| 1 | %% |
| 2 | %% |
| 3 | %% |
| 4 | %% |
| 5 | %% |
| 6 | %% This list of examples has been alphabetized. Please add your example in the proper place. Thanks! |
| 7 | %% |
| 8 | %% |
| 9 | %% |
| 10 | %% |
| 11 | %% |
| 12 | %% |
| 13 | AlternativeCharacterInterpretation in WesternAnimation. |
| 14 | ---- |
| 15 | !!The following have been moved to a subpage due to length: |
| 16 | [[index]] |
| 17 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/AdventureTime'' |
| 18 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'' |
| 19 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/{{Amphibia}}'' |
| 20 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/{{Arcane}}'' |
| 21 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/{{Archer}}'' |
| 22 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' |
| 23 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/BeavisAndButtHead'' |
| 24 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/BoJackHorseman'' |
| 25 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'' |
| 26 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/CourageTheCowardlyDog'' |
| 27 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/DextersLaboratory'' |
| 28 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/DuckTales2017'' |
| 29 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/EdEddNEddy'' |
| 30 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'' |
| 31 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/GravityFalls'' |
| 32 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/HazbinHotel'' |
| 33 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/HeyArnold'' |
| 34 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/InfinityTrain'' |
| 35 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/Invincible2021'' |
| 36 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/JohnnyBravo'' |
| 37 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/TheLoudHouse'' |
| 38 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/MiraculousLadybug'' |
| 39 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' |
| 40 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/TheOwlHouse'' |
| 41 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/RickAndMorty'' |
| 42 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/{{Rugrats}}'' |
| 43 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/SamuraiJack'' |
| 44 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/ScoobyDoo'' |
| 45 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower'' |
| 46 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/TheSimpsons'' |
| 47 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/SouthPark'' |
| 48 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/SpongebobSquarepants'' |
| 49 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/StarTrekLowerDecks'' |
| 50 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'' |
| 51 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' |
| 52 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/StevenUniverse'' |
| 53 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012'' |
| 54 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/ThomasAndFriends'' |
| 55 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/TotalDrama'' |
| 56 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/TotallySpies'' |
| 57 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/VoltronLegendaryDefender'' |
| 58 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/WolverineAndTheXMen2009'' |
| 59 | * ''AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/YoungJustice2010'' |
| 60 | [[/index]] |
| 61 | ---- |
| 62 | * Some of the characters from ''WesternAnimation/AladdinTheSeries'': |
| 63 | ** Sadira, an innocent young woman whose desire to be loved drives her to villainy or a manipulative BitchInSheepsClothing who takes an interest in Aladdin? |
| 64 | ** Mozenrath, a poor young man raised by an {{Abusive Parent|s}} who doesn't know right from wrong or TheSociopath with an AmbiguouslyGay complex? |
| 65 | ** Jasmine. Due to how easily she becomes criminal in "Forget Me Lots" - due to CriminalAmnesiac - [[TheStarScream and eventually betrays and overthrows Abis Mal]] as the BigBad of the chapter and ''[[{{Yandere}} tries to kill Aladdin]]'' ([[DisproportionateRetribution for a very petty reason]]), suggests for some fans that she has a ''very'' dangerous dark side and might even be a BitchInSheepsClothing. |
| 66 | ------- |
| 67 | * In ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingChanAndTheChanClan'', Henry's treatment of Stanley varies depending on the episode (episode 10 has him being quite verbally abusive, but in episode 7 he appears to be amused by Stanley's antics even as he tells him to cut it out). Alan and Tom's chauvinism towards Anne is either a cause for minor tension between them or nonexistent, and Mimi's bossiness towards Scooter ranges from playful chiding to her behaving like a strict mother would towards him. |
| 68 | ------- |
| 69 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Arcane}}'': |
| 70 | ** Did Vander relent out of guilt when [[spoiler: strangling Silco for the second time, or did he run out of strength after being stabbed]]? |
| 71 | ** Did Silco embrace and comfort [[spoiler:Powder]] because he truly [[CommonalityConnection saw himself in her]] [[spoiler:following her "abandonment"]]? Or did he simply say what the girl wanted to hear, recognizing he had a potential pawn he could manipulate on his hands? |
| 72 | *** [[spoiler: Act III seems to suggest his feelings of parental affection are very much genuine. He panics when he sees how badly hurt Jinx has been by one of her bombs, and admits while dying that he was never planning on taking the deal for Zaunite independence if it meant sacrificing her life. Though this does raise the question of whether he's doing so simply to make her continue the fight against Piltover or not.]] |
| 73 | ** The human aspects of Singed never seen before this show. He admits he and Viktor are kindred spirits in their loneliness, but whether this means he has genuine empathy for Viktor is vague; he takes Viktor in as an assistant and does seem genuinely disheartened when Viktor becomes disillusioned with his experiments and leaves him. Furthermore, despite the extreme means he goes through to save the terminally ill Rio's life, Singed is shown gently comforting the creature in a flashback before the scene segues to the present, where it's shown how far he's fallen in his callousness. This leaves the interpretation of whether Singed simply always did his heinous experiments ForScience or [[FallenHero genuinely once desired to save others from the frailty of life.]][[spoiler: Taken a significant step further when he reveals to Silco he too was once a father and understands his anguish, and is even seen grieving for his child on a pendant in solitude.]] |
| 74 | ** Is Jayce actually the intelligent, forward-thinking Man of Progress? Or is he [[spoiler: a weak-willed, easily manipulated and impulsive nerd who thinks he can't possibly succeed at his dreams if he doesn't have others supporting him]]? [[spoiler: Given how close he comes to committing suicide when no one would support him after the Kirraman's lab accident; his inability to stay quiet during his trial, and how quickly he compromises on his principles for others, one has to wonder.]] |
| 75 | ** How benevolent was [[spoiler:Marcus's plan for Vi? It appears to have started and ended with throwing her in prison for life. Did he really want to protect her from being killed or experimented on by Silco, did he hope to later use her against him following his betrayal, or did he just want her off the street and out of mind? Was his statement that Silco will kill her a warning or a threat]]? |
| 76 | ** After being knocked down and beaten by [[spoiler:Ekko, Jinx sets off one of her own bombs when Ekko briefly hesitates. Did she know that she might be caught in the blast? If so, was she pulling a TakingYouWithMe out of spite at her enemy or out of guilt and a sick sense of togetherness, wanting to die alongside her last surviving childhood friend? Even before she sets off the bomb, she does look regretful and makes no attempt to dodge the bomb]]. |
| 77 | *** There's a third theory that [[spoiler: based on the fact Jinx didn't try to use said bomb prior and there's enough time between her activating it and the bomb actually exploding that Ekko was able to get away with only a busted leg, that she was actually [[DrivenToSuicide trying to kill herself]], possibly because she didn't want Ekko to do it]]. |
| 78 | ** In Episode 8, Vi confides in Caitlyn that she used to chase away monsters for Powder when they were kids and that she ran away when a real monster appeared. Was she referring to Silco, who managed to corner Powder after Vi walked away from her? Or was she referring to herself, for, after revealing her monster by slapping and insulting Powder, leaving Powder alone rather than apologizing and taking her to safety? |
| 79 | ** In the final arc, [[spoiler:was Sevika really planning to betray Silco to put Finn in charge and changed her mind from the speech about loyalty he gave, or was she always planning to stay on Silco's side and was just putting on a display for those who would betray him (it's clear that Silco wasn't sure which was which at first as he loses his composure for a minute after she swings her arm blade, nearly missing him to kill Finn). Or is it possible that she just wanted to keep those under Silco in line so that she could take over after Silco inevitably self-destructed with his relationship with Jinx? The final shot of her has her lounging in his office and smoking a cigar while recovering from her fight with Vi]]. |
| 80 | ** Does Jinx genuinely believe that Caitlyn is Vi's girlfriend, or at least that one or both is in love with the other, or was she just taunting her? |
| 81 | ** Did Jinx really think that Vi would consider killing Caitlyn to make her go back to being Powder, or did she know Vi would never do that and only presented her with such a SadisticChoice to try and convince her that she's changed from being the old Powder and is now different as Jinx? |
| 82 | *** An important factor to remember is that Jinx created this scenario right ''after'' Singed performed the operation that saved her life after her fight with Ekko - something he outright stated was full of risks and wouldn't leave Jinx the same as she was before. So ''would'' Jinx really have done actually such a thing pre-operation or did whatever Singed do to bring her back from the brink of death fully transform her into the kind of person who would create such a dangerous situation, leading her into fully becoming the immoral MadBomber in the games? |
| 83 | ------- |
| 84 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'': |
| 85 | ** Is D.W. just going through a bratty phase, or will she always be impolite? |
| 86 | ** Why did Cousin Mo from "Arthur's Cousin Catastrophe" mess around with him when they were younger? Was she deliberately trying to bully him, or did she only want to play and he misunderstood it as bullying? |
| 87 | ** When the aliens at the end of "The Chips are Down" say, "Don't blame us, we just like ballet", do they mean they ''did'' bring D.W. and Binky together, but only because they like ballet, or that they ''didn't'' bring them together, and shouldn't be suspected of doing so due to liking ballet? |
| 88 | ** Did D.W. really lie to her friends in "Prove It" to [[BatmanGambit trick her family into taking her to the museum]], or was [[IMeantToDoThat she just claiming it was her plan to save face]]? |
| 89 | ** In "Arthur's Pet Business", was Perky grumpy [[PregnancyMakesYouCrazy because she was pregnant]], because of her personality, or a bit of both? |
| 90 | ** In "Vomitrocious", Francine throws up, but is it [[StressVomit because she feels bad]] for [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone wronging George]], or is she sick? |
| 91 | ------ |
| 92 | * ''WesternAnimation/AsToldByGinger'': There are many ways to view Courtney's character. A lot of fans feel that Courtney in love with Ginger and that her constant attempts to reach out to her are her ways of expressing this. Alternately she could be a LonelyRichKid who is just fascinated by Ginger, Macie and Dodie's long running friendship and desires to have close friends. Or maybe she is simply fascinated by Ginger's middle class life. |
| 93 | ------ |
| 94 | * ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'': Harleen Quinzel's voice sounds different than Harley Quinn's. Her voice is lower and her accent is far less pronounced. There are two ways of interpreting this: she [[AccentSlipUp downplayed her natural accent]] while working as a psychiatrist or Harley's voice is an exaggerated form of her "real voice". |
| 95 | ----- |
| 96 | * ''Franchise/Ben10'': |
| 97 | ** Gwen's and Kevin's crushes on each other in the sequels of the Original Series are just their way of repressing that they're both attracted to Ben. Both attractions are at least partially taboo - Gwen's because [[KissingCousins Ben's her cousin]], Kevin's because [[HoYay Ben's a guy]] - so the only solution is to try to force themselves to fall (however [[StrangledBytheRedString improperly]]) for each other. Because they're both lying to themselves and each other, they're both getting their [[MasterOfTheMixedMessage signals returned]], which is encouraging the charade. This explains why Gwen tells Kevin to ask her out without wanting him to, why Kevin tries to make himself appear attracted to Gwen without making a move, and why they both show Ben so much more subtle and genuine affection. |
| 98 | ** Ben sudden personality change in ''Omniverse'' is a coping mechanism. After nearly going KnightTemplar and almost brainwashing the entire universe to his will, he reverted back to his old personality in order to hide the guilt he felt at almost irreversibly harming the universe. Likewise, it's also an attempt to cool himself down somewhat and not take things too seriously like he used to. The change in personality could also be because of ObfuscatingStupidity. After all, Ben ''does'' have an awful a lot of enemies. Wouldn't be better if he just ''seemed'' immature just to make them underestimate him? |
| 99 | ----- |
| 100 | * ''WesternAnimation/BigHero6TheSeries:'' |
| 101 | ** Was High Voltage's HeelFaceDoorSlam in "Something's Fishy" because they realized EvilFeelsGood and genuinely decided they liked being villains? Or, was it because, having been mutated into eel people, they realized they could never live normal lives and so decided ThenLetMeBeEvil? |
| 102 | ------ |
| 103 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Bluey}}'': |
| 104 | ** In "The Show", Bingo pretends to be Chilli and stuffs a balloon up her shirt to pretend to be pregnant with Bluey. When the balloon pops, the Heeler parents look sad. WordOfGod later clarified that it was because Chilli had a miscarriage, but before that, viewers came up with many different interpretations: |
| 105 | *** Some thought that, due to Bingo having previously felt like a failure over spilling Chilli's breakfast, that they were simply worried about her. |
| 106 | *** Some thought that they were just sad that the balloon popped because it was representing Bluey, so it was like watching Bluey be destroyed. |
| 107 | *** Because Brandy is implied not to be able to have kids, some thought that Chilli was reminded of her sister's infertility. |
| 108 | *** Some fans, taking "Baby Race" into account in which Chilli is very on-edge about the health of a baby Bluey, thought that Chilli and Bandit initially had difficulty conceiving, or that Chilli's pregnancy with Bluey was difficult. |
| 109 | *** Others thought that Bandit was simply grabbing Chilli's hand to tell her to let Bluey console Bingo rather than doing it herself. |
| 110 | *** Joe Brumm did say that Chilli had a miscarriage, but he didn't say when -- so was it before Bluey? (which would fit with the balloon representing Chilli's first baby and with Mercury being blank while Bluey is Venus in "Sleepytime") Or was it after Bingo? (which would fit with the nursery being open in "Bedroom") Or was it in between the girls' births? Also, did Chilli have the miscarriage because of a genetic condition that Brandy also has? Or did she go into shock when [[MissingMom her mother died]]? |
| 111 | *** The reveal also brought to discussion a conversation from "Perfect", in which Bandit wants a vasectomy -- is this just out of not wanting a third kid, or (presuming the miscarriage happened after the girls), is he afraid to try again lest Chilli miscarry again? |
| 112 | *** Was the miscarriage part of why Chilli was so nervous in "Baby Race", or did it happen later, meaning that Chilli was just having normal new-parent jitters? |
| 113 | ** Can Brandy not conceive, not carry, lost a baby and is scared to try again, or is she unhappy with being single? |
| 114 | ** When Frisky is pretending to be a princesses, she mentions something about a prince "looking for other princesses", which is implied to be PsychologicalProjection related to her ex-boyfriend Bosco. Does this mean Bosco cheated on her, or that he left her for another dog? |
| 115 | ** Why did Indy's mother hold hands with a coworker despite apparently having a different husband? Is she cheating on him? Are Indy's parents in an open relationship? Or is the coworker just close friends with the mother? |
| 116 | ** Why is Wendy a single mother? Is Judo an IVF baby (and if so, is Wendy a lesbian?) or is she divorced? Or is she a widow? The same could be asked about the Terriers' mother, though she's certainly not a lesbian since she's in love with Winton's father. |
| 117 | ** [[AmbiguousSituation Assuming the story Bandit tells in "Fairy Tale" is true]], was the Red Heeler girl he met in the past Chilli and she just can't remember? Or was it a different girl altogether (perhaps Brandy)? She looks like Chilli, but this could be Bandit's unreliable memories, or the girls' imaginations. |
| 118 | ** Were both Rad and Frisky showing up as babysitters in "Double Babysitter" a coincidence, or were Bandit and/or Chilli playing matchmaker? |
| 119 | ** Why is Bandit so sad and angry in "Stickbird"? Did Bob die? Is he depressed? Is he sad that his daughters will grow up? Did he write something that got critiqued? Is he sad about growing older? Is his WeightWoe from "Exercise" still there? Is Chilli pregnant and he's worried she'll miscarry again? Or, seeing as Chilli was sad in "Relax", is there something bothering both parents? |
| 120 | ** In "Butterflies", why did Bluey sing, "No one to love ''her'' at all?" instead of "No one to love ''him'' at all?" when singing "Poor Little Bug" to Bingo after Bingo didn't accept her apology? Is she saying that she feels unloved due to Bingo not accepting the apology, or is she telling Bingo that she's aware that ''Bingo'' must feel unloved due to how Bluey and Judo behaved? |
| 121 | ** In "Shops", why is Mackenzie the only one frustrated during the eponymous game? Is it because he's the only boy in the group (since some studies do say boys are less likely to come up with rules for make-believe games than girls)? Does he have anxiety (which would tie into his nervous flashbacks in "Space")? Or was it just because kids sometimes do get frustrated playing games? |
| 122 | ** One episode shows Chilli as wanting alone time. Some viewers have taken it to mean she was having menstrual cramps, but the intended interpretation was that she was frustrated. |
| 123 | ** Was the old pug from "Granny Mobile" just a [[GrumpyOldMan grumpy old woman]], or was she lashing out due to being disabled? If she ''is'' disabled, is her disability related to breathing issues (because those are common among real life pugs) or her back (which could explain her short height)? |
| 124 | ** Is Indy not allowed to eat sugar, salt, gluten, or dairy due to [[PlotAllergy actual food intolerances]] (perhaps even as a FurryReminder, since Afghan hounds are prone to food intolerances) or is it just because of her mother's GranolaGirl lifestyle? |
| 125 | ------ |
| 126 | * The nature of Tom and Sarah's relationship in ''WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks''. While they usually seem HappilyMarried, {{flanderization}} made Sarah into quite a fangirl for other men after the first season. While she never goes as far as to actually cheat on Tom (and even gets mad at him for implying she would), many fans consider her a step away from becoming a cheater. This, combined with her boredom due to Tom's [[AllGirlsWantBadBoys lack of adventure and dominance]] has created a {{fanon}} that the two will divorce by the time Jazmine is in high school. |
| 127 | ------- |
| 128 | * ''ComicBook/BuckyOHareAndTheToadWars'': Are Bucky O'Hare and the crew of the Righteous Indignation a group of freedom fighters who want to save the galaxy from the evil Toad Empire or are they a group of mammal supremacists [[UnreliableNarrator that we see the series from the eyes of]] and of whom commit hate crimes against all non-mammals (save humans), using Bucky's past experiences with bad toads as an excuse? (This theory is the work of the crew of ''WebVideo/TheAnnotatedSeries'') |
| 129 | ------- |
| 130 | * ''Franchise/CareBears'' are supposedly [[Literature/NineteenEightyFour Thought Crime]] enforcement thugs. You are not allowed to feel anything they do not approve of. They are on constant watch for inappropriate unhappiness. If you dare be melancholy, then a ''horde of bears will drop from the sky'' and [[strike:[[CareBearStare Care Bear]]]] [[MindRape stare]] you down until you pretend to be fine and get back in line with the rest of the herd. |
| 131 | --------- |
| 132 | * ''WesternAnimation/ChipNDaleRescueRangers'': |
| 133 | ** Is Gadget Hackwrench a simple GeniusDitz with a heart of gold? Or is she harboring an amoral dark side that needs to be harnessed for good by the Rescue Rangers lest it grow out of control (as shown by the "salesman traps" that Chip and Dale ran into in the pilot right before they met her, many of which were quite lethal)? |
| 134 | ** Also one of the most divisive topics in the fandom: is she completely oblivious to Chip and Dale's romantic advances, cognizant of them but uninterested, or does she harbor feelings for one or the other, and if so, which one? There's plenty of ShipTease in the show to support any side of the argument, which is why the topic is so hot. |
| 135 | ---------- |
| 136 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Chowder}}'': Does the mother of Gazpacho exist from ''Chowder''? Maybe Gazpacho is a sad, lonely Mammoth who can't commit to a relationship, and so he says his mother doesn't let him kiss other girls and uses his mother as an excuse to his odd behaviour. Maybe his mother moved away from him or died; he can't take it mentally, and so he thinks of her as always around. |
| 137 | ------------- |
| 138 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Clarence}}'': |
| 139 | ** Is Clarence really a WideEyedIdealist dimwit? Or is he just [[ObfuscatingStupidity faking being an idiot]] [[{{Troll}} just to mess with everyone for his own amusement]]? |
| 140 | ** Does Jeff want to be friends with Clarence and Sumo because he simply wants to or is he a troubled child who just wants two kids to torment, mock and constantly prove how "better" he is? He does act nice, but he does have a thing for beating Clarence up, contradicting his imaginative ideas and trying to be the smart, superior guy in an egotistical way. |
| 141 | ----------- |
| 142 | * ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'': |
| 143 | ** ''Danny Phantom'' has characters who can be construed in different ways: Vlad, Danny, Sam, Jack, [[spoiler:Dark Danny]]... but most notably, Vlad, who has before-and-after VillainDecay selves to play with. |
| 144 | ** There was a FridgeBrilliance take where Sam may be in love with Danny ''Phantom'' more than Danny Fenton; thus, why she acted so pissed during the GrandFinale when he [[spoiler:briefly and willingly took away his own powers]]. |
| 145 | ** Vlad: sympathetic villain who deserves the love he's sought, or a jerk who lost that chance years ago and needs to get his karmic justification? |
| 146 | ** Considering how easily Tucker is corrupted by his vice and how little time he's given in Season 3, it's possible that he's secretly devising an evil plot to wipe out his friends and take over the world. He becomes a [[spoiler:mayor]] by the end of the series, giving him a significant portion of power in his hometown. |
| 147 | ** A somewhat common interpretation for Danny is that has developed into a StepfordSmiler, explaining why he's remained pretty damn chipper through the whole show, especially after the events of ''WesternAnimation/TheUltimateEnemy'', which by all means could have (and should have) traumatized him. |
| 148 | ** [[https://web.archive.org/web/20160112054545/https://daughter-in-the-basement.tumblr.com/post/39118327867/the-fridge-horror-of-dannielle-phantom This archived Tumblr page]] suggests that Danielle may be hiding a more traumatized and torn apart life than she appears to have over her severing ties with Vlad and having Danny as her only family, not to mention her life alone on the streets. It also suggests the reason she doesn't stay with Danny is out of guilt over the trouble she caused him. |
| 149 | --------- |
| 150 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}'': |
| 151 | ** Daria - the OnlySaneMan, or a self righteous snob, who acts like an asshole to everyone around her, and honestly can't understand, why exactly she isn't a Miss Popularity, which she thinks she deserves to be. |
| 152 | ** There's a ''lot'' of stuff going for how Sandi is just a pure AlphaBitch. But in "Fire", Sandi actually smells a rat with how the bellboy appears to know ''just'' where Quinn is and is handing her and her friends free stuff. It's very easy to read this as not so much spite that it's for ''Quinn'' and not her, but because she senses that the bellboy is a stalker. In "The Daria Hunter", Sandi gets angry that the fashion club members aren't wearing goggles because it's against the rules of Paintball. (And that's a ''SAFETY'' rule!) Also to liking other friends, in "Fat like Me", Quinn's kindness towards Sandi to helping her get out of the DespairEventHorizon drives her to tears. |
| 153 | ** [[HippieTeacher Mr. O'Neill]] actually gets this a lot. Is he a cheery guy who really tries to make people happy despite his spectacular inadequence at it, or does his failure to learn from his mistakes (or notice them, a lot of the time) indicate that he doesn't really care at all? |
| 154 | ** And, Tom Sloane, anyone?. This character '''is''' from this trope. Tom's potentially ending the relationship between Daria and Jane, and effectively sealing the fate of the flirtation between Daria and Trent Lane, caused Tom to be a very controversial character. The infamous kiss with Daria generated enormous antipathy for both Tom and Daria, therefore, there are very few fanworks that portray them in a positive light. The Tom/Daria pairing has come in for stick for Tom being too much in the right, with some saying the relationship comes off as paternalistic and unequal as a result; others criticise it for being too unromantic, viewing this as unrealistic. Others defend the latter as making sense for Daria, a normally closed-off person. |
| 155 | *** Outside of his relationship with Daria, Tom's portrayal still varies. A number of writers show him being a good person and/or an ally of Daria's. Others have criticised Tom for being dull and not having much to him beyond being "the boyfriend", claiming he wasn't fleshed out enough. The Angst Guy has usually shown Tom as being weak, attempting to do the right thing but backing out or getting it wrong; on the Daria Fandom Blog, he also once remarked Tom had been punished for The Kiss by having to date Daria, which he viewed as being a source of pain and frustration for Tom. |
| 156 | ---------- |
| 157 | * ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck'': Is Negaduck [[AlwaysChaoticEvil a completely evil entity with nothing even resembling a redeeming feature]] or is he just the opposite of Darkwing and so must have a few good points since DW has some bad ones? |
| 158 | ------------ |
| 159 | * ''WesternAnimation/DastardlyAndMuttleyInTheirFlyingMachines'': |
| 160 | ** Is Muttley secretly on Yankee Doodle Pigeon's side? Is he really a mole, planted to foil the Vulture Squadron's plans from within? Perhaps the US military figured that a dog - albeit an egotistical, snickering glory-hound- would be an ideal spy to bungle Vulture Squadron's counter-intelligence. Notice episodes like "Operation Anvil," where Muttley single-handedly botches the squadron's plan to flatten the pigeon and then remains in the air for the rest of the episode, having a snicker at Dick Dastardly's expense. |
| 161 | ** Come to think of it, maybe Klunk is a mole instead of or in addition to Muttley! All those weird sound effects are really his way of saying, "Ha ha! I'm trying to put one over on you by designing killer planes that don't work!" Zilly, meanwhile, pretends to know what Klunk's talking about to cover his behind. |
| 162 | --------- |
| 163 | * Is the Pointy-Haired Boss in the animated adaptation of ''WesternAnimation/{{Dilbert}}'' phenomenally stupid, or just vastly ignorant because of a sociopathic lack of interest in anything that isn't himself? It doesn't help that his voice actor said he didn't know if he was stupid, or stupid like a fox. |
| 164 | ---------- |
| 165 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Dinotrux}}'': |
| 166 | ** Are the Rollodons 'afraid' of Reptools or did they just see Revvit in their way and turn because they didn't want to crush him? |
| 167 | ** Was D-Stroy ever planning on betraying D-Structs, or was he content to share with his little brother? |
| 168 | ---------- |
| 169 | * The ''WesternAnimation/DonkeyKongCountry'' cartoon has Bluster Kong, who was interpreted by WebVideo/TJOmega as a more evil villain than K. Rool himself. Where as K. Rool sees DK as a WorthyOpponent and seeks to only defeat him, not kill him, [[{{Yandere}} Bluster Kong wants DK dead]] and doesn't care if K. Rool would enslave them all so long as he gets Candy. |
| 170 | ------------ |
| 171 | * ''WesternAnimation/DoraTheExplorer'': |
| 172 | ** Is Dora is a brave girl whose careless parents let her freely roam a dangerous jungle or an imaginative little girl with her stuffed animals using puddles and a sandbox to keep herself entertained in her backyard? She is either surrounded by friends that are always there for her or only has one friend and he only hangs out with her because they are cousins. |
| 173 | ** Her being a ChildProdigy, with it running in the family, is another common belief. Her three cousins - Diego, Alicia, and Daisy - are precocious for their age. Diego and Alicia work even more dangerously than Dora, being animal rescuers despite not being out of middle school. Daisy is apparently only fourteen or fifteen but is in college. |
| 174 | ** Considering all the changes, a lot of older viewers and former fans think ''WesternAnimation/DorasExplorerGirls'' is a case of GrowingUpSucks, with Dora leaving her adventures and friends to live a more mundane life. |
| 175 | ** Why doesn't Swiper keep the things he steals? Is he just doing it to be a dick? Or is he a secretly remorseful kleptomaniac who wants to give people a chance to get their stuff back? |
| 176 | ----------- |
| 177 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Doug}}'': |
| 178 | ** A number of fanworks usually portray him as an AdorablyPrecociousChild, while he's more {{Adorkable}} in the actual show. Some view him as [[http://dougfunniesjournal.tumblr.com/ crazy]] |
| 179 | ** The [[UnreliableNarrator Reliability of Doug's stories]], the race of characters in the show, and the reasoning why Bud Dink is all chummy to an 11 year old boy all have different interpretations to it also. |
| 180 | --------------- |
| 181 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheDreamstone'': |
| 182 | ** The Land of Dream. Due to an ''even worse'' character ambivalence than [[WesternAnimation/SylvesterTheCatAndTweetyBird Tweety]] or [[Franchise/TomAndJerry Jerry]], can range from a messianic, peaceful {{Utopia}} that only fights to defend itself from pure evil, or a population of self righteous {{Tautological Templar}}s? The Noops and Wuts are generally portrayed as peaceful and friendly beings to those of their own world, however those who intervene in their way of life are often dealt with [[UnscrupulousHero mercilessly and borderline sadistically]] (the Urpneys, despite mostly being [[TrappedInVillainy meek idiots shanghaied into schemes]] and [[HarmlessVillain rarely being within competence to challenge the heroes in the first place]], are often brutally beaten and apathetically left to [[BadBoss Zordrak's]] occasionally [[YouHaveFailedMe murderous wrath]] out of sheer principle of bothering them). In some episodes, it's hard to take from face value which side is more good natured, while the Urpneys [[PragmaticVillainy rarely harass the Noops outside the means of their orders]], the Noops often [[UnscrupulousHero take sadistic pleasure tormenting the Urpneys]], and sometimes even [[DisproportionateRetribution dragging them back for more]] when they believe they haven't suffered enough, or even just to ease their boredom. |
| 183 | ** Sgt Blob can range anywhere from a SmugSnake DrillSergeantNasty to a somewhat delirious [[AFatherToHisMen father to his men]]. His treatment of Frizz and Nug ranges from abusive and self aggrandizing to desperately trying to keep their stupidity and laziness from triggering Zordrak's anger onto them, while his overzealousness towards the Noops just to preserve the hides of him and his men isn't much greater than that of vice versa (who send children to stop Zordrak and have nonchalantly doomed the fate of endless Urpneys for the sake of [[SeriousBusiness maintaining good dreams]]). |
| 184 | ------------- |
| 185 | * ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales1987'': |
| 186 | ** Gandra Dee: |
| 187 | *** In ''Metal Attraction'', is Gandra being ungrateful for not thanking Fenton for the lengths he goes to make her happy, or she is justified in complaining that he is overdoing it? |
| 188 | *** Was Gandra despising Fenton because filming her for the Pep commercial ruined her reputation in ''The Big Flub'' uncalled for, or did she have every right to be angry at her boyfriend because of the town's backlash to a product that Fenton didn't bother to test before releasing? |
| 189 | ** Is Launchpad a bad pilot, a good pilot [[CaptainCrash who can't land straight]], or [[BunnyEarsLawyer a good pilot who has a weird idea of personal style]]? Fans of the show all over the Internet (or even [[Website/TVTropes This Very Wiki]]) will tell you different things, often depending on whether they're using a Watsonian or Doylist explanation. |
| 190 | ------------ |
| 191 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddparents'': |
| 192 | ** Vicky has this: There's a fan interpretation that Vicky's bullying toward Timmy is a result of a troubled childhood past, based on Vicky's confessing of this to Timmy in the episode ''Snow Bound''. The creator of the series, Creator/ButchHartman, has also named this episode as one of his favorites for this reason. This kind of falls apart when you find out that her parents are terrified of her. Does this mean that Vicky [[JerkWithAHeartOfJerk really is icky]], or is it simply her taking retribution for being abused by them now that she's capable of doing so? Then you get into the theories that they adopted her after she was taken from her abusive biological parents... |
| 193 | ** Her little sister Tootie is shown to be very similar to Timmy in many cases, including their [[ASharedSuffering shared torment]] at the hands of Vicky. This has led to many fans calling for her to receive a fairy, [[spoiler:which in a way comes true in the FOP movie]]. |
| 194 | ** Is Trixie just a generic AlphaBitch popular girl or does she have HiddenDepths? Earlier episodes implied she was much nicer than she seemed and was repressing [[GirlyGirlWithATomboyStreak her more tomboyish side]] in order to please her friends and maintain a certain image. There are those who jump to another conclusion as well, claiming she's a closeted lesbian or bisexual who's deeply afraid of what might happen if people found out; her having a crush on Timantha is obligatory here. |
| 195 | ** Does Timmy really have fairy godparents or is he really just "an average kid, that no-one understands" with issues in life who imagines he has fairy godparents to pretend to wish his problems away? Does this also mean Crocker is just a normal teacher who doesn't appreciate Timmy's effort in his work and not a fairy-obsessed psychopath who constantly gives out F's, and that Vicky is just a normal, average babysitter that Timmy also imagines as a psychopath? Or are they still cruel, just not to the cartoonish extremes Timmy imagines them to be? |
| 196 | ------------ |
| 197 | * ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'': |
| 198 | ** Meg Griffin: Practically everyone in the show and a good number of fans hate her. But does she deserve it? On the one hand, she frequently whines about how "ugly" and "fat" she is, and she's willing to do anything to gain acceptance by her peers and family. To cope with the constant abuse and ridicule that her family dishes out, coupled with the bullying at the hands of Connie, Meg has engaged in a number of questionable and destructive actions. Some of these include threatening to kill herself, doing drugs, throwing up after meals, and cutting herself. However, some fans believe that she's just doing it to get attention. |
| 199 | ** Maybe the reason Meg cuts herself is that the physical pain of it and watching the wound heal brings some sort of relief and comfort from all the emotional abuse she gets. |
| 200 | ** There's a slight {{aver|tedTrope}}sion of this trope with Peter - they mention his being retarded ''just enough'' that people who pay attention know this is the cause of most of his {{Jerkass}} behavior. Others who are less avid fans of the show fall into the interpretation that Peter is just a stupid jerk (faulting him for things a person who was mentally handicapped in real life would probably be forgiven for) |
| 201 | ** Stewie Griffin switches from evil murdering genius whose inventions could help him conquer the world, jack of all trades in baby form, flaming homosexual, and innocent baby so much that he seems to be experiencing a Joker-style multiple personality disorder. |
| 202 | ** One episode had an in-universe example: Quagmire, who is a horrible, selfish person, points out in specific detail why Brian may not be the bastion of logic and morality that the viewers have been led to believe. |
| 203 | ** Joe could be the worst cop in Spooner Street as he is fully aware of Peter's and Quagmire's horrific actions yet he refuses to arrest them. |
| 204 | ** Is Lois a sociopathic BitchInSheepsClothing or a tortured soul who put up with an abusive father, a retarded husband and a town full of idiots? |
| 205 | ** Is Brian a {{Jerkass}} atheist "[[FanNickname liberal douche]]" or a JerkassWoobie who has some issues and has to put up with brainless morons on a daily basis? |
| 206 | *** Brian is endlessly bullied or treated as sub human because he is a dog, even by his closest friends. When we see him enter an alternate universe where dogs are the dominant species, he is perfectly willing to stay, while his human counterpart (who suffers the same prejudice that dogs do in the human-ruled universe) is quite refreshed at the idea of staying in Brian's world. Are Brian's pretentious antics merely [[AttentionWhore childish ploys for attention]], or just over insistence on proving he is as intellectual and sophisticated as any human and being seen as an equal. |
| 207 | ** Is Quagmire a LovableSexManiac, a JerkWithAHeartOfGold, a sleazy {{jerkass}}, or a serial rapist? |
| 208 | ---------- |
| 209 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones'': |
| 210 | ** The Great Gazoo could be the most evil character ever created. He was sent to earth as punishment for creating a doomsday device that would destroy the ''universe''. And he is cute, not menacing. Obvious evil is easy to spot and thus not as dangerous; insidious or hidden evil is much worse. |
| 211 | ** ''The Flintstones'' has been interpreted as a PostApocalyptic world ("bombed back to the stone age") who are trying to rebuild almost-forgotten technology with what they have available. Which makes a lot more sense if you consider that they celebrate Christmas and seem to have similar cultural norms to modern Americans. |
| 212 | -------- |
| 213 | * ''{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}}'': |
| 214 | ** Some viewers dismiss Phillip J. Fry as being mentally retarded, when in fact his particular mental issues are more likely place him on the [[UsefulNotes/{{Autism}} autism spectrum]]. Being a BookDumb SociallyAwkwardHero whose biggest issues are [[ShapedLikeItself ones of communication and selective ignorance]] and is functional enough to have survived ''Futurama'''s [[DeathWorld Death Universe]], Fry's personality is a strong case for UsefulNotes/AspergersSyndrome. In fact, given the narrative of the show it makes perfect sense; by the 31st century it's quite plausible that autism has long been cured in the ''Futurama'' universe, and being the last human on Earth with the condition serves to further justify his FishOutOfTemporalWater status. |
| 215 | ** Just how evil is Bender? When he says, "Kill all humans!" does he truly mean to do so, or is it simply just a BadassBoast feeding into his [[SmallNameBigEgo robot superiority complex]]? |
| 216 | ** When Nibbler never stops acting like a dumb beast even when he could save the others, is it because he doesn't really care about them? Or is he just becoming too committed to his act? |
| 217 | --------- |
| 218 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'': |
| 219 | ** WordOfGod has stated several viewpoints for Finella (who was introduced in the ''Avalon 3'' parter). Did she aid Katherine and the others because she was disgusted by Constantine's actions? Or would she have gone along with Constantine had he not spurned her for Katherine? |
| 220 | ** Did David Xanatos really pull a HeelFaceTurn or was it an act to get the Gargoyles on his side so that he can use them as pawns in the future? |
| 221 | ** Most importantly is Demona really a tragic figure that we should sympathize or is she beyond saving? [[TakeAThirdOption Or does her being beyond saving make her a tragic figure?]] |
| 222 | -------- |
| 223 | * ''WesternAnimation/GoofTroop'': |
| 224 | ** ''How much'' of a {{Jerkass}} is Pete anyway? There are people who think he's a JerkWithAHeartOfGold, others who think he's a JerkWithAHeartOfJerk. In regards to his parenting, should we take his abuse at face value, or should we assume there's more we don't see? How badly should we indict him for what we ''do'' see? Some see his PapaWolf or PetTheDog moments in regard to PJ as proof of his fatherly love just not shown properly, and others see them as either fake or conditional. Is his treatment of Goofy needless cruelty, DisproportionateRetribution, or completely justified? And as a result of all or any of this, is he a very well-done HateSink [[TheChewToy Chew Toy]], or a DesignatedMonkey JerkassWoobie? |
| 225 | ** Max's morality. Is Max a good person who just happens to be selfish sometimes, someone whose selfish and kind actions are pretty much evenly split, or an EasilyForgiven self-centered whiny {{Jerkass}} who's not any better or is barely better than Pete? |
| 226 | ** PJ's intelligence: is he really stupid? Somewhat gullible and BookDumb but sensible? Completely unremarkable? The smartest person in the cast? Also, his personality: does he have a trite, stereotypical characterization or an unusual one with a lot of depth? And his affectedness: is he [[TheWoobie a miserable mess who needs to be protected]] or remarkably well-adjusted (or both)? |
| 227 | ** Is Peg too hard on Pete or is her regular anger with him wholly justified? Does she side with Goofy more often than Pete because of a straightforward response to Goofy just being nicer than Pete, or because she secretly wants to be with Goofy rather than with Pete? |
| 228 | ----------- |
| 229 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'': |
| 230 | ** Perhaps Nergal is the result of what happens to Jon Irenicus at the end of ''VideoGame/BaldursGateII''. Or, perhaps more creepily, he is Grandfather Nurgle from ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'': it strikes all the points - utterly disgusting and a family man - and he even has Nurglings. The only aspect they left out were the horrifying diseases, which wouldn't gotten by, even in this show. |
| 231 | ** Is Mandy a normal (if creepy) girl with bizarre abilities, or a HumanoidAbomination? Or is she ''{{Satan}}'' herself within a girl's body? |
| 232 | ---------- |
| 233 | * ''WesternAnimation/HalloweenIsGrinchNight'': Does the Grinch really have all those monsters locked up in the Paraphernalia Wagon, or is he a MasterOfIllusion who made [[KidHero Euchariah]] hallucinate all the things he saw after the wagon was opened? On the one hand, Euchariah is standing on top of the wagon when the Sweet-Sour Wind dies down, as if to suggest he was standing there all along, but on the other hand, when Max is pulling the wagon back to the Grinch's cave, the latched door is bumping as though something inside is trying to get out. |
| 234 | ---------- |
| 235 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheHollow'': |
| 236 | ** When [[spoiler:Adam turns Mira down midway through the show]] some fans wondered whether this was a stealthy, ShowDontTell way of introducing a gay character among the main characters, while others simply thought that he was not interested, which is also plausible. In the first episode, Kai refuses to have "his nose in (Adam's) buttocks" when they run out of the room by the vent, and Adam seems offended by what looks like gay panic. |
| 237 | ** Another interpretation could be Adam was leaving room for Kai. He had said he did like Mira after [[spoiler: she kissed him]], but he knew Kai already did from an earlier episode and had [[spoiler: nearly admitted it to her en route to the demon monks]]. Adam's reaction could have also been out of respect, despite his less than subtle actions the last both saw of him. |
| 238 | ---------- |
| 239 | * ''WesternAnimation/InspectorGadget'': |
| 240 | ** Is Inspector Gadget an idiot over his head or a man traumatised by being turned into a cyborg who blocks it all out? One guy's take on this is [[http://caretaker-of-myth.deviantart.com/art/Inspector-Gadget-What-I-Am-72082574 here]], and another is [[http://torokun.deviantart.com/art/Gadget-Struggle-37073931 here]] |
| 241 | ** Or does he simply do things a little differently, making everyone else think he's stupid? The world may never know. |
| 242 | ** He could be the ultimate case of ObfuscatingStupidity, tossing the exploding notes back to Quimby as a gag, stumbling through Doctor Claw's schemes so the henchmen keep underestimating him, and generously letting Penny and Brain think they've solved the crimes while he had the whole situation under control (and [[IKnowYouKnowIKnow letting them think they're letting him think]] he solved the crime). Hey, you never know - he ''did'' save Penny a couple of times even in standard canon interpretation. |
| 243 | ** Some also have gone further and interpreted this as he acts incompetent and takes credit for solving all the crimes so that Penny and Brain remain safe on purpose, that he's well aware that they're the ones doing the detective work while he merely bumbles around then apprehends the criminals. They actually have this to a T; Gadget keeps everyone distracted while Brain and Penny solve the crime and he apprehends them, being a ''very'' good actor. When Penny is in danger and Gadget ''knows'' it, then he goes into PapaWolf mode and becomes ''scarily'' competent. |
| 244 | ** Perhaps he is secretly training Penny and Brain to become the world's greatest detectives and crime fighters. |
| 245 | ** Gadget might actually be a robot built by Penny. She's obviously a genius and her first robot, Claw, went rogue so she created Gadget and Brain to help her fight Claw. She also uses Gadget as her official guardian so the courts don't put her in foster care. Claw must be a robot, since despite being a criminal mastermind bent on conquering the world, he never actually hurts anybody (See Laws of Robotics). The big question is did she make Gadget an idiot deliberately so he wouldn't turn on her or so he could function as a distraction while she and her robodog do all the real crimefighting. |
| 246 | ** Yet another is that Gadget is simply a robot made in the likeness of the real Inspector Gadget who went on to become Claw. Which would explain both his hatred of Gadget (for replacing him) and why he and his henchmen never harm Penny (his niece). |
| 247 | *** Of course, this interpretation is open to {{Squick}} due to the fact that Penny's two canon LoveInterests, [[NiceGuy William]] [[SiblingYinYang and]] [[AllGirlsWantBadBoys Talon]], are both Claw's nephews, meaning her with either of them would be {{Kissing Cousins}}. |
| 248 | ---------- |
| 249 | * ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim:'': |
| 250 | ** Zim |
| 251 | *** Merciless OmnicidalManiac... or just an [[AmbitionIsEvil ambitious]] little guy who is in it ForScience and affection? Some of the flashbacks show him as being a loving little smeet, latching on to the cold and unfeeling robotic arm for love. The Irken lifestyle would have left him starved for that. Since it glorified conquest and conquerors as worthy of love and admiration, he set out to be one hoping he'll be loved for it. His fiercest rival Dib and he are forced into [[EnemyMine alliances]] so often that they're practically [[FriendlyEnemy friends!]] Also, Zim could kill Dib easily; ''no one'' on that CrapsackWorld would notice Dib's absence or care enough to do anything if they did. It's worth noting that, in the episode GIR goes haywire, he goes out of his way to [[{{Brainwashed}} reprogram]] [[InnocentBystander the cop]] who discovers his base and alienness rather than killing him; by the end, he lets him go - into an ocean full of sharks, but that part was unintentional. In short, Zim is intellectually into the ''idea'' of destroying and conquering the Earth, but the heart he is not supposed to have is not in it. It's speculation, but if the series had continued after Zim [[SelectiveObliviousness realized]] that the Almighty Tallest hates him, then he would likely switch to the side of humans completely... or start gunning them down actively. |
| 252 | *** Zim is a scientific genius in all things technological and lacks only one important characteristic - common sense - because he was given a faulty PAK, [[AllThereInTheScript as shown in the unaired episode "The Trial."]] |
| 253 | ** Dib can be (and has been) interpreted as a heroic defender of Earth struggling against the ignorants that surround him, a hopelessly deluded fool who can't realise that his CrapsackWorld isn't worth saving, a nutcase who's too excited that he found an alien to notice Zim's [[LordErrorProne blinding incompetence]], a selfish and vindictive little boy who is [[KnightTemplar willing to do anything]] to receive the praise he feels he deserves, an [[TheWoobie equally affection-starved and sensitive soul]] for whom fighting Zim is the only thing that gives his existence purpose, or any combination of the above. |
| 254 | ** Though less common than either of the above, Gaz. Many choose to see her sympathetically, suggesting her overly-violent tendencies are the result of her father's neglect and that, despite her violence toward him, she truly loves her brother Dib on some level. [[http://www.fanfiction.net/u/651317/Dibsthe1 Others think of her in less optimistic terms...]] |
| 255 | ** Even the EnsembleDarkHorse Tak is prone to this. Some see her as a total bitch; others put her on {{Woobie}} levels comparable to Dib. Nearly every character is subject to this. |
| 256 | ** GIR is normally seen as a lovable idiot who is [[CloudCuckooLander too easily distracted]] to be much of a threat to anyone (at least intentionally). But there are moments in the series that suggest that he is less TheDitz and more a [[AxCrazy psychotic overlord]] in waiting. For reference, see "GIR Goes Crazy and Stuff," in which he's left alone and almost takes over the Earth by himself - and specifically the terrifying moment where we get to see the world through ''his'' eyes: [[spoiler: A bunch of sausages grow hats and canes and say: "Dance with us, Gir. Dance with us ''into oblivion.''"]] |
| 257 | ** The ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'' fandom even has alternative interpretations for minor characters. Is Dwicky genuinely trying to help Dib, or is he a constantly smiling sadist who thinks Dib is crazy? Did Dwicky believe Dib and lie to his coworker, or did he think the kid was lying from the start? Is Gretchen a cute girl too shy to reveal her feelings for the class weirdo or a deranged stalker who lacks the social skills to talk to Dib? Is Paranormal Investigator Bill ''right'' in his views of the paranormal (which on this show isn't much of a stretch), or was he deliberately trying to keep the twelve year old kid he was stuck with away from danger? Is he competent? Is Professor Membrane a jerk more obsessed with work than anything else, or is he just trying to leave his kids a legacy (and riches) ''via'' his inventions to better than world? Honestly, fandom takes this trope and runs with it. |
| 258 | ** Skoodge usually seems pretty harmless, but he may be the most terrifying character in the show. Not only was he the first invader to conquer a planet, but it was the planet of the slaughtering rat people! Then he survives being shot out of a cannon, and (for a while, at least) survives being attacked by the hogulus, and lives for a substantial period of time without his PAK! Skoodge is either really lucky, or an adorable yet evil badass who can survive almost anything. |
| 259 | ** The kid in Dib's class with the head with two bits of red hair sticking out and said Dib accused him of being an alien in "Mysterious Mysteries". His head is the shape of the Martian from the episode where Zim finds out Mars is an abandoned battleship. Maybe Dib was on to something? |
| 260 | -------- |
| 261 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Jem}}'': |
| 262 | ** Stormer's relationship with the other band mates. Is she an ExtremeDoormat who is friends with a group of VitriolicBestBuds? Or do they use her and keep her around for her talent, making her think she's nothing without them when in reality they're wrecks without Stormer? |
| 263 | ** Just how "[[NiceGuy sweet]]" Jerrica is depends on your viewpoint. She is usually presented as just and nice however she [[TwoPersonLoveTriangle toys with her boyfriend]], acts malicious towards The Misfits from the moment they meet, and has some debatable moments. Some fans see her as a {{narcissist}}, BitchInSheepsClothing, or [[LossOfIdentity unstable in her identity]] due to her dual personas. |
| 264 | -------- |
| 265 | * ''WesternAnimation/JimmyTwoShoes'': |
| 266 | ** Is [[AntiAntiChrist Beezy]] really such a nice guy? Sure, he's not actively evil like his father, but he's still a LazyBum who puts his sloth above everything else, and is quite a ToxicFriendInfluence to Jimmy, especially when it comes to [[FriendVersusLover sharing him with Heloise]]. In season two it's noted that his entire plan in "My Best Friend is a Weavil" involved manipulating the feelings of a weavil (whom he bluntly has FantasticRacism towards) and loves the events of "Panda-Monium" because he got laughs at Heloise's expense. |
| 267 | ** Is [[ThePollyanna Jimmy]] really such a nice guy? He ''is'' in a place that if not {{Hell}}, is at least a reasonable substitute, and he can be more than a little crazy sometimes. Is he CuteAndPsycho, or is he even secretly evil [[BitchInSheepsClothing and hiding his true nature]]? |
| 268 | ** Does [[{{Satan}} Lucius]] have any redeeming qualities? Does he care for Beezy on some level, or is he merely interested in turning him into a worthy successor? Does he care for Jez, or merely see her as a trophy girlfriend? He mentions that Samy is his best friend, so does he care about him is his own twisted way? Is he a JerkassWoobie, JerkWithAHeartOfGold, or just plain {{Jerkass}}? |
| 269 | ** What about [[EnfantTerrible Heloise]]? As sadistic and maniacal as she is, her sweet moments with Jimmy (which get more frequent as the series goes on) seem to suggest she does have a nice side, and it is much bigger than what she like to think of it as. |
| 270 | -------- |
| 271 | * Is the titular character from ''WesternAnimation/JuliusJr'' really a ChildProdigy? Or does he and his friends just have a good imagination and are playing pretend? It's up to the viewer to determine how to interpret this. |
| 272 | ------- |
| 273 | * ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'': |
| 274 | ** The Flash acts flippant, flirtatious, and downright ''not serious'' as he does presumably because he's fully aware that one day he'll run fast enough that he'll [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence vanish into the Speedforce]]. He ''knows'' that his power will eventually kill him - though the speedforce seems like a neat place for his kind to end up, and he probably knows that, too. He's keeping the "every moment counts" mentality: no sense in wasting time being angsty - you might run out of time to laugh and have fun. "Divided We Fall" supports this. |
| 275 | *** Not sure if anyone noticed, but when Shayera told him to [[TakeMyHand take her hand]] so she could pull him back... he didn't. Maybe he didn't ''want'' to. |
| 276 | *** Certainly, after Lex Luthor switches minds with him, we see what he could do if he wasn't incredibly careful in how he uses his power. His seeming carelessness, obnoxiousness, and immaturity might be how he lets off the steam of having to be so tightly controlled all the time. |
| 277 | *** The reason behind ComicBook/TheFlash's antics is the focal point of "Flash and Substance". The episode strongly implies that the Flash acts like that for both civilians and other League members. Most of the other members are stoically serious; the Flash is capable of giving them necessary emotional relief. The people look up to him because they can relate to him. They find him genuinely fun to be around, contrary to Superman's constantly stressed "workaholic" nature or, worse, Batman's. Orion even makes use of the trope himself, realizing that it helps the Flash get through League stress as well. |
| 278 | *** The alternate Flash's death causes alt-Superman to ''kill Luthor'', which causes the Justice League to become the Justice Lords. Hard evidence there. |
| 279 | *** Harder evidence: When Superman "dies," Wonder Woman was a second away from punching Toyman to death. FLASH was able to get her to back down. |
| 280 | ** Taking a look at Superman for a moment, in the JLU episode "Kid Stuff" where the four of them are changed into kids, Green Lantern briefly makes fun of Superman for not being able to see that Wonder Woman is infatuated with Batman (and maybe vice versa). Is Superman, one of the most powerful heroes in the League, really so hopelessly naive that he can't see how his teammates are hooking up, or is he just really respectful of his teammates privacy, to the point that he makes it a rule to ''not'' fixate on their personal lives (especially when he has his own hands full dealing with Lois Lane)? |
| 281 | *** Superman's actions during the Cadmus arc are very much open to interpretation when it comes to how forgivable his intentions really were. Is he an essentially good but sometimes stubborn and shortsighted man thrown into a political and moral wringer who still manages to get out the other side with his soul intact? Or is he a short-tempered, condescending, borderline authoritarian who only maintains his grip on his morals from the shame of literally seeing the man he could become? |
| 282 | ** [[Characters/DCComicsVandalSavage Vandal Savage]]. His HeelFaceTurn in the BadFuture of "Hereafter", having had 30,000 years of solitude to regret his past actions, begs the very real question that Savage's villainy and attempts to take over the world might simply be because there is '''nothing''' left for him to occupy his endless existence with. Since he's been around for 25,000 years already, he's probably been pretty much everywhere, seen pretty much everything, and done pretty much everything ''else'' worth doing. |
| 283 | ------------ |
| 284 | * Disney's ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'': Several of the lead characters of have multiple alternate interpretations. Much of this is a result of the show's WordOfGod professed "continuity by accident." |
| 285 | ** ''Kim Possible'': ActionGirl, and her literal catchphrase of "Anything is Possible for a Possible" applies. Alternately, she might be a LittleMissBadass or BrattyTeenageDaughter; the real stars of the show are her human friends and foes, especially her {{sidekick}} and later boyfriend Ron Stoppable. Then there's a {{Subtext}} with her [[ArchEnemy nemesis]] and EvilCounterpart Shego. LesYay cuts both ways, especially when the makers respond to many fans' love of it. |
| 286 | ** Also Kim's braggy "I can do anything" attitude could be interpreted as arrogant to the point that it borderlines on being Hubris. |
| 287 | ** Ron Stoppable: |
| 288 | *** He is the most open to reinterpretation: he can be BookDumb, a ButtMonkey, CaptainObvious, the voice of the obvious, CowardlyLion...whatever character trait there is, there is evidence in the show that Ron might have it. |
| 289 | *** There's also fans who speculate that Ron's bumbling is due to either lack of confidence or subconscious repression of his abilities out of hero-worship of Kim, based on the fact that he becomes [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass amazingly hypercompetent]] when his [[SuperpoweredEvilSide moral compass is removed]] or BerserkButton is pressed. |
| 290 | ** Shego: |
| 291 | *** Shego is most often the DarkActionGirl to Kim's ActionGirl (she's the page image for that article); but she can also be the ClassyCatBurglar. These don't necessarily overlap in her Alt Interpretations, especially in SlashFic, where she's the show's queen of DracoInLeatherPants. These interpretations probably come from her having the least developed background of any of the main characters. |
| 292 | *** Can Kim genuinely beat Shego (who is superpowered and has years of fighting experience) in fights or is Shego just letting her win? Reasons for the latter vary depending on the fan. Some fans think she doesn't harm her due to [[WouldNotHurtAChild moral]] reasons or [[PragmaticVillainy practical]] reasons (murdering someone would cause her a lot more trouble than just stealing things). Others think that Shego believes Kim is her [[TheRival rival]] and that she enjoys fighting her; if she defeated Kim then she'd lose the excitement that she brings. A third interpretation popular with shippers is that she doesn't hurt Kim because she loves her.. |
| 293 | ** Other characters, especially Kim's parents and her ArchEnemy, Dr. Drakken, also have multiple wide-ranging interpretations depending on which fans of the show you ask. |
| 294 | ------------- |
| 295 | * ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'': |
| 296 | ** Is Hank Hill really the OnlySaneMan, or is he NotSoAboveItAll? It seems that he's mentally stuck in the 1950s, when things seemed simpler, women were at home, children obeyed their parents, and everyone was more patriotic and full of morals. Is it just a mental barrier to keep him grounded and good, unlike his immoral "friends" and co-workers and his own family? Or could it be a coping mechanism for having to put up with his insane father and egomaniac wife and he doesn't like things that challenge his love for simplicity and straightforwardness? |
| 297 | *** A different variation proposes that Hank isn't stuck in the 1950's but has a classic mental-block caused by the traumatic memories of his childhood. He became so used to being beaten down by Cotton in his youth for showing the slightest sign of weakness that Hank, in essence, built a mental fortress around himself, and is afraid of anything "new" or "modern" penetrating this mental fortress out of a subconscious fear of Cotton's retribution. |
| 298 | *** Another interpretation that's gained popularity in recent years posits that Hank is autistic. It's fully possible, given the timeframe the show takes place, as well as Hank's age, that he could have been on the spectrum but nobody knew. |
| 299 | ** Did Cotton really kill fifty men in WWII? Is he exaggerating? Did he even kill anyone? Or is his constant reminding everyone that he killed "fitty men" just a way to cope with his massive PTSD and the fact that he got his shins blown off? |
| 300 | ** Also, is Cotton really just a {{Jerkass}} father who's disappointed in his son and only cares about his past glories, or is he a ShellShockedVeteran broken from seeing all his friends getting killed horribly, being forced to kill fifty men just as innocent as himself, getting permanently crippled, developing a true romantic relationship with a Japanese nurse before being forced to leave her by the government that he already gave so much to, then being forced to return to a home which had nothing to give him except an impulsive wife who once [[TheDitz accidentally defected to China]] and the glory of a war which destroyed all he held dear? |
| 301 | ** in the episode "[[Recap/KingOfTheHillS13E1DiaBillIcShock Dia-BILL-ic Shock]]", when Bill was in the hospital for the second time in a week for his diabetes, was Bill's doctor really as much of a DrJerk as he seemed, or did he realise that he was dealing with a patient who had no intention of changing (Bill ignored his previous doctor and even listed "Jell-O" under "medications" on his medical form) and therefore decided to take a more [[ToughLove aggressive approach]] in an attempt to scare Bill into taking his condition seriously? |
| 302 | *** Similarly, in the same episode, the doctor tells Bill that if he doesn't get control of his diabetes he'll eventually lose his legs to gangrene and end up in a wheelchair. And since Bill was totally unwilling to change his lifestyle, he might as well buy one now while he still has insurance. Bill then starts going around in a wheelchair everywhere. Was Bill using the wheelchair because he was scared (and stupid) enough to take the doctor literally and use a chair he didn't need yet (the doctor only said he'd need it eventually, not that he needed it now) or was Bill knowingly using the wheelchair he didn't need in order to get sympathy and attention from people (and because he didn't want to go on a diet)? |
| 303 | --------- |
| 304 | * ''WesternAnimation/LifeWithLouie'': Andy Anderson - is he really PhonyVeteran and FakeUltimateHero who lies about how amazing he is because he is simply ashamed of his rather humiliating act of heroism during the war? Or maybe he is ShellShockedVeteran that exaggerates his stories beyond belief to cover how much war changed his life? |
| 305 | ----------- |
| 306 | * ''WesternAnimation/LittlePrincess'': |
| 307 | ** In "I Want to Be a Pirate", when the Maid has the Princess "swab the deck" (clean the hallway), the Chef serves her cold fish stew, and the Gardener has her dig for potatoes, calling them "treasure", are they trying to make her stop playing pirate (since she was annoying several characters with her pranks that she was doing because she'd been told pirates were "naughty"), or did they truly want to have fun with the Princess, but their [[IncrediblyLameFun unconventional ideas of fun]] got her down? |
| 308 | ** In "I Want a Surprise", was the Princess planning to sneak out of bed all along and only pretended to fall asleep, or did she get the idea of sneaking out after waking up at night? |
| 309 | ** In "I Don't Want to Kiss Great-Aunty", when the King and Queen called the doctor, were they fooled by her PlayingSick, or were they just humouring her? |
| 310 | ** In "Maid's Day Off?", when Scruff pulls on the Princess's bedsheets, is he just playing, or is he trying to alert her to the running tap? |
| 311 | ------ |
| 312 | * Likewise in the ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' universe, given their [[CrossesTheLineTwice over-the-top]] nature (WesternAnimation/BugsBunny started off as ThePrankster who often picked on Elmer Fudd for kicks). Possibly the easiest way to think of it is EvilVersusEvil. |
| 313 | ** Also, is Daffy a greedy, cowardly {{Jerkass}}[[note]]To quote Daffy ''himself'', "I may be a craven little coward, but I'm a ''greedy'' craven little coward.[[/note]] who sells out his friends to Elmer simply to save his own neck, or is he just like this because WesternAnimation/BugsBunny stole his act? He is three years older than Bugs and was originally the Screwball [[TheTrickster Trickster]] but then Bugs (who was described by the creators as 'Daffy Duck in a ''rabbit costume''') came along and eventually took over those traits. With his act stolen he was forced to become the StraightMan for Bugs' jokes or the ButtMonkey who always got outsmarted, and is now forced to become second best to the person who was originally his {{Expy}}. Such as this dialogue from ''Film/LooneyTunesBackInAction'' |
| 314 | ---> '''Bugs Bunny:''' I'm tellin' ya, Daffy, I heard the Warner Brothers say that you were their best duck. |
| 315 | ---> '''Daffy Duck:''' Flattered though I may be, flattened I will not, in order for you to get the laughs! It's all "woo-hoo, yuk yuk", and then "bam, wham, WHAM!" |
| 316 | ---> '''Bugs Bunny:''' And your tail's on fire. |
| 317 | ---> '''Daffy Duck:''' Exactly my point! I... |
| 318 | ---> '''Bugs Bunny:''' No, really, your tail's on fire. |
| 319 | --->[''Daffy sees that his tail IS on fire - he runs around trying to extinguish it - Bugs laughs''] |
| 320 | ---> '''Bugs Bunny:''' Daff, you're accident prone. |
| 321 | ---> [''Daffy finally puts out his tail''] |
| 322 | ---> '''Daffy Duck:''' [''sadly''] Oh, what am I talkin' to you for? All you have to do is munch on a carrot and people love you... |
| 323 | ** Speedy Gonzales' cousin Slowpoke Rodriguez could be interpreted as a stoner. He has big baggy eyes, he talks in a slow manner, he sometimes snickers, and he constantly complains that he's hungry. |
| 324 | ** Peter Rabbit in ''My Green Fedora'' (1935). When saving his baby brother Elmer from a hungry weasel, [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold does he genuinely care about the little guy,]] or does he just not want another earful from his mother? |
| 325 | --------- |
| 326 | * In ''WesternAnimation/TheLooneyTunesShow'', is WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck a malicious JerkAss who constantly torments his "friends", or a mentally-ill, pathetic JerkassWoobie who genuinely doesn't know any better? |
| 327 | ** Some believe that this version of Lola Bunny either received brain damage from being hit on the head with a tennis ball in her fist appearance or the original's bizarro evil twin from a parallel universe. |
| 328 | *** Some also think [[ObfuscatingStupidity she may be more intelligent than she seems.]] As supported in "Double Date". Where either her idiocy led to a series of events that got Bugs to admit he considers her his girlfriend while she just ''happened'' to be ready to record his confession, or she played him to get that confession. |
| 329 | ------------- |
| 330 | * ''Literature/TheMagicSchoolBus'': |
| 331 | ** Ms. Frizzle could be seen as a character in the vein of Willy Wonka, using the field trips to find a successor (possibly to the [[Series/DoctorWho Time Lord-like]] organization that gave her the bus and taught her how to timetravel). Since there's promotional material with Arnold by her side, she could see the most potential in him and wants to break him from his neuroses to train him. Other candidates could be Ralphie for his eccentricities & DA for her knowledge. |
| 332 | ** Another interpretation is that Ms. Frizzle is actually tweaked-out, and is slipping the kids [[DelusionConclusion drugs]] during school time; she introduces a topic, slips some acid into their lunch, so they can go on a "field trip" to learn about subjects firsthand. They always go to the bus because it's a safe place - she has them strap in and she explains to them what is happening as they go through the trip, guiding them. Invariably, something bad does happen, which is their trip taking a turn for the worse before Ms. Frizzle calms them down again. |
| 333 | ** Is the school bus really magic or is it an advanced form of science? To this, it's often quoted that any sufficiently advanced science is indistinguishable from magic. |
| 334 | ** In the episode "Gets Ready, Set, Dough!", the baker giving the Frizz Kids the "ruined" cake, when any other baker who found a bug in their baked goods would have disposed of them. Perhaps he realized what the "moth" actually was (the secret of the Magic School Bus, while relatively unknown, isn't perfectly kept) and decided that it would make the perfect cake for the bus's driver. Him talking about a moth when giving it to the students could have been to [[SecretSecretKeeper not clue them in to the fact that he knew]]. |
| 335 | -------- |
| 336 | * Charlotte from ''WesternAnimation/MakingFiends'': |
| 337 | ** Is she a naive, [[GenkiGirl destructive]] [[ThePollyanna innocent]] little girl? Or is she a [[StepfordSmiler depressed]] child who is trying to get over the [[ParentalAbandonment death]] of her [[NoLongerWithUs parents]] and who wishes for nothing more than to be loved? Or is she a [[ObfuscatingStupidity sneaky]], [[TheChessMaster brilliant]] sadist who picks on Vendetta because ''she's'' a clumsy, foolish bully who wouldn't last a second if Charlotte wasn't screwing around for fun? |
| 338 | ** Maybe she's a depressed child trying to ''deny'' the deaths of her parents, so much that her grandmother played along? |
| 339 | ** Are Charlotte's interest in Vendette ''just'' a desire to be her friend and not taking the hint that she hates her. Or does she have deeper feelings, that she may not understand yet. |
| 340 | ------------ |
| 341 | * ''WesternAnimation/MarthaSpeaks'': |
| 342 | ** In "T.D. the Pack Rat", Janice Kennelly has her son promise to stop [[CollectorOfTheStrange collecting random objects]]. He tries to keep his promise, but fails, and brings a rock home, hiding it under his arm. Then, Janice asks him to help hang a painting, and the rock falls down. However, Janice is tall enough to hang her own painting, so did she really need T.D.'s help, or was she just testing him? |
| 343 | ** "Martha vs. Robot" features a RobotDog named Dynamo. Is he sentient? On the one hand, Helen goes on about how he's "not real" and "just a machine" and this isn't framed as prejudice in any way, and he's stated to only be "programmed" to love the Boxwoods. On the other hand, when Ronald wants to throw Dynamo away, everyone nearby ([[EveryoneHasStandards even the mean Nelson]]) act as horrified as they would have if Ronald had suggested throwing away Nelson or Polly, which could indicate he's just as sentient as the biological pets. |
| 344 | ** Why does Ronald claim to hate dogs? Is it true, does he actually only hate Martha (perhaps due to her disliking Nelson) and is trying to offend her, or is he trying to offend Alice and her friends and/or score points with his own? |
| 345 | ------------ |
| 346 | * ''WesternAnimation/MegasXLR'': Is Coop just an IdiotHero and DestructiveSaviour who means well, but is just ''really'' [[HeroWithAnFInGood bad at the whole heroic mech pilot business]]? Or is he a VillainProtagonist in the making? On one hand, he does come off as a NiceGuy who never ''intends'' to hurt anyone or cause trouble, until someone else starts it. And he's more than happy to help his friends. But on the other hand, he has very strong BloodKnight tendencies and never makes a big deal of the '''massive''' amounts of collateral damage he causes. Even though he has a habit of directly or indirectly ''[[NiceJobBreakingItHero causing]]'' most of the the threats of the week that lead to said collateral. Complicating matters further, is that we meet a BadFuture version of him in the season two finale, that [[HeelFaceTurn went bad and abandoned everything he used to care about]], just so he could quench his thirst for battle, becoming a tyrant in the process. Implying Coop ''may'' have been destined to become the villain, (something actually played around with a little in other places) as his alternate version seemed to be just like him before he turned. Though Coop was appropriately horrified by what his alternate self had become, opening up the possibility that [[CharacterDevelopment he may make an effort to become a better hero]]. But then again, Coop isn't the type that easily learns from his mistakes. And with the series cancelled right after this, we will likely never learn if he continued dow the road to villainy or tried to be better. |
| 347 | ------------ |
| 348 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Metalocalypse}}'': The band members of Dethklok aren't just lazy {{Jerkass}} rockers who are only (barely) good at music and contract negotiations and who are ushering in some sort of endtimes by rocking so hard and employing shoddy help. They are a band of {{Eldritch Abomination}}s who have taken human form to bring about [[CosmicHorrorStory Cthulhu-esque levels of revelry.]] Hence, everyone who hears them live tends to die horribly, and those fans who live to see a second show are insane afterward. They have little regard for normal people and [[TooDumbToLive no idea how to do mundane things like shop]]; this suggests that they aren't human. |
| 349 | ** Or alternately, people whose 'gifts' are at least as much psychic as musical and are being manipulated by their frighteningly competent manager who would be the real EldritchAbomination. The effects of their music would tie into the psychic abilities, and the invincibility of the manager (see the season one finale) with his being an EldritchAbomination. |
| 350 | ** Another possible interpretation: They're a weapon used (possibly unwittingly) to bring TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt by methods near [[TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} Slaaneshi]]. Music that changes peoples' behaviour, making them crazy enough to find pleasure in horrific pain? Check. Daemon summoning? Check - the troll could be a 40K Daemon without changing anything. They even [[DealWithTheDevil bargain with the Devil!]] Pickles is so used to drugs that the daemon-possessed Totally Awesome Sweet Alabama Liquid Snake has no effect on him, consistent with Slaanesh-induced sense dulling. The amount of death they cause is comparable with that of unopposed 40K Chaos cults, and the descriptions of how they happen are nearly interchangeable. And so forth and on... They predate Slaanesh by about 15000 years - but time means nothing to the Warp. |
| 351 | ----- |
| 352 | * ''WesternAnimation/MoralOrel'': |
| 353 | ** Orel: Is he an eternal CheerfulChild that is the butt of abuse by his parents and almost everyone around him? Or is he a dangerously overeager little bastard whose abuses are a form of karmic justice for being a murderer, rapist, abuser, and perpetrator of other gross injustices? |
| 354 | ** In universe example, Orel is told that Judas can be seen as the hero of the bible because without him, all the other stuff would never have happened. |
| 355 | ----- |
| 356 | * ''WesternAnimation/MyAdventuresWithSuperman'' |
| 357 | ** A pretty drastic example in episode 5 "[[Recap/MyAdventuresWithSupermanS1E05MyAdventuresWithMadScience My Adventures with Mad Science]]", where [[spoiler:Slade slices through a highway support pillar during a battle with Superman, then takes advantage of Superman's attempts to save the motorists above them to line up a shot with a ranged weapon before being called off]]. Does this demonstrate "just" willingness to capitalize on an accident and complete the mission, regardless of the cost, or a deliberate ploy to distract an opponent who would prioritize protecting innocent lives? The former is amoral and cold, the latter ruthless and evil, and both are legitimate interpretations of [[spoiler:Deathstroke the Terminator, who has been both over the course of his time in various DC media]]. |
| 358 | ** With the reveal that [[spoiler:[[SecretSecretKeeper Jimmy knew Clark had superpowers since their first meeting]]]], it begs the question as to whether this fed Jimmy's belief in conspiracy theories or perhaps even started it--[[spoiler:after all, if ''one'' alien existed then, from Jimmy's point of view, there are surely more out there.]] |
| 359 | *** In a bit of FridgeBrilliance, the reveal also brings into question the first blurry photo that Jimmy took of Superman in episode 1, [[spoiler:that being if it really was amateur photography skills or Jimmy purposely messed it up so he won't expose his best friend]]. |
| 360 | ----- |
| 361 | * ''WesternAnimation/MyGymPartnersAMonkey'': What was going on with Adam in "Sick Day"? Was he genuinely sick, infected Jake, and that's why he was absent the next day? Or was he PlayingSick (since he seemed pretty energetic) and Jake was absent for a different reason? |
| 362 | ----- |
| 363 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheNewAdventuresOfSuperman'': In "Luthor's Loco Looking Glass", Luthor (escaping after having left [[Characters/SupermanJimmyOlsen Jimmy Olsen]] in a DeathTrap) taunts Superman that, "You'll never find your friend or me." Was he [[KickTheDog just trying to torment his nemesis]], or was he trying to distract Superman (knowing that Supes would put more value on saving a hostage than capturing the villain)? Either way, it failed. |
| 364 | ------- |
| 365 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheNewAdventuresOfWinnieThePooh'': |
| 366 | ** In the episode ''[[Recap/TheNewAdventuresOfWinnieThePoohS2E5UnValentinesDay Un-Valentine's Day]]'', Rabbit convinces the other animals in the Hundred Acre Wood to cancel Valentine's Day because Pooh has a bad habit of giving away hundreds to even thousands of Valentine's Day cards to everyone. Though considering that Rabbit appears to be the one that Pooh gives the most Valentine's Day cards to, is it that Pooh doesn't realize that he's going overboard with showing how much he cares about everyone, or is it his way of repaying Rabbit for constantly borrowing honey from him in a way that he (a bear of very little brain) is capable enough to do by himself? |
| 367 | ------- |
| 368 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheNewBatmanAdventures'': |
| 369 | ** The episode "Legends of the Dark Knight" had four kids giving their own interpretations of Batman, from the Bill Finger/Bob Kane version to Frank Miller's version to Joel Shumacher's version to the Bruce Timm version, and one who thought he was a bat-like monster similar to Manbat. |
| 370 | ** This series in general portrayed Batman as more of a cold, detached sociopath than [[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries its predecessor,]] and did more to demonstrate the toxic aspects of his relationships with his sidekicks and teammates. |
| 371 | ----- |
| 372 | * ''WesternAnimation/NinaNeedsToGo'': Nina will often deny needing to go to the bathroom, only to have a PottyEmergency moments later, and the moral is said to be "Don't wait to go". Is she lying when she says she doesn't need to go to the bathroom, or does she genuinely think she doesn't? |
| 373 | ----- |
| 374 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Numberjacks}}'': Why were the humans lying down in "Into the Teens"? Were they [[ChewingTheScenery being dramatic]] with how frustrated they are, or did the Numbertaker make them lie down? |
| 375 | ----- |
| 376 | * ''WesternAnimation/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar'': |
| 377 | ** One of the implications of how the other penguins behave around Rico is reminiscent of that of an adult with a learning or developmental disorder - when he loses control they seem just as concerned that he might hurt himself as others. Significantly, in "Kaboom And Kabust", Skipper's lines describe serious concern for Rico's safety, with the penguins all implying that he's not fully responsible for his own actions, while Julien's behaviour in this episode is ''highly'' manipulative, taking advantage of Rico for his own personal amusement. Julien even describes himself as Rico's enabler at one point. An enabler is a person who encourages or enables negative or self-destructive behaviour in another. |
| 378 | ** It can be argued that a lot of Skipper's paranoia, tendency to demand perfectionism from the other Penguins, obsession over having control over the whole zoo and need of multiple emergency plans and escape tunnels, could be seen as response to [[NoodleIncident losing Manfredy & Johnson, being betrayed by Hans]] or both, [[NeverBeHurtAgain out of feeling he wasn't ready for what happened in either case]]. |
| 379 | ** The male falcon in "The Falcon and the Snow Job" has being speculated to be Kitka's ex-boyfriend. Given he has his nest in the same building that Kitka and happened to kidnap an animal in the same place where Kitka was (which based on this interpretation, could have being out of revenge rather that to eat), not to mention Kitka was aware where King Julien has being taked without even knowing the situation. All of this seems to fit too perfectly, for it to be a coincidence. |
| 380 | ** Savio's first victim was Mort after he was sent to steal pineapples at the Reptile House, after that Savio started hunting mammals on his own. This could imply that he wasn't originally planning to hunt his neighbors, until he got the chance to eat Mort and got his first taste of mammals in captivity. |
| 381 | ** Did King Julien abandoned the group to protect the others from Savio in "All Tied Up with a Boa" because he was a {{Jerkass}} DirtyCoward or because upon realizing who Savio actually was, he got his TraumaButton pressed of the memories of having being EatenAlive? |
| 382 | ** Polish dub only: after Julien gets eaten by Savio and comments that his stomach stinks, Mort says that he ate peas ([[ToiletHumour which may suggest he farted]]) which is followed by Maurice pounding his fist against the inside of Savio's stomach and screaming "GET US OUTTA HERE!!!". Did he did that because he didn't wanted to smell Mort's fart, or did he do it because he was afraid of being in the snake's stomach and thought he was about to be digested? |
| 383 | ** How much is Hans's antagonist against Skipper ForTheEvulz and how much is him simply wanting to have his attention. In "Best Foes", he seems legitimate delighted to have him as a friend and never considers double crossing him (in fact he gets jealous when he believes he was replacing him with King Julien), implying he actually would like to be friends with Skipper. Also many episodes seem to imply Hans, for all of his flaws doesn't wanna kill the penguins, just cause them pain, which supports the latter interpretation. |
| 384 | ** As mentioned on the [[WMG/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar show's WMG page]], is Joey really is [[{{Jerkass}} ill-tempered and a violent jerk]] or does is he cranky because of pent-up sexual aggression? |
| 385 | ** Is Jiggles really is a monster by his nature, or is he a NonMaliciousMonster that has no knowledge of morality? |
| 386 | ----- |
| 387 | * ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'': |
| 388 | ** Is Phineas really so ObliviousToLove and that much of a ChasteHero as we think he is? Why else would he occasionally borrow Isabella's catchphrase, and use it on her in a tone that evidently resembling hers? Now, people imitate each other's gestures, expressions, behaviour, attitude and ways of talking when a feeling of connection and intimacy is desired, but this is also a common technique used in flirting. Phineas has also been uncomfortable telling lies to Isabella, [[BadLiar scratching his ear, stuttering and giggling nervously]] whenever he had to do it. It's possible that he's just an extremely clever boy playing dumb with everyone around. [[UnknowinglyInLove Or simply has not realised his romantic feelings yet.]] |
| 389 | ** Is Candace a control freak who wants to bust her brothers because she can't get away with the things her brothers do when she tries them or is she only trying to bust her brothers so they don't hurt themselves and end up in a hospital, brutally wounded from their inventions? Or both, and the latter is on a subconscious level. |
| 390 | ** Similarly, is Stacy on Candace's side and supporting in her wanting to bust Phineas and Ferb, or does she think Candace needs to branch out and not be so uptight, and getting sick of holding back on the off chance that she ever will? |
| 391 | ** Is Roger really a Goody-two-shoes as Heinz claims to be? The only scene we actually see without being a center of his evil scheme and/or on mayoral duties is setting up for the fall he didn't want to take, and not caring enough of the citizens to pay giant robot destruction insurance and used it as a coffee piece. And it won't be surprising considering how much crap Heniz already went through. |
| 392 | ** Isabella: Is she a sweet GirlNextDoor kinda neighbor with a crush on Phineas, or is she a BitchInSheepsClothing with an obsessive crush and won't even care what happens to anyone, as long as she has Phineas? |
| 393 | ** Did [[WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerbTheMovieAcrossThe2ndDimension Doofenshmirtz-2]] really turn evil because he [[FreudianExcuse lost that toy train]]? Or did he have a past so unbelievably traumatic that he blocked it out, and funnels all those negative emotions into the loss of his beloved childhood toy? Or was he a horrible person [[EnfantTerrible even as a kid]] and is just using the train as an excuse? |
| 394 | ------- |
| 395 | * In regard to ''WesternAnimation/PinkyAndTheBrain'' ("one is a genius/the other's insane"), whether we should take the first line to refer to the Brain, or is the true [[ObfuscatingStupidity genius]] Pinky for saving the world every single night? If Pinky is a genius, then by process of elimination, the Brain would be ... who are we kidding? He's trying to ''take over the world''! He's insane! |
| 396 | ** Consider these three episodes: |
| 397 | *** Brain calculates that Pinky is the reason all his plans fail and tries to make Pinky smarter to help him take over the world. Pinky then shows Brain that every plan has some sort of flaw in it. Turns out, the initial calculation is flawed as well; the correct answer is that Brain is causing every plan to fail. |
| 398 | *** In another episode, Pinky's thought process is revealed. As it turns out, Pinky thinks logically and makes leaps between subjects quickly. His nonsense responses do make sense; but we never hear his thought process in any other episode, so they seem completely random to us. |
| 399 | *** Brain goes to a therapist who learns the root of Brain's desire to take over the world. Before becoming a lab rat, he lived with his family in a peach can. As he was captured by researchers, he glanced back at the can; its logo was the last thing he saw before getting caged. The logo? Planet Earth. He just wants to go home but tries to take over the world because he can't tell the difference. |
| 400 | *** Further supported by the fact that The Brain's character and voice are based on Creator/OrsonWelles. Welles's most famous character being [[Film/CitizenKane Charles Foster Kane]], a ruthless, megalomaniacal man whose motivation is revealed to be nothing more than [[ItWasHisSled a desire to return to the carefree innocence of his childhood]]. |
| 401 | ** Therefore, Brain is crazy with a poor grasp of reality; Pinky is the genius and just misunderstood. |
| 402 | ** Also, if we take "one is a genius/the other's insane" to apply to them respectively, notice that Pinky's name comes first. |
| 403 | ** Alternatively, is Pinky just a BumblingSidekick stupid enough to remain subservient to the Brain, or is he a walking embodiment of UndyingLoyalty? Despite his dopey behaviour, he has occasionally shown a very lucid and observant amount of admiration for Brain and his positive traits, his Christmas List consists of nothing for himself, unable to think of anything he desires outside to make his best friend happy. He is outright self sacrificial at times as well, devoting all his free time without argument to help Brain's schemes and even attempting to donate not just his life but his ''eternal soul'' just so he could get what he wants. He even submits to the role of the dimwitted subordinate just to boost Brain's self esteem. |
| 404 | ------- |
| 405 | * ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls1998'': |
| 406 | ** Mojo Jojo. A mortal enemy or a big brother having a bit of a (superpowered) sibling rivalry with the girls? Especially in the movie, his actions ''could'' be interpreted as a XanatosGambit: either the girls, who were hated and rejected by everyone at that point and had no direction or a real paternal figure, become beloved heroes (thus showing a BigBrotherInstinct) or siblings of the new King Mojo. |
| 407 | ** In an in-universe example, Amy Rogers stated that "Him Diddle Riddle" would show that Bubbles was actually the smartest of the girls. In the segment where Him has the girls take their SAT tests, Buttercup scores a 25, Blossom a 10, and Bubbles - whose test card was configured to be a flower - scored 1025. |
| 408 | ** Buttercup makes a sad face at the end of "Moral Decay" while at the dentist. Did Buttercup [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone feel bad for her horrible deeds in that episode]] or was she simply upset about her money being confiscated? |
| 409 | ** Did the Rowdyruff Boys [[TookALevelInDumbass take a level in dumbass]] due to [[CharacterizationMarchesOn their characterization marching on]]? Was it a side effect of their destruction and rebirth? Or did Him intentionally turn them into idiots so they would never question his commands? |
| 410 | ** Is Him's flamboyant behavior a ruse to fool his opponents? |
| 411 | ------- |
| 412 | * Are the Color Kids from ''WesternAnimation/RainbowBrite'' {{Kid Hero}}es or something more? They have no adult supervision, are AmbiguouslyHuman, and at least one line implies they're ReallySevenHundredYearsOld. Rainbow herself is an exception as she's shown to be an orphaned human child named "Wisp", but even she doesn't seem to age. |
| 413 | ------- |
| 414 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheRealGhostbusters'': |
| 415 | ** Does Egon actually like Janine back or not? While in the movie, he explicitly doesn't, here it's more ambiguous. He says, "I love you" to her in "Janine, You've Changed", but follows that up by saying that the rest of the Ghostbusters also love her, so it might have just been a PlatonicDeclarationOfLove. Some suggest that [[http://jeremyreviewstheghostbusters.blogspot.com/2016/07/janine-gets-her-wish.html he doesn't know how to express his feelings]], while others have suggested that [[IncompatibleOrientation he's gay or ace-aro]]. |
| 416 | ** In "Mr. Sandman, Dream Me a Dream", Peter is [[SleepDeprivation tired in the morning because]] he'd apparently had a nightmare and couldn't fall back asleep. When describing said nightmare, he mentions a monster which greatly resembled the evil [[TheSandman Sandman]] who was the villain of the episode. Was this a [[PsychicDreamsForEveryone premonition]], a coincidence, or (seeing as the Sandman mentions he's one of many), did Peter get visited by a separate, non-malicious Sandman and mistake it for a dream? |
| 417 | ** In "Nothing to Sneeze At", the Ghostbusters have the flu and Manx the cat hears them tell Slimer not to raid the fridge and to be quiet so that they recover. Manx then starts making loud noises and raiding the fridge -- is he [[CatsAreMean just being mean]], is he trying to frame Slimer, or is he trying to slow down the Ghostbusters' recovery? |
| 418 | ** In "Night Game", the good and evil spirits are playing baseball, and no one, not even the audience, may be neutral. But what side is the umpire on? Is he good because he explained the "no one may be neutral" rule, whereas if he were evil he'd have left the Ghostbusters in the dark and they'd never have realised cheating would have made them evil? Or is he evil and his explanation that evil was allowed to cheat (and thus the game was unfair) was [[BatmanGambit an attempt to lure them into cheating]]? Or is he the only exception to the "no neutrality" rule? |
| 419 | ** Why is Slimer not a human in the BizarroUniverse from "Flip Side"? Is it because the flip versions of ghosts aren't necessarily human, just living? Or is it because Slimer sometimes acts human, so a flip of him would be a living creature that resembles a ghost? Or is that monster not even Slimer's counterpart, but instead a creature the Peoplebusters wanted to eat? It's also been suggested that the monster was a "paranatural being", like the monster from "Loathe Thy Neighbour". |
| 420 | ** In "The Thing in Mrs. Faversham's Attic", Peter talks about his mother as though [[MissingMom she's dead]], regretting not spending time with her, yet in "The Devil in the Deep", he refers to her in the present tense? Are those episodes out of order, and she died between the events of "The Devil in the Deep" and "The Thing in Mrs. Faversham's Attic", or is she alive but he doesn't have much time for her? |
| 421 | ** Why is Slimer a RidiculouslyAliveUndead? Is he displaying similar sensations to having a cold, needing to go to the bathroom, being airsick, etc. due to subconscious memories of his life? Does he actually have biology somehow? Or is he picking up on the Ghostbusters' behaviours due to living with them? |
| 422 | ** Count Vostok from "Transylvanian Homesick Blues" claims to be the last of his kind, yet "My Left Fang" features another vampire -- is Vostok just being dramatic, is he the last vampire ''in Boldavia'', is Count Von Blukenporken not a true vampire because he feeds on {{ectoplasm}} instead of blood, or did Vostok simply not know about Von Blukenporken? |
| 423 | ------- |
| 424 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}'': Is [[{{Tomboy}} Spinelli]] transgender? There's a similar interpretation of another Creator/PamelaAdlon voiced character, Moose from ''WesternAnimation/PepperAnn.'' |
| 425 | ------ |
| 426 | * ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'': |
| 427 | ** In "House Rules" Mordecai [[spoiler:learns that Rigby may die young or just leave Mordecai]]. Have episodes like "Think Positive", "Best Burgers in the World" and "Replaced" made him more lazy in order to hang out more with Rigby? |
| 428 | ** "Lift With Your Back" and "Eileen Flat Screen" both imply that Rigby is more mature than the show usually gives him credit for; it's just that we normally see him through Mordecai's perspective, as his idiot friend. It's also just showing his BrilliantButLazy tendencies, and that Rigby could probably improve so much about his life if he ever gave a real damn about anything. |
| 429 | *** Was Mordecai, at least on some level, sticking by Rigby because at least until later on in the show, Rigby made him look better by comparison? Both Mordecai and Rigby were lazy and irresponsible [[ManChild man children]], who never finished school and wound up working dead end jobs at the local park, that they can barely even hold down. But at the same time, few would argue that Rigby wasn't the worst of the two for much of the series. And Mordecai does seem rather reluctant to give Rigby credit when he actually ''was'' being a good worker and friend in "Lift With Your Back" and when Rigby does make genuine strides in bettering himself late into the series, Mordecai is too wrapped up in his own personal issues to be happy for him. Some may even think he's envious that his "loser" friend was actually improving his life. |
| 430 | ** The events of "Rigby Goes to the Prom" has had fans questioning just how much of Rigby's attitude and personality throughout the show is his own fault or if this behavior is just the natural result developed from years of his dad's poor treatment of him as TheUnfavourite combined with the years of being overshadowed by his younger brother. |
| 431 | ** Is Benson just a MeanBoss with a HairTriggerTemper (albeit [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold with a heart of gold underneath]]), or is he a friendly enough ReasonableAuthorityFigure who has just been pushed to his wits end by Mordecai and Rigby's antics. While he can be harsh and he does have a few legitimate KickTheDog moments throughout the series, often his frustration with the two is understandable given what they put him through and their general laziness, and it's shown that he is willing to treat his employees when they actually do their work. Not to mention, despite threatening to fire the main duo enough for "Or you're fired!" to be considered his catchphrase, he rarely attempts to act on it, even when they give him more than enough reason to. |
| 432 | *** Why does Benson occasionally entrust Mordecai and Rigby with important tasks, despite knowing very well what screwups they are, to the point where other times he's reluctant to give them a chance? Is it just him occasionally grabbing the IdiotBall, or is there a part of him that sincerely thinks they can do better and wants to give them the opportunity to show it. |
| 433 | ----- |
| 434 | * ''WesternAnimation/SavingMe'': How good of parents are Mark and Liam Bramble? |
| 435 | ** On the one hand, Mark and Liam Bramble are shown to be loving parents that care about all their three kids and do their best to raise them while they're living double lives working for the government and keeping secrets from their children. |
| 436 | ** However, despite being shown to be good parents and good people, Mark and Liam Bramble still failed to raise their son Bennett Bramble to be a good person, turning him into a man who would destroy his relationship with his family and friends. This implies they were, at least, somewhat neglectful of their son's emotional problems. |
| 437 | ** To Mark and Liam Bramble's credit, they probably would chuck up Bennett's problems with his siblings to typical sibling rivalry and Bennett's issues with his friends because of his selfishness for something they were in the dark about because he never came to them with that problem. And when Mark and Liam Bramble see Bennett Bramble having issues with his siblings, they attempt to correct the problem. And the older Bramble puts the blame on himself for his unhappy life rather than lash out at his family. |
| 438 | ** However, despite Mark and Liam Bramble positive traits as parents and people, it's implied that in the original timeline, Older Bennett Bramble's negative traits continue to grow at an alarming rate, with his parents not doing anything about it until it was too late, and there's the fact that Bennett Bramble's have these negative traits in the first place despite being raised by them all his life. |
| 439 | ----- |
| 440 | * Captain Murphy of ''WesternAnimation/{{Sealab 2021}}'': |
| 441 | ** A sociopath with no impulse control and less sense of self-preservation (that is, he knows exactly what he's doing, but he has no sense of consequences), or merely TooDumbToLive? |
| 442 | ** Or maybe Captain Murphy has achieved MediumAwareness and realises that, no matter what damage he does, it will all disappear by the next episode. |
| 443 | ----- |
| 444 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs1981'' has a long history of this, especially within whenever or not they're actually symbolizing something else: |
| 445 | ** Some people see it as communist propaganda. At the least, their {{utopia}} has a few similarities with communism. They don't use money; they are nearly identical, nameless (identified only by job), and nearly [[TheSmurfettePrinciple sexless]]; and their primary enemy is a Franciscan friar lookalike who wants to turn them into gold ([[MotiveDecay or eat them]]). One episode with an attempt to use money ended disastrously, and Brainy Smurf was tossed out of the village again. |
| 446 | ** They have also been seen as an allegory for the Ku Klux Klan, with the leader having a red pointy hat and being able to do magic (a reference to the Grand Wizards of KKK), all the others having white pointy hats, their all sometimes dancing around a big fire, the lone female a walking Aryan stereotype, and the villain looking like an "evil Jew." |
| 447 | ** The movie ''Film/{{Slacker}}'' argues that the Smurfs are Apocalyptic Hindu propaganda: The goal is to get children used to the idea of people with blue skin so that they'll be comfortable with the blue-skinned Avatar of Vishnu who is due to incarnate in the near future. (The movie also argues that ''Scooby-Doo'' is capitalist propaganda: When the other characters need Scooby to do something, they bribe him with Scooby Snacks instead of appealing to his sense of social justice.) |
| 448 | ** Maybe they're fascists. They have the anti-intellectualism ([[ButtMonkey Brainy]]) and anti-Semitism (Gargamel resembles a classic Jewish caricature, and is fixated on gold). Also, Fascists emphasize conformity and tend to be misogynistic; Smurfette's redemption comes through acceptance of traditional gender roles, not rejection of them. Although their 'smurfy' language sort of resembles [[Literature/NineteenEightyFour doublespeak]], so who knows? |
| 449 | ** Does Brainy quotes Papa Smurf all the time because he really idolizes him? Or is Brainy doing this to reinforce his own image as Papa Smurf's representative, thereby justifying all of Brainy's authoritarian acts? |
| 450 | ** Same goes for the other Smurfs. Are they little blue beings who like to help each other? Or do they like to crack jokes at each other's expense instead of showing sympathy towards themselves? |
| 451 | ** In episode "A Hug For Grouchy", did the spell really need to be broken with a hug given by a grouchy person? Or did Papa Smurf invent this detail to force Grouchy to hug someone? |
| 452 | ---- |
| 453 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Superjail}}'' has this from both the creators itself and its fans: |
| 454 | ** Does the Warden truly care about rehabilitating inmates, or is he just a crazy megalomaniac that's only in it for the thrill and pleasure of making others suffer? The creators initially stated the latter interpretation (and that he was more of an enthusiast than a real warden), but then later admitted that either could be the case. Christy Karacas also stated that he had no clue or solid canon on the Warden's sexuality, stating that sometimes he comes off as more asexual or "confused" over the concept of sex, while other times he definitely has feelings for women. |
| 455 | *** To add to that, fans debate if Warden's feelings for Alice are genuinely heartfelt, or if he's just a desperate pervert lusting after her and having a complex for controlling women. Then there's the debate over whether he secretly might like [[DistaffCounterpart The Mistress]], or if he's too clueless and childish to pursue her. |
| 456 | ** Did Alice truly feel a gender identity crisis that lead her to transition, or did she only start simply because she didn't want to be seen as a gay man? The flashback in "Jailbot 2.0" seemed to cause debate. Season 3 seems to run with the idea of Alice having a more feminine identity before her first guard job (although as many things in the show are subject to RuleOfFunny, expect there to be multiple choices). |
| 457 | ** Jared's feelings for the Warden are another subject of interpretation, spurred on by the disturbing sequence in "Dream Machine" where he dreams of being the boss and making out with the Warden (who's his assistant in the dream). Is it a repressed crush, or simply a power fantasy gone mad? Fans may never truly know. |
| 458 | *** Then there's the matter of his distant girlfriend Charise, and if she's really as sweet and innocent as she appears to be. Would she be the solution to Jared's problems and be able to "fix" him? Is she actually as broken and issue-laden as he is, and just puts on an innocent appearance to try to save her own sanity? And then some wonder if she may be only serving to manipulate him for her own interests (whether her intentions are helpful or something darker). |
| 459 | ** Are the Twins completely irredeemable and sociopathic, more along the lines of gray-area characters, or [[BlueAndOrangeMorality do they simply not grasp humans' morality?]]. There's also the matter if their callous attitude is a defense mechanism brought on by being abused by their family and only really having each other to count on, if it's due to them viewing Earth people as mere playthings for their enjoyment, or both options and then some. To add to that, if they can be seen as sympathetic at ALL or if they're simply just narcissistic, spoiled brats who don't deserve anyone's pity. |
| 460 | *** Some think of the Triplets as always being [[BigBrotherBully sadistic bullies]] that were jealous of and hated their new siblings from birth (seeing them as an obstacle), or that their father helped manipulate them into being crueler and fed their superiority complex so that his children would always be feuding. That, and questioning over whether the Twins were truly innocent bullied children, or if they did something to deserve the punishment in their planet's eyes. |
| 461 | ** Does the Mistress secretly like the Warden deep down and [[BelligerentSexualTension is simply playing hard to get]] to test him? Or is she more concerned with power and instead sees him as an obstacle and challenge to conquer? Tread carefully, certain fans in these debates can get ''very'' heated on this matter (especially when shipping comes into play or over what happened in "Stingstress"). There's also ongoing debate on whether she's the harsher and cruel prison warden compared to Warden (whose own {{Jerkass}} tendencies get overlooked), or if she's a firm but fair ruler and that the Warden is an abusive monster (although proponents of this side also ignore that she abuses Charise just as much). |
| 462 | ------ |
| 463 | * Livewire in ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries''. Now, the main view is that she's a jerk who kept being a jerk and she has no right to be angry with Superman, considering he saved her life. However, there might be something else: Her last facial expression conveys the emotional expression of someone anticipating, with glee, a lethal event. And not only did Superman steal that from her, he ultimately robbed her of her biological humanity. Is that the real reason for her anger at Superman? |
| 464 | ------- |
| 465 | * Tweety, of Warner Brothers' ''Sylvester and Tweety'' or, at least, the ''Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries''. Innocent victim of a homicidal cat, or [[DesignatedHero equally homicidal sadist who lives to torment the cat in question]]? He has been known to get Sylvester seriously hurt or in trouble even without the usual provocation of Sylvester trying to eat him, apparently for his own sick amusement. |
| 466 | ** Likewise, Sylvester has often been shown to be sympathetic, even heroic, sometimes to the point of coming off more as a DesignatedVillain; he has gone so far as to save Tweety's life a couple of times when his conscience got the better of him. The only reason he wants to kill Tweety is to satisfy his biological imperative to eat. Sylvester's no paragon of virtue, but which one of these two is more villainous? |
| 467 | ** It doesn't help that the universe seems set on punishing Sylvester for whatever objective he has because CatsAreMean. Hector the Bulldog, when not punishing Sylvester for trying to eat a sweet innocent little bird, is physically threatening him for failing to catch a (supposedly) similar harmless little mouse. |
| 468 | --------- |
| 469 | * Rebecca and Baloo from ''WesternAnimation/TaleSpin'': BelligerentSexualTension, PlatonicLifePartners, or something else altogether? |
| 470 | ** Their treatment of each other as a whole is up for debate. Is Rebecca an abusive BadBoss that exploits her ownership of the Sea Duck to force labour from Baloo or is she an ExtremeDoormat that constantly grants employment and a salary for her incompetent JerkAss employee? Similarly is Baloo working for Rebecca solely to buy back "his baby" and bail outta there or is he actually [[PapaWolf a provider and bodyguard for his new surrogate family]] that is merely holding onto said vow out of pride? |
| 471 | * Is Shere Khan villainous by inclination, only restrained from doing worse due to his pragmatism and lack of interest in anything that won't increase his money and/or power? A normally decent person who just happens to delve into less than ethical behavior when he believes his interests are on the line? Or is he neither: an amoral figure who chooses what side of the moral divide he's on based on what will better accomplish his goals? |
| 472 | -------- |
| 473 | * Leonardo of ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'': Is he a bossy teacher's pet and JerkAss control freak, or a sympathetic older brother figure burdened with the responsibility of his family's safety? The answer often seems to depend on whether Raphael is a person's favorite Turtle. |
| 474 | -------- |
| 475 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Teen Titans|2003}}''. |
| 476 | ** Terra: Some fans see her as a wonderful person who is constantly misunderstood and persecuted (often times they are also Beast Boy/Terra shippers), or as a horrible bitch who betrayed the Titans and deserved what she got at the end of Season 2. ([[DieForOurShip usually Beast Boy/Raven shippers]].) However, quite a few people realize what she was actually meant to be: a BrokenBird and AntiVillain with complicated motives and very deep emotional issues. So she's a normal teenage girl. Albeit one with geokinetic powers. |
| 477 | ** The girl in the final episode spawned multiple interpretations because it's vague as to whether she actually ''is'' Terra or not. If she is Terra, is she suffering from amnesia or was she lying to Beast Boy because she wanted to restart her life as a normal kid? [[spoiler:''ComicBook/TeenTitansGo'' implies the latter.]] |
| 478 | ** There are people who believe that Slade is really Franchise/{{Batman}}, secretly testing Robin in season 1 and then secretly helping the group against Trigon through the rest of the series. The big contradiction to this theory is his treatment of Terra in season 2... unless you think that she was on it and in reward she got [[spoiler: fake death, depowering and memory wipe, so she can have a normal life]]. |
| 479 | ** "The Beast Within": How much of Beast Boy's {{jerk|assBall}}ish and seemingly OOC behavior was the result of the chemicals, and how much was because of the "something primal" in his psyche? |
| 480 | -------- |
| 481 | * ''Franchise/TomAndJerry'': |
| 482 | ** Jerry the mouse has the same character ambivalence to Tweety early on, but he seemed to mellow out in the late 1950s and stopped being a {{Jerkass}}. |
| 483 | ** Many Jerry fans see Tom as a bully, if Jerry so much as walks outside his mousehole Tom will catch him in his deadly paws. We could see him in a different perspective, as the poor mistreated pet who's only doing what his owner told (and kicked and threatened) him to (even if he still sometimes enjoys his job a bit too much). Or, Jerry could be considered a criminal, stealing cheese and living in a house which he never paid the bills for. And Tom works like a policeman/law enforcer who can't seem to catch Jerry. |
| 484 | ** [[CousinOliver Nibbles]]: [[KidsAreCruel cute kid who doesn't know better]], or [[EnfantTerrible murderous psychopath]]? |
| 485 | ** Do Tom and Jerry hate each other completely? Or do they have a FriendlyEnemy like relationship? Or even a ''really'' intense VitriolicBestBuds style relationship? |
| 486 | ------- |
| 487 | * ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'': |
| 488 | ** Rampage of ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars''. Is he a twisted, sinister monster, or a tortured, tormented misfit? "Both" is an option, but between the other two options, there was a voice for each... and there still will be if you bring up the topic in the right place. |
| 489 | ** [[WesternAnimation/TheTransformers G1]] Starscream: an angry, conniving traitor to Megatron because he wants power for his own sake, or a Decepticon that [[ThePowerOfFriendship just wants attention]]? [[{{Squick}} Very]] ''[[{{Squick}} special]]'' [[{{Squick}} attention]]? From Megatron? |
| 490 | ** For that matter, why does Megatron keep a backstabber like Starscream around? The in-universe explanation is that, while Starscream is a lousy traitor, Megatron keeps him because he is so damn good at his job. However, some suspect there are other factors at play. Does Megatron believe he needs a constant reminder he can't get too comfortable? Does he think Starscream will fend off other attempts at his power? Or does he secretly like Starscream on some level? |
| 491 | ** Is Shockwave loyal to Megatron, or a better [[TheStarscream Starscream]] than Starscream himself? Cerebros and his HumongousMecha Fortress Maximus, or Fortress Maximus and his remote-controlled drone Cerebros? Ironfist: geeky AscendedFanboy, or DumbMuscle? Decepticons stone cold evil or {{Well Intentioned Extremist}}s? All these and more depend entirely on your choice of continuity. |
| 492 | ** Another of the more noteworthy ones is Ratbat. He's a voiceless servant to Soundwave in the original series, but he was Decepticon leader for a time in the original comics. Later continuities have tried to meld both interpretations for one backstory. |
| 493 | ** DR. SMOOV has created a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-ItfWY3xMQ video]] made from scenes from the G1 cartoon that reinterprets Shockwave as a comically poor marksman and buffoon who was left on Cybertron because Megatron wanted him out of the way. |
| 494 | *** DR. SMOOV's ''Transformers'' videos have a lot of this. Optimus Prime is lazy, Wheeljack is an amoral {{Jerkass}}, Red Alert is crazy and TheLoad, Chip is the ButtMonkey, and more. |
| 495 | ** Megatron in various continuities gets this one also: Is he a freedom fighter trying to raise his fellow second-class citizen Decepticons up against the oppressive Autobot regime, or is he a tyrannical dictator whose rule will spell ruin for all of Cybertron and whose actions are why the Autobots come down so hard on his people to begin with? (Guess which one tends to be canon.) |
| 496 | ** Is Grimlock really stupid? Or does he just pretend to be stupid to throw his enemies off guard? Another interpretation is that Grimlock is quite intelligent but is unable to speak properly due to a malfunction in his speech processor, giving him a variant of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expressive_aphasia Broca's aphasia]]. |
| 497 | ** The idea of Megatron-as-freedom-fighter has the most support in ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'', in which the Decepticons have lost the war and are a scattered, oppressed minority. We see only a handful of his minions; the majority of these are dead loyal, dislike the Autobots for whatever reason, or are [[TheStarscream Starscream]]. The Autobot Elite Guard, on the other hand, has a petty lying egomaniac as one of its most trusted members; and Ultra Magnus seems more interested in keeping the peace than doing what's right. While the protagonist Autobots aren't bad guys, as a faction the Decepticons seem to come out more sympathetic, even though they are more warlike and power-hungry as individuals. |
| 498 | ** There ''have'' been times where Megatron truly seemed to show concern for his underlings. |
| 499 | ** [[JerkAss Sentinel Prime]] suffered severe psychological damage in the incident where Elita-1 was lost. Since then, rabid fear of organics and guilt over leaving Elita-1 to die have been gnawing away at his neural nets, turning him into a paranoid wreck who's convinced he's the OnlySaneMan. Or just some self-centered jerk who just won't take responsibilities for his actions. A slight riff on the former: Sentinel and Elita-One were romantically involved—you see his arm around her waist and he puts in every effort he can to protect her, even ''covering her and Optimus’ retreat''. When she fell to her “death,” he’s willing to throw himself into a damn inferno to save her. Yeah, he took her death pretty hard, especially since his and Optimus’ rule-breaking (going to that off-limits planet) caused Elita's death. Now, in the present, he’s convinced that rule-breaking will always cause heartbreak. That’s why he’s so obsessed with regulations and order, to ''keep others from suffering that same loss''. He wants to do good in that regard, but he does need a little guidance; after you realize that, it’s hard to hate him. AlternativeCharacterInterpretation, indeed. |
| 500 | ** Some more ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' specific examples: Do Lugnut and Blitzwing merely work together, or are they genuinely [[HeterosexualLifePartners friends]]? Is Blitzwing crazy [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity because he's a triple-changer]], or is he able to triple-change only ''[[PowerBornOfMadness because]]'' he's crazy? Or are his nuttiness and ability to triple-change unrelated? [[WordOfGod Derrick J. Wyatt]] stated that becoming a triple-changer means going crazy in response to a question on his blog. |
| 501 | ** Invoked with Blackarachnia's last scene. Waspinator was destabilizing due to the Transwarp energy she infused him with, and was close to exploding. Blackarachnia encased both herself and him in web, lessening the explosion. Optimus says she did that to save them, sacrificing herself, Sentinel says she did it to harness the energy and teleport out, sacrificing Wasp. |
| 502 | ** Tankor in ''WesternAnimation/BeastMachines''. The writers intended him to have chosen evil of his own free will after having been twisted by his time under Megatron's control. A popular fan theory is that he ''wasn't'' evil - his actions were caused by input from his awakened spark being filtered through a shell programme. Both interpretations fit what we see on the screen. (Given that, upon his death, he seemed genuinely repentant, the Shell Program makes a lot of sense.) |
| 503 | ** Was Megatron just pretending that [[spoiler:Savage/Noble]] was a wild animal driven purely by instinct, or was he really like that and useful? |
| 504 | ** Then there's ''Armada'' Hot Shot, whose ACI became semi-canon. He was the team hothead in the cartoon, but a fan "translated" a comic so it depicted him as a drooling moron who only stays alive because of his minicon. The comic was then referenced by his ''Universe'' Toy packaging and license plate. See Wiki/TFWikiDotNets' [=JaAm=] article for exact details. |
| 505 | ** Did Hot Rod really want to stop Megatron from killing Optimus in ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie'' or was he enacting part one of his plan to be the Autobots' example of TheStarscream, which succeeded and led to him becoming Rodimus Prime? In addition, did he intend to pick up the Matrix to give it to Ultra Magnus but accidentally touched it leading to Hot Rod becoming the Chosen One instead of Ultra Magnus as Optimus intended, or did he know that it would pick whoever touched it to be the Chosen One? |
| 506 | ----------- |
| 507 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBros'' - The sheer jackassery of Rusty Venture has caused some people to believe he is a Villain Protagonist. Dr. Killinger believed this as well ([[TheChessmaster or did he]]?) and tried to help him become an Evil Scientist. The fact that the episode in question itself ends with Rusty, while rejecting Killinger, earnestly asking Brock about whether or not he's a bad guy (and Brock's hesitation to respond) lampshades this. |
| 508 | ----------- |
| 509 | * ''WesternAnimation/WackyRaces'': |
| 510 | ** Dick Dastardly constantly gets far enough ahead before stopping to cheat, proving him to be the best racer out of all of them. Isn't it more likely he has more fun losing creatively than the hollow victory of an easy win? Or is he simply too fixated on cheating to realize he's good enough to win without having to cheat? |
| 511 | ** Did Dick's genie make honest mistakes or was he intentionally twisting Dick's commands out of hatred for having to do a bad guy's bidding? |
| 512 | -------- |
| 513 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Wakfu}}'': |
| 514 | ** The Brotherhood of Tofu are the real heroes the world of Twelve ?. Because when you think about it, they didn't defeated the main antagonist of the two Seasons and Special Episodes: |
| 515 | *** Yugo has been killed by Nox and accidentally foiled his attempt to travel 200 years in the past [[spoiler: reducing it at 20 minutes]] and nearly doomed the Sadida Kingdom by using Nox's fuel. Sadlygrove has also been wrongly credited to be their Savior when it's [[CoolOldGuy Ruel]] and then [[PintSizedPowerhouse Joris]] who destroyed the robot. On top of that, Grovy could easily jump at the robot to fight him or at the girls to put them at safety(Season 1 episode 19 shows he can leap incredible distances like the Hulk in mere seconds when possessed by Rubilax) |
| 516 | *** Yugo has also been defeated by Qilby alongside the other [[spoiler: Eliatrope Children]] due to Qilby's Immortality. The BigBad has been betrayed himself by his own sister, severely injuring him and crippling him enough for Yugo to put him back in the Blank Dimension. See YMMV/Wakfu for more details. This [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdM9QgUB-xY video]] pretty much explains that the 1st Eliatrope Extermination was due to the Council of 12 and the 2nd one to a MASSIVE screw-up by Yugo. |
| 517 | *** The Specials are no better: First, Grovy decide to abandon his family to fight [[TheHeavy Ogrest]] despite his complete inexperience on his newfound [[spoiler: God Powers]] and the fact that Ogrest has defeated the 12 Original Gods who were more experienced and powerful. Yugo then attack his brother for gaining enough power to help his friend (forgetting since he is god, he is..., well, immortal). During the battle, he ends up [[TooDumbToLive Teleporting an Entire mountain on space]] which causes debris to rain down on the World of Twelve. To top it all, it's the new character introduced [[spoiler: Otomai]] who defeat Ogrest and Goultard (Grovy's Master and Demi-God) who saves them. And they still being credited as heroes, [[FakeUltimateHero AGAIN]]. It's interesting to see that Yugo is doing the same mistakes as Nox and Qilby: he is willing to harm is closest relatives for gaining more power(like Nox) and put the entire world at danger for selfish purposes(like Qilby). |
| 518 | ** Sadlygrove is quite InnocentlyInsensitive to his girlfriend: Firstly, he destroyed her bow over a stupid CockFight (forgetting she wasn't interested by his rival the previous episode) and then ran away; Secondly he [[spoiler:died]] protecting her although he could have jumped to destroy the robot or saved her. And then, he leaves cryptic messages while Eva is suffering a HUGE SanitySlippage and immediately [[BloodKnight fights]] after his [[spoiler:resurrection]]. Lastly, he neglects her over a "Dirty Secret" ([[spoiler:her sister]]) and almost cheats on her. And FINALLY, when he [[spoiler:becomes a father]] he decided to solve [[spoiler:the flood]] by attacking an ogre who has already defeated 12 more experienced and powerful [[spoiler:gods]]. |
| 519 | --------- |
| 520 | * ''WesternAnimation/WinxClub'': |
| 521 | ** Fans divided on the Bloom/Riven pairing often cite the season 1 Mother's Day episode as a make-it-or-break-it for the couple. Either Bloom was flirting (badly) and Riven stormed off because he hit on her, she "rejected" him, and his pride was hurt; OR Riven was being a {{Jerkass}} for the sake of being a Jerkass, and Bloom told him flat-out to screw off. |
| 522 | ** In Winx Club, while at first it seemed like Lucy was just being a bitch to Mirta for no real reason, it was later revealed (or further explained, depending on which version you watched) that Mirta was extremely timid, so much so that she almost wasn't accepted into Cloud Tower. Once you know that, you could argue that she was actually trying to toughen Mirta up or make her mad enough to start standing up for herself, instead of just abusing her because she was a shy doormat. |
| 523 | ------- |
| 524 | * ''WesternAnimation/XMenEvolution'': |
| 525 | ** X-23 |
| 526 | *** Sympathetic anti-hero trying to live her own life despite being raised as a weapon, or mentally ill mutant held back for the good of the general public? The answer depends on the fan, but her mood whiplash and the randomly placed {{flashback}}s in her premiere episode may be evidence that she isn't stable enough to function outside the military. Even as a child, when they tried to socialize her, she would end up breaking things and having to be forcibly removed from the area. Perhaps HYDRA's holding her prisoner was a good thing. |
| 527 | *** Her instability could very likely be a ''result'' of HYDRA's treatment of her for her entire life (as a weapon, that is). Attempts to bring her outdoors were clearly more about making her blend in with society that genuinely trying to socialise her. To further this point, the doctor who gave Wolverine this information in X-23's first appearance seemed to lean towards this point and felt terrible about the way HYDRA treated her; and their attempts to recapture her in her second appearance. Add Wolverine's disgust with their treatment of her, and the episode largely implies that if she'd been raised as a normal child she would be more stable (her ''existence'' was about creating a weapon based on Weapon X, so ...) |
| 528 | ** Lance: did he really have a heroic side, or was it just a trick to get Kitty to like him? Can it be ''both'' in the end, with Lance starting to do good things just to get Kitty into liking him and then keeping up just because he was in the mood? And if it's either the first or both, just ''how'' heroic can he be: sympathetic AntiVillain, hard-ass AntiHero, prospect NinetiesAntiHero, or something else whatsoever? |
| 529 | ** The Brotherhood as a whole; are they ineffectual villains who do try to be bad but are easily outmatched, or are they misunderstood misfits being targeted by the X-Men. |
| 530 | ** Scott: was he just trying to be a responsible leader who let his rivalry with Lance get the better of him sometimes, or was he unnecessarily hostile to him? We also have his relationships with Jean and Rogue to consider... |
| 531 | ** Were the New Recruits complete idiots who crossed into TooDumbToLive, or just inexperienced and excited at the prospect of being mutants that they got ahead of themselves a few times? |
| 532 | *** More specifically, Bobby/Iceman. Did he truly learn his lesson and become a good asset to the X-Men/New Mutants, or were his TooDumbToLive credentials just swept under the rug? |
| 533 | ** Was Spyke an asshole who was EasilyForgiven only for being a newbie and Storm's relative, or just an antihero as well as too young and constrained to do it right? |
| 534 | ** Was Rogue really a sympathetic and lost young girl and in dire need of help, or was she just a self centered whiner who only paid attention to her own problems? |
| 535 | ** Did Mystique really try to help her stepdaughter, or was it just her way of emotionally manipulating her to get more information easier? And what about her and her biological son Kurt...? |
| 536 | ** All of Magneto's actions with Wanda. Given how powerful Wanda is, her lack of control is indeed something to fear. Having Mastermind MindRape her, since he ''did'' try to resolve things the old fashioned way beforehand. |
| 537 | ---------- |
| 538 | * At least one ''WesternAnimation/YinYangYo'' fanfic has described [[TheBrute Ultimoose]] as a [[TheCasanova notorious womanizer]]. Nothing in the show seemed to directly contradict this, until the GrandFinale, when it's revealed that [[spoiler:Ultimoose does not only have an inflatable girlfriend, but a whole inflatable family]]. |
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/context.php
FollowingContext AlternativeCharacterInterpretation / WesternAnimation
Go To
- Show Spoilers
- Night Vision
- Sticky Header
- Wide Load
