Line #40 Main/LoonWithAHeartOfGold


1	->''"I'm a really nice guy when you meet me, and that surprises a lot of people. I'm not that eccentric in real life, and certainly not that disrespectful."''
2	-->-- '''{{Creator/KSI}}'''
3
4	In some stories, a person who is insane or at least [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} eccentric]] may at the same time be one of the kindest and most generous characters. There may be various reasons for this: for example, such characters may preserve childlike innocence lost by "normal" people, or their madness (especially if it is of a religious character) may inspire them to do things that are considered "irrational" or "meaningless", like assisting a seemingly desperate cause or sacrificing oneself for the Greater Good. This trope is OlderThanPrint: in medieval times, it was a common belief that eccentrics and weirdos were "touched by God", and many saints and blessed ones behaved in a quirky manner.
5
6	The character could be freaky or do nonsensical things, but that doesn't mean they are harmful to society, or evil in nature and morality. They are pleasant and do kind acts here and there despite what their otherness or freakiness may suggest. May or may not be a LovableNerd.
7
8	Contrast InsaneEqualsViolent. Not to be confused with KindheartedSimpleton and DumbIsGood: while these two tropes imply low intelligence, a Loon with a Heart of Gold may be smart, but quirky or unhinged.
9
10	----
11	!!Examples:
12
13	[[foldercontrol]]
14
15	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
16	* ''Anime/{{Free}}'': Nagisa is a bottomless well of chaotic energy, and rather unpredictable at times. At the same time, he is friendly to a fault and gets along with absolutely everyone.
17	* ''Anime/SailorMoon'': On the one hand, [[DumbBlonde Usagi]] is a BookDumb {{Cloudcuckoolander}}. On the other hand, she is very caring and will go out of her way to protect the ones she loves.
18	[[/folder]]
19
20	[[folder:Card Games]]
21	* The Gaian Tarot, created by Joanna Powell Colbert, has [[http://www.gaiantarot.com/teacher/ such a card]] called [[EccentricMentor the Teacher]] (also known as Holy Fool and Crazy Saint). According to the description, "Crazy saints [[DelightingInRiddles speak in riddles]], [[TricksterMentor they tease]], they laugh uproariously and act intentionally ridiculous. At the same time, they are guileless, transparent, and open to a sense of wonder."
22	[[/folder]]
23
24	[[folder:Fan Works]]
25	* ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'' has Luna Lovegood, as per canon, who remains as strange and kindhearted as canon, even after [[spoiler: becoming the second Delirium of the Endless]].
26	* ''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers'' fanfic ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11886910/1/Gankona-Unnachgiebig-Unità Gankona, Unnachgiebig, Unità]]'': Between [[TheGlomp loving to tackle-hug his closest friends]] and his strange mannerisms, Italy sure is an eccentric one. He also happens to be one of, if not ''the'', kindest character in the whole series.
27	[[/folder]]
28
29	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
30	* ''Film/{{Amelie}}'': the eponymous heroine is a {{Cloudcuckoolander}} with strange fantasies, whose life goal is to bring people happiness (in accordance with her personality, she does it in bizarre ways).
31	* Film/AceVentura may be a complete lunatic, but he's also a FriendToAllLivingThings. ([[WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes Except bats]], but he ends up [[FaceYourFears facing that head-on]].)
32	* Yang Lin, the secondary character from ''Film/TheCondemned1976''. He speaks like a hyperactive child and DeadpanSnarker who spends much of the movie behaving like TheGadfly to his cellmate, Feng Da-gang, but when they managed to escape prison, Yang had taken a liking to Feng and decide to help him clear his name after being framed for murder.
33	* ''Film/{{Harvey}}'':
34	** Whether Elwood is crazy or not is one of the film's central questions; even with the titular seven-foot-tall white rabbit being an InvisibleToNormals NotSoImaginaryFriend, Elwood is certainly eccentric. He's also an incredibly nice person; the answer to the question of his sanity ends up being "who cares, we like him as he is."
35	** A cab driver tells Elwood's sister about people he's driven to and from the asylum. On the way out, they're crazy but he enjoys spending time with them; on the way back, they're "perfectly normal human being[s], and you know what stinkers they are!"
36	* The 1966 French anti-war film ''Film/KingOfHearts'' (''Le roi de coeur'') has a whole asylum full of these types, who take over a town that the Germans (the setting is UsefulNotes/WorldWarI) has booby-trapped (the locals fled without bothering to evacuate them). A Scottish soldier of the Signal Corps comes to find and defuse the bomb, not knowing they aren't regular townsfolk. Bittersweet hilarity ensues.
37	* ''Film/TheMask'': The Mask, unlike his unmasked alter ego Stanley, is very much a cartoonish wild man but he does have a good heart. He cares very much about Tina, whom he ends up falling in love with (like Stanley did); when he meets Tina in the park, despite being somewhat sleazy towards to her at first, he shows himself to be sweet and kind.
38	[[/folder]]
39
40	[[folder:Literature]]
41	* Marianne Engel from ''Literature/TheGargoyle'' is a clearly unhinged {{sculpt\|ors}}ress of gargoyles, with her madness having religious overtones (she talks to unseen apparitions in Latin, etc.). She physically and psychologically helps the main character after a crash that leaves him severely burned and crippled.
42	* Emmanuel from Boris Akunin's ''Literature/SisterPelagia'' series is a saintly mad prophet who possibly has supernatural powers and makes people whom he meets understand their flaws and change for the better.
43	* Lori from ''Thomasina, The Cat Who Thought She Was God'' by Paul Gallico is an apparently crazy girl who says that she sees angels and can talk to animals. She also has a gift for healing sick animals.
44	* Jenny Wren from ''Literature/OurMutualFriend''; interestingly, she seasons this with DeadpanSnarker.
45	* ''Literature/{{Stargirl}}'' by Jerry Spinelli: the sane but extremely quirky titular heroine is literally the kindest and most pure-hearted character in the novel, making her classmates look like jerks in comparison (the protagonist even jokingly tells her that she's "running for saint").
46	* Auri from ''Literature/TheKingkillerChronicle'' is a kooky yet good-natured girl who helps out Kvothe in various ways. It is implied in ''Literature/TheSlowRegardOfSilentThings'' that her quirkiness and her high moral standards are interrelated: she sees all things as sapient and believes that even a little bit of self-interest on her part would violate the laws of the world.
47	* Professor Selkeem aka Axel from ''Literature/MollyMoon'' series is an unusual case since his madness is a direct consequence of his moral qualities and self-sacrificial love. In order to protect his wife, he agreed to transport Princess Fang and her people in time, and multiple time travels shattered his mind.
48	* Luna “Loony” Lovegood of the ''Franchise/HarryPotter'' series is a CloudCuckoolander and a total sweetheart, if sometimes unsettlingly direct.
49	* Cousin Jimmy from ''Literature/EmilyOfNewMoon'' hasn't been "all there" since a childhood accident. Emily's not sure what ''part'' of him isn't "all there," but she knows his heart is firmly in place, as he's always kind and respectful to her.
50	[[/folder]]
51
52	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
53	* [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} Kramer]] is easily the kindest member of ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'''s {{Jerkass}} main cast.
54	* Mary from ''Series/GhostsUK'' comes across as odd to say the least, with her non-sequiturs and unique manner of speech, but she is one of the kindest, most caring characters in the show.
55	[[/folder]]
56
57	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
58	* Esperanza Sixtos of ''TabletopGame/{{Crimestrikers}}'' is a {{Cloudcuckoolander}} scientist and inventor who's also one of the kindest, friendliest members of the titular hero team.
59	[[/folder]]
60
61	[[folder:Video Games]]
62	* Dagail of ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'' certainly qualifies. She has a hereditary condition that makes it difficult for her to communicate with others, to the point she was forced to retire from the Mages Council and take up stewardship of a backwoods Guild Hall. A magic charm is all that keeps her lucid, but even without it, she is a sweet, intelligent, deceptively powerful master mage. Whether you need Mysticism training or some backup evading demonic cultists, the old senile wood-elf has your back.
63	* ''VideoGame/FranBow'' has Fran herself; an innocent, polite little girl who suffers from vivid and often horrific hallucinations. [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane Maybe.]]
64	* ''Videogame/HelloCharlotte'': Charlotte is easily the nicest character in the game, but she's... odd, to say the least.
65	* In the ''VideoGame/ShadowHearts'' series "Odd Creature" ([[spoiler:Roger Bacon]]), appears to be a senile old man living alone in Wales. It is an act though - he is one of the smartest people on the planet but plays senile to avoid having to interact with others, finding most people to be selfish and short-sighted. Show him an even halfway decent human being though and he will go to the moon and back for them, and that’s no metaphor!
66	* ''VideoGame/{{A3}}'' has Homare Arisugawa, a noisy, InsufferableGenius eccentric poet who randomly recites poems whenever he feels like it (even in his sleep) and has a strange way of thinking and the tendency to be InnocentlyInsensitive. Despite that, he always means well and tries to help others. He even gladly takes care of Hisoka, even though he is fully aware of how selfish and unfriendly the SleepyHead can be, much to Guy's confusion.
67	* ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'': Father Grigori is clearly [[LaughingMad more than a bit unhinged]], but at the same time, all his actions toward you in-game are very much intentionally helpful, from giving you hints, to tossing you a shotgun to help fight the zombies, to enabling your escape from Ravenholm.
68	* ''VideoGame/PlantsVsZombies'' has Crazy Dave, an eccentric loon who repeatedly mentions that he's CRAAAAZY, but he helps the player fight the zombies by giving them tips as well as selling them plants and items. It's quite telling that the minigame music played on the level he introduces himself in is called "Loonboon".
69	* ''VideoGame/TalesOfArise'' has Dohalim, an eccentric Renan noble who, among other things, randomly recites poetry, doesn’t think twice about leaping off waterfalls, and says his artifact collection literally speaks to him. Yet unlike most Renans, he’s kind to Dahnans and wishes for Renans and Dahnans to coexist peacefully. When Alphen and the gang meet him, they discover he’s [[spoiler:the lord of the earth realm, Elde Menancia, and has seemingly transformed it into a utopia where Dahnans aren’t treated as slaves, but are instead paid for their work and have access to healthy food, fancy clothing, education, and training facilities]].
70	* Minsc from the ''Franchise/BaldursGate'' series is a delusional Rashemarii berserker suffering from a head injury. Despite his somewhat odd ways of thinking (not least of which is his belief that a hamster he found after suffering his head wound is a space alien who is talking to him and telling him what to do), Minsc is one of the kindest characters in the series and is firmly in the Good camp (Neutral Good in the original game and Chaotic Good from the second game onwards).
71	[[/folder]]
72
73	[[folder:Web Comics]]
74	* Elan the bard in ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' is TheFool and, while not quite mad, is certainly eccentric, considering he believes his own hand puppet is a god and puts adherence to dramatic convention well before common sense. He's also unconditionally kind and loving to everyone, even offering mercy and forgiveness to his evil brother who had repeatedly tried to kill him.
75	* Len from ''Webcomic/EnnuiGo'' is a [[RavenHairIvorySkin chalky-skinned]] {{Cloudcuckoolander}} ConspiracyTheorist who often dabbles in strange magical rituals, encounters [[EldritchAbomination Eldritch Abominations]] on the regular and generally freaks her friends out with her wacky mannerisms and insane ramblings. That said, she is good-hearted, believes that, while nothing in the universe truly matters, [[TheAntiNihilist that doesn't mean you can't make your own life special]] and [[PerkyGoth is the friendliest of the main cast]].
76	[[/folder]]
77
78	[[folder:Web Original]]
79	* ''WebAnimation/DCSuperHeroGirls'': This version of Harley Quinn is a [[AdaptationalHeroism good-natured prankster rather than a lovesick psycho.]] She still seems a bit crazy, but still a nice person and never (intentionally) hurts anyone with her pranks
80	[[/folder]]
81
82	[[folder:Western Animation]]
83	%%%
84	%%% Please put your choices in alphabetical order.
85	%%%
86
87	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}'': One-Eyed Wally, an eccentric, free-spirited troubadour who, though initially as mistrusting of Anne as the rest of the frogs of Wartwood, eventually becomes one of her strongest allies.
88	* The ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'' version of Fethry Duck is this. Despite the isolation from working in Scrooge's underwater research lab [[SanitySlippage taking a toll on his psyche]], he is a genuinely sweet guy who is [[FriendToAllLivingThings fascinated by marine life]] and repeatedly takes steps to keep Huey and Dewey (whom he calls [[AffectionateNickname "Little Donalds"]]) out of danger.
89	* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' has Mabel Pines, a quirky girl with strong, sometimes troublesome {{Cloudcuckoolander}} tendencies, as well as the tendency to [[InnocentlyInsensitive inadvertently hurt people]] [[UnwantedAssistance when trying to help them]]. She's still an [[AllLovingHero All-Loving Heroine]] whose heart is nonetheless in the right place.
90	* ''WesternAnimation/TheMask'':
91	** The Mask is a wacky, genuinely insane madman and a troll as well but he is a genuine hero and very much cares about the people who live with him in Edge City and his friends like Milo and Peggy.
92	** Eve is a wacky, genuinely insane, man-hungry woman who also has a southern American accent and acts like one as well but she is a sweet, kind, polite, and nice woman who despite being man-hungry treats Stanley very well even though she tried to kiss him lots of times and is in love with him and very much cares about him as well.
93	* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' gives us Pinkie Pie, a loopy GenkiGirl whose mission in life is to spread as much happiness and laughter as she can.
94	* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'': While the protagonist Luz Noceda is rather flaky, impulsive, and eccentric, she is also very kindhearted and altruistic, putting her friends' needs before her own.
95	* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'': [=SpongeBob=] may not have the best grip on reality, but his idealism makes him much kinder than the normals.
96	* ''WesternAnimation/TheTick''. Make no mistake, the guy is a certified lunatic, {{Manchild}}, and IdiotHero to the ninth degree. But he's a genuine hero who looks out for the city's safety and cares about the people around him, no matter how oddball his behavior may be.
97	[[/folder]]
98
99	[[folder:Real Life]]
100	* David Liebe Hart. Even though his puppets are off-putting and his beliefs are... bizarre at best, he has nothing short of good intentions for his fellow man.
101	* ''Music/LadyGaga''. Despite her very odd personality, she's usually really sweet. In one of her interviews, she said, "I was always a weird girl who came to school with lots of red lipstick on or my hair perfectly curled or whatever I was doing to get attention."
102	* [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Norton Joshua Norton]], by all accounts a very kind and peaceful fellow who just happened to believe he was the Emperor of the United States.
103	[[/folder]]

Context Main / LoonWithAHeartOfGold