him]].
** "Cover Up" has Blossom and Bubbles pressure Buttercup to get rid of her SecurityBlanket, claiming it's an emotional crutch, even though A) Buttercup is at an age where it's considered acceptable to have a security blanket, and B) [[{{Hypocrite}} Bubbles has Octi, who is also an emotional crutch]].

!!General examples:

!!YMMV tropes with their own pages:
[[index]]
* [[Memes/ThePowerpuffGirls Memetic Mutation]]
* [[WhatAnIdiot/ThePowerpuffGirls What an Idiot!]]
[[/index]]

* MemeticMutation:
** From "Cover Up," a floored Buttercup's pathetic [[LittleNo "Nooo"]] when a rather diminutive monster marches toward her. She just let herself get beaten up because she hadn't rubbed her good-luck blanket, but when taken out of context, this clip has some rather unfortunate FridgeHorror. Needless to say, without context, [[WebAnimation/YouTubePoop Poopers]] had a field day remixing this clip.
** "That's the evilest thing I can imagine." [[labelnote:Explanation]]In "Custody Battle", Mojo Jojo says this sentence while crying tears of joy after the Rowdyruff Boys tell him how much they desire to destroy the Powerpuff Girls. The scene has been turned into a gif and repurposed to express fans' amusement towards certain internet pranks.[[/labelnote]]

* WhatAnIdiot: [[WhatAnIdiot/ThePowerpuffGirls Has its own page.]]

** Mojo Jojo, though more of an AntiVillain, still counts for being such an epic BigBad, and HIM, who happens to be {{Satan}} and extra points for that the Girls are afraid of him. They are both so awesome in all their appearances as main antagonists, that they're the most recurring ones.

* CommonKnowledge: Bubble's special power is her sonic screams. Except it's not. Her special power is her ability to speak many different languages (including animal languages like squirrel). Whilst bubbles has used sonic scream more often then the other girls, it is an ability they all share. Not helping things is that nearly all video games (exept Relish Rampage, where she is given a stronger eye beam called "vaperize") give sonic screams as bubbles uniquie power equivelent to Blossoms ice breath. [[note]] And in case you're wondering, the video games tend to give Buttercup either whilwinds or fireballs has her speical power[[/note]]

** The Powerpuff Girls Xtreme, especially the one's that aren't [[BodyHorror completely deformed]], may look, act, and sound completely off, but they're still have some of the cute charm as the real Powerpuff Girls.