Line #40 Main/ComedicHero


1	%%
2	%%
3	%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.
4	%%
5	%%
6
7	[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/InspectorGadget https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/2f235316_ca12_406a_bfaa_a71c783bcacb.png]]]]
8	[[caption-width-right:350:[[TelescopingRobot Tons of gadgets]], milligrams of brain.]]
9
10	The Comedic Hero is a less-than-competent protagonist who nevertheless succeeds despite his best efforts. He might have dumb luck on his side, or a HypercompetentSidekick might be watching his back with or without his knowledge. Alternatively he might good at weaponising his eccentricities into his own special brand of competence at just the right time.
11
12	TheFool is a specific variant of this character type. Might be a CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass. For the superhero version, see SuperZeroes. For a goof who is more competent than people would like to admit see LetsGetDangerous. A HeroicComedicSociopath is this with ComedicSociopathy.
13
14	----
15	!!Examples
16
17	[[foldercontrol]]
18
19	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
20	* Milfeulle Sakuraba of ''Anime/GalaxyAngel'', a [[TheDitz ditz]] of epic proportions, actually survives by the most improbable luck in the universe.
21	* The title character from ''Manga/BoboboboBobobo'', Bobobo. Not so much because of luck, but because [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} his brand of insanity]] is perfect for dealing with the insanity around him.
22	%%* The Anime/IrresponsibleCaptainTylor. Maybe.
23	%%* ''Manga/{{Trigun}}'': Vash the Stampede
24	%%* ''Manga/{{Hellsing}}'': Seras Victoria (Anime and OVA only).
25	[[/folder]]
26
27	[[folder:Comic Books]]
28	* Numerous from the [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden]] and [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Ages]] of comics, including but not limited to:
29	** The original ComicBook/RedTornado, a hefty housewife who crossdresses as a superhero with a cooking pot over her head and beats up gangsters. She was a member of the ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica.
30	** Johnny Thunder, a hopeless twit who has an all-powerful genie at his command and doesn't even know it.
31	** Super-Hip, aka Tadwaller Jutefruce, Bob Hope's nerdy nephew who turns into a super-powered mod crooner whenever he gets angry. His battle-cry? "Bleck to Lawrence Welk!"
32	** ComicBook/AngelAndTheApe: She's a private eye with brains and beauty to spare. He's a comic-book artist who happens to be a talking gorilla.
33	** ComicBook/StanleyAndHisMonster, a little boy who pals around with a demon who was kicked out of Hell for being too darn nice.
34	* Zayne Carrick, main character of ''Franchise/{{Star Wars\|Expanded Universe}}: ComicBook/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' (no, not [[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic that one]], the comic series) started out as this, a walking catastrophe who couldn't even hold onto one lowlife criminal once captured. However, after the first story-arc, he settled into a more heroic mold, and his proneness to accidental carnage degenerated to an InformedAttribute.
35	** He also becomes smarter (he outsmarts and derails the plans of a mad scientist, a corrupt corporate executive, and a deranged Sith wannabe), and when he fights his former teachers he actually does fairly well (when he fights Raana Tey they're pretty evenly matched for most of the fight).
36	%%* ''Bananaman'' of The Dandy.
37	[[/folder]]
38
39	[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]
40	%%* Inspector Clouseau of the ''[[Franchise/ThePinkPanther Pink Panther]]'' films.
41	* ''Film/{{Bullshot}}'' (1983). Bullshot Crummond, a spoof of British hero Literature/BulldogDrummond.
42	[[/folder]]
43
44	[[folder:Literature]]
45	* Bertie Wooster, ''Literature/JeevesAndWooster''. Hilariously incompetent, "mentally negligible", and the epitome of the UpperClassTwit -- but so ridiculously nice that you can't help but root for him.
46	* Bink in ''[[Literature/{{Xanth}} A Spell for Chameleon]]'' and other novels. His magical talent renders him immune to harm from magic, but it does so by making him seem to escape through pratfalls, coincidence, and sheer luck.
47	[[/folder]]
48
49	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
50	* Maxwell Smart, lead CONTROL Agent in ''Series/GetSmart'', is a lovable doofus most of the time, though not without his moments of heroism.
51	%%* Chespirito's ''Series/ElChapulinColorado''.
52	* Ralph mostly fulfills this role on ''Series/TheGreatestAmericanHero'', simply because he doesn't know how his suit works.
53	* Creator/{{NBC}}'s ''Captain Nice'', and Creator/{{CBS}}'s ''Mr. Terrific'', two very short-run (half season) series which tried to ride the "camp superhero" wave started by the Adam West ''Series/Batman1966'' series.
54	* The title goofball CowboyCop on ''Series/SledgeHammer''
55	[[/folder]]
56
57	%%[[folder:Video Games]]
58	%%* Dirk the Daring of ''VideoGame/DragonsLair''.
59	%%[[/folder]]
60
61	[[folder:Western Animation]]
62	%%* WesternAnimation/MrMagoo.
63	%%* Homer Simpson, ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''.
64	* ''WesternAnimation/InspectorGadget'' (a spiritual successor to ''Get Smart'' and voiced by Don Adams, no less!) is nowhere near the hypercompetent inspector he thinks he is. His niece, Penny, and his dog, Brain, would be the ones who typically stopped whatever evil plot Dr Claw had going on while Gadget remained oblivious, though Gadget would occasionally save the day by pure accident.
65	* Bullwinkle, ''WesternAnimation/RockyAndBullwinkle'', mainly gets through life with the aid of his HypercompetentSidekick Rocky (though Rocky has his moments too).
66	%%* Peter Griffin from ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy''.
67	%%* WesternAnimation/GeorgeOfTheJungle.
68	* The title character of ''WesternAnimation/TheTick'' is a CloudCuckoolander of the first order, but he still manages to get the job done.
69	* WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck, primarily in certain Creator/ChuckJones cartoons where he was constantly trying (and failing) to take on the more dramatic hero role: ''WesternAnimation/DuckDodgersInTheTwentyFourthAndAHalfCentury'', ''WesternAnimation/TheScarletPumpernickel'', ''Myth/RobinHood Daffy'', etc. In earlier takes Daffy was still comical, but far better at weaponising his own brand of craziness.
70	%%* Coop of ''WesternAnimation/MegasXLR''.
71	%%* Fry of ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}''.
72	%%* Ron Stoppable from ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible''.
73	%%* ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants''
74	%%* Po in ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda''.
75	%%* ''WesternAnimation/{{Archer}}''.
76	[[/folder]]

Context Main / ComedicHero