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1->''"Link is dripping with visual personality, entirely distinct from the player's actions. He's profoundly thick, almost to the edge of the special-school spectrum, but he's earnest and endearing with it. He doesn't put on the green uniform because he was destined to by the will of The Force, or whatever it is, but because his Nan was forcing him to take part in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]]'' cosplay."''
2-->-- '''[[WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation Yahtzee]]''' on ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker Toon Link]]''
3
4Bob's a great guy. Why? Well, for one, he's brave, [[{{Determinator}} determined]], good at what he does, [[NiceGuy genuinely nice]], and, most importantly, his moral fiber has a [[IncorruptiblePurePureness higher tensile strength than spider silk.]] Sure, he's a bit [[SociallyAwkwardHero socially awkward]] and has a few other [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} harmless quirks]], but that's all part of his particular charm.
5
6An obvious play on [[SelfProclaimedKnight Dark Knight]], the ''Dork'' Knight is TheAce, TheCape, the KnightInShiningArmor or a similar character type infused with EndearinglyDorky, where the endearing awkwardness serves to humanize an otherwise idealized hero. (It can also work in reverse, where an established lovable dork shows unexpected courage and prowess.) See also BadassAdorable and SociallyAwkwardHero (which tend to overlap). Goofier examples of this trope may overlap with CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass.
7
8Compare the SuperLoser, who's superpowered, but not necessarily endearing.
9----
10!!Examples:
11
12[[foldercontrol]]
13
14[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
15* ''Manga/CardcaptorSakura'': Syaoran Li, beneath his supposed arrogance, turns out to be one. Arguably Sakura herself evolves as such, both her [[TookALevelInBadass competence as guardian of the cards]] and [[KindheartedSimpleton cluelessly innocent persona]] upped as the series goes on.
16* ''Manga/DeliciousInDungeon'': Laios the warrior is the leader of an experienced dungeon explorer team. He's also a massive dork, is a living encyclopedia on monsters, and is awful at reading the mood.
17* ''Manga/DragonBall'': Son Gohan has a bad case of ChronicHeroSyndrome, perfect grades, superpowers, and grew up in a tiny, isolated house up in the mountains with absolutely no frame of reference to tell him that no, normal people cannot jump eight meters into the air. Becoming a superhero with really clear {{Sentai}} influences really was the only option.
18* ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'':
19** Izuku Midoriya is armed with the Quirk of the world's greatest hero, granting him incredible SuperStrength at the risk of smashing his bones to pieces. Through his hard work and dedication he becomes one of the best fighters in his class at a school filled with promising young Heroes. On top of all this, his grades are excellent and he boasts considerable popularity among his peers and the rest of the people in his neighborhood after the Sports Festival. He's also an extremely dorky SociallyAwkwardHero who gets flustered around girls, is an ''enormous'' [[{{Otaku}} Hero Fanboy]], and is prone to TenderTears.
20** His mentor, All Might, also has a bit of this, although it's not nearly as visible due to his charisma and showmanship. He's a SupermanSubstitute who's officially recognized as the greatest hero in the world. His actions have inspired a generation of would-be heroes and his mere existence reduces the crime rate through deterrence. He also frequently makes extremely bombastic entrances to ordinary social situations ("I am...coming through the door, like a normal person!") has a tendency to privately {{squee}} over Midoriya, and has to carry around a "Teaching For Dummies" book.
21* ''Manga/NurseAngelRirikaSOS'': Seiya is a hyperactive, clever, absolutely fearless goofball who [[HowDoIShotWeb doesn't have the best control over his powers]] (it's a work in progress,) but is always ready to help his MagicalGirlWarrior best friend. Villains actually refer to him as a knight.
22* ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'': Cynthia. In addition to being Sinnoh's Champion, she's a scholar who studies Sinnoh's myths. Oh, and she also has a silly personality and a child-like obsession with sweets (particularly ice cream), treating them like SeriousBusiness. This even gets exploited by the bad guys on occasion.
23* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'': [[spoiler:Akemi Homura is revealed in a flashback to have started off life as cute and dorky. She turns to TakeALevelInBadass to prevent [[PseudoRomanticFriendship Madoka's]] death, and gradually sheds layers of dorky charm in each iteration of her GroundhogDayLoop to become a hardened badass dedicated to protecting her at all costs. However, when her feelings for Madoka bubble up to the surface, she's still the same person at heart.]]
24* ''Anime/ReadOrDie'': Yomiko Readman is a bookworm. A very huge bookworm. Such a huge bookworm that she lives in a big apartment building covered from top to bottom with books and is the top customer of every bookstore in the district. [[MinorCrimeRevealsMajorPlot She begins her quest to defuse a plan]] to cause TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt by chasing after someone who stole one of her books while asking him meekly to hand it back. [[BewareTheNiceOnes She can also]] [[PaperMaster kill you with a bookmark.]]
25* ''Manga/RosarioPlusVampire'': After taking a level in badass, Tsukune Aono fits squarely in this. Taking on some of the most deadliest monsters one minute and being a cute dork the next.
26* ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'': Sweet, kind and cuddly Himura Kenshin. That's not to say he isn't a skilled disciplined Samurai with an [[IncorruptiblePurePureness unflappable sense of right and wrong]], [[KnightInShiningArmor defender of the innocent]], etc. etc.
27%% * Surprisingly common in ''Anime/TigerAndBunny'', especially with Wild Tiger[=/=]Kotetsu T. Kaburagi, Origami Cyclone[=/=]Ivan Karelin and Sky High[=/=]Keith Goodman.
28%% ** Keith is TheAce, Kotetsu aspires to be TheCape, Ivan can manage a bit of Badass and is definitely Adorable, and all three are adorkable.
29* ''Manga/{{Trigun}}'': Vash the Stampede. He's a completely unstoppable (and non-lethal) warrior and one of the silliest men committed to animation.
30[[/folder]]
31
32[[folder:Comic Books]]
33* ''ComicBook/CaptainAmerica'' is very much a NiceGuy and kind-hearted boy-next-door type who genuinely cares about others more than himself and isn't afraid to proclaim the ideals he fights for, namely UsefulNotes/TheAmericanDream. There are some cynics who would sneer at this, but Cap honestly doesn't care. He'll still keep fighting for his ideals no matter what. On one occasion, Cap provides encouragement to a despairing Spider-Man by telling him [[BadassCreed "This nation was founded on one principle above all else: the requirement that we stand up for what we believe, no matter the odds or the consequences. When the mob and the press and the whole world tell you to move, your job is to plant yourself like a tree beside the river of truth, and tell the whole world — No, YOU move."]] There's a ''reason'' why the Avengers know they can always trust Cap.
34* [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]] definitely qualifies. He's a hero on par with Superman both in terms of physical power and nobility, and is completely unafraid of standing up to beings more powerful than himself (up to and including the Wrath of God) if he feels it has to be done. Yet he's also unfailingly polite, kind, friendly and compassionate, with a good (sometimes self-deprecating) sense of humor who tends to get completely flustered when women take interest in him. The fact that he's really a 12 to 15 year old kid in an adult superhuman body goes a long way towards explaining this.
35* The ''[[AlternateCompanyEquivalent other company's]]'' ComicBook/{{Captain Marvel|MarvelComics}}, or at least, their current and fifth/seventh one, former ComicBook/MsMarvel Carol Danvers. Credited as 'Earth's Mightiest Hero', a FlyingBrick on-par with Thor, a trained Air-Force pilot (even being a ColonelBadass) and a decorated soldier with years of experience, and she named her cat Chewie, uses the 'Jedi Mind Trick' as a distraction, and after cooling off from being mad at the uninvited visit, she geeks out at having Lila Cheney, a super-powered rock star, on her ship. Generally, Carol is good at keeping her geekiness in-check, but in recent years it's become far more blatant that she's something of a nerd.
36** Her successor, the current and third [[ComicBook/MsMarvel2014 Ms. Marvel]], aka the ever-dorky shapeshifter and superhero fangirl, Kamala Khan.
37* He's become less so over the years, but Lee Falk's original depiction of ''ComicStrip/ThePhantom'' had definite moments of this, particularly around the woman he loves.
38* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': Peter Parker is an endearingly awkward everyman ever since he was a teenager. Which never stopped him from being one of the most capable superheroes in the Marvel-verse.
39** In the mainstream comics, he remains this way even as an adult. It's best seen when he interacts with the other heroes (who see him as something of a young sibling yet deeply respect him) and also when it comes to ''younger'' heroes (who look at him in awe for being in the hero game when he was their age and now doing his best to guide them).
40* In ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'', the title character's [[ClarkKenting secret identity]] certainly has dorky tendencies. This could be the result of ObfuscatingStupidity, being an AlienAmongUs, or something else. In the modern comics, it's usually just because he's a farmer's son who moved to the big city. He doesn't really count as AlienAmongUs, since he came to Earth as an infant.
41* If ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'' took place in a straight-up superhero universe rather than a {{Deconstruction}}-fest DysfunctionJunction, Dan Dreiberg (Nite Owl II) ''would'' have been this character type. But given the nature of the setting, he's more a ClassicalAntiHero than TheAce. It is worth noting that despite ''Watchmen''[='=]s very dark take on most of the superhero archetypes it explores, Dan retains his endearing dorkiness and is probably the most idealistic and conventionally likable of the costumed heroes.
42[[/folder]]
43
44[[folder:Fan Works]]
45* ''Fanfic/AmazingFantasy'' begins with Izuku Midoriya (who in this universe got ComicBook/SpiderMan powers) giving the audience the "do you really want to know my story?" narration of Creator/SamRaimi's ''Film/SpiderMan1'', only to stop and beg the audience to stay when he seems to be scaring (or boring) then away. His typical personality also clashes quite noticeably with Peter Parker's.
46* ''Fanfic/BuckyBarnesGetsHisGrooveBackAndOtherInternationalIncidents'' makes it absolutely, abundantly clear that [[ComicBook/CaptainAmerica Steve Rogers]], [[ComicBook/TheFalcon Sam Wilson]], [[ComicBook/BlackWidow Natasha Romanoff]], and ComicBook/BuckyBarnes are just ''humans'' under their superhero-slash-unwilling-supervillain identities and abilities, and total dorks.
47** Steve had a DragQueen phase back in the 1930s that involved him wearing lipstick during sex, swears himself blue if he breaks an art pencil, attempts to leave the hospital with a catheter still in, and once cut himself trying to shave his crotch with a straight razor.
48** Barnes develops a taste for trashy ParanormalRomance novels, unironically listens to dubstep (the harsh sound helps to quiet his mind), names a spaceship with enough destructive power to qualify as a WMD Motherfucker, and loves hot baths and washing his hair.
49** Natasha plays Never Have I Ever on long road trips, once tried jerryrigging her own hair dye while on an op, organizes HYDRA intel in a glittery pink notebook with a fuchsia pen with pompoms and a charm dangling from the top, and nearly squees in delight when Barnes, Steve, and Sam steal her a monster truck snowplow.
50** Finally, Sam develops crushes on jacked white blond dudes, the dumber the better, changed his parents' dog's name to Barf, traded his iPod Touch to a mentally unstable super-assassin in exchange for macaroni and cheese with bacon, and has placidly accepted his new life of espionage, wetwork ops, and government watchlists.
51* In ''Fanfic/JonathanJoestarTheFirstJoJo'', Jonathan definitely qualifies as this, keeping in line with his canon portrayal.
52* In ''Fanfic/ThievesCanBeHeroes'', Izuku Midoriya retains most of the traits of his canon counterpart. He isn't quite as popular due to the stigma of the criminal record he earned while trying to save a woman from a drunken rapist, but the friends he does have will gladly put their lives on the line for him and they unanimously nominate him as the leader of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts for his overall strength, moral fiber, intelligence, and bravery.
53[[/folder]]
54
55[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
56* Some Creator/DreamWorksAnimation films have featured this, backing away from its image of using {{Idiot Hero}}es as protagonists.
57** Po from ''Franchise/KungFuPanda'', who is simultaneously a kung fu master and a kung fu fanboy.
58** Hiccup from ''Franchise/HowToTrainYourDragon'' is another one. Lacking the traditional Viking strength and bluster, he became a first-rate GuileHero and BadassBookworm by understanding ''how'' dragons think and taming them instead of just fighting them directly. And then tames a freaking ''Night Fury'' as his partner. Sure, he's badass, but only when he ''has to be.'' Little wonder why he's so popular with the female fanbase.
59** Sherman from ''WesternAnimation/MrPeabodyAndSherman'' is a bookworm [[spoiler:who saved a DamselInDistress from marrying a Pharaoh, joined the Trojan army, and controlled a time machine]]. He's just like his dad.
60** "Z" from ''WesternAnimation/{{Antz}}'' (DW's first CG production) is a neurotic and pessimistic ant ([[InkSuitActor this being]] Creator/WoodyAllen, no less), who saved his entire colony.
61* WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse in some of his earlier more abrasive years pre-{{Flanderization}} into TheEveryman (though it comes back on occasion, e.g. ''Runaway Brain'').
62* ''WesternAnimation/{{Rio}}'': Blu. He even has a "legal name" to put it that way (Tyler Gunderson).
63[[/folder]]
64
65[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
66* ''Franchise/BackToTheFuture'': Marty [=McFly=] hardly is the toughest guy around, and he does have his "[[BerserkButton nobody]] [[FatalFlaw calls]] [[{{Pride}} me chicken]]" problem, but he mostly is a good guy.
67%%* In ''Film/{{Condorman}}'', Woody, mostly due to his being a {{Cloudcuckoolander}}.
68%%* In ''Film/{{Hellboy|2004}}'', [[UnfazedEveryMan Agent John Myers]].
69* ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'':
70** [[Characters/MCUCaptainAmerica Steve Rogers]] in ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger''. Brave, determined, the film's MrFanservice, and a bona fide SuperSoldier. Also humble, kind, a terrible liar, awkward about romance, and dorkily cute.
71** S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Phil Coulson counts, too. A PromotedFanboy of Captain America (complete with a set of vintage trading cards!), he's like a dorky math teacher in a nice suit. However, he ''is'' a S.H.I.E.L.D agent (and Nick Fury's NumberTwo), who is completely unflappable facing down any number of threats ranging from H.Y.D.R.A terrorists to alien invaders. One of his {{Establishing Character Moment}}s was casually threatening Tony Stark with being tazed, and then watching ''Supernanny'' while Stark "drooled into the carpet."
72** [[Characters/MCUThor Thor]] in his [[Film/{{Thor}} first movie]]. Complete and utter naĂŻve ''dork'' with a big, goofy grin on his face when there isn't any danger about. Much of it comes from having little clue about Midguard customs and being as excited and happy to learn as a Golden Retriever let loose in a dog park.
73** The MCU's version of [[Characters/MCUSpiderMan Peter Parker]]. He's played by a younger actor than other cinematic versions of the character, and his personality has less angst and more youthful energy and fanboyish enthusiasm.
74** [[Characters/MCUVision Vision]] is one of the stronger Avengers, and a hyper-intelligent artificial humanoid, but due to his (relative) youth, he's also not quite got the hang of human customs, so when not being an Avenger, he hangs around in casual sweaters, getting confused by cooking instructions, and is completely tongue-tied trying to talk to Wanda.
75* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
76** Luke Skywalker starts off like this. Over time -- maybe because of TheReveal in ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'' -- he becomes more composed and sober. Parts of the Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse prove, though, that his dorky side didn't really die.
77** [[Film/TheForceAwakens Rey]] is a WrenchWench who can [[ActionGirl kick your ass]] (and is something of a PluckyGirl, too), but she is still a [[NiceGuy Nice Girl]] that's a huge fan of the heroes of the rebellion, as seen with her interactions with Han Solo.
78** Finn from the same film. A compassionate, earnest [[MookFaceTurn former]] Imperial Stormtrooper who can actually shoot pretty well, Finn's upbringing as a {{Child Soldier|s}} for the First Order didn't give him the best opportunity to develop anything like suavity, but it couldn't extinguish his kind heart.
79* ''Film/{{Tron}}'': The titular character is a badass in a combat situation, and a completely earnest ReligiousBruiser ''dork'' outside it. Urgent call from his ''personal deity'' on the line? Nope, he's going to go and find his counterpart (wife) first. The DeletedScene? He's mostly oblivious to Yori's intentions until she all but puts on some lingerie and starts incorporating the planning into the foreplay! His KingdomHeartsII incarnation celebrated victory by ''hugging'' everyone. Unfortunately, anything past that first film was a TraumaCongaLine; by the time ''WesternAnimation/TronUprising'' rolls around, he's become incredibly cynical, with the occasional flash of dorkiness. [[spoiler:And then there's ''Film/TronLegacy'', where he ends up as little more than a brainwashed attack dog for Clu.]]
80* ''Film/WonderWoman2017'': Diana is a fierce and brave warrior, but also a truthful, sincere, kind and honest girl who positively [[CutenessProximity squees]] at the sight of a baby. Unfortunately, she [[TookALevelInCynic loses this trait]] after [[HumansAreBastards seeing the worst of mankind]] during World War I.
81[[/folder]]
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83[[folder:Literature]]
84* Sir Gawain in the older stories of Myth/ArthurianLegend. He's a fierce warrior and the paragon of knightly virtue, and he has no idea how to talk to a girl.
85* Ossian Bergman from "De skandalösa" by Creator/SimonaAhrnstedt is a nerdy scholar, who seems to be awkward when it comes to women. But he also seems to be a better person than his ChivalrousPervert friend Gabriel, and in the end, [[spoiler:he does get a woman after all.]]
86* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'':
87** Carrot Ironfoundersson. Polite, scrupulous, charismatic, rather literal-minded, and, particularly in his first appearances, a FishOutOfWater. He's a bit like the Disc's equivalent of [[Series/DueSouth Benton Fraser]]. People who meet him tend to go through a phase of realizing he believes everything he's saying, then searching for "tells" that it's a joke. They will ''never'' be certain.
88** Dorky, earnest young minister Mightily Oats gradually becomes one of these in the course of ''Literature/CarpeJugulum''. References to him in later books indicate that he eventually becomes a full-blown BadassPreacher.
89* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' has short stories showing how Harry Dresden looks from the outside, like a flaky spaz when investigating a crime scene, and in battle, a terrifying demigod who wields fire and lightning "like they were toys created for his own use".
90* ''Literature/MagicExLibris'': This trope is exemplified by Isaac Vanko, who often takes time from running for his life or fighting to geek out over whatever is trying to kill him.
91* ''Literature/SuperPowereds'': Vince is so stubbornly optimistic that he often brings out the best in people before they even knew it was there to be brought out.
92%%* The White Knight from ''[[Literature/AlicesAdventuresInWonderland Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There]]''.
93%%* Dave Malkoff from the ''Literature/{{Troubleshooters}}'' series. Mike Muldoon may also qualify.
94* ''Literature/VorkosiganSaga'': Miles Vorkosigan is a tiny, hyperactive, GeniusCripple snarker with the soul of a KnightErrant and frightening levels of determination.
95[[/folder]]
96
97[[folder:Live Action TV]]
98* From ''Series/{{Angel}}'', we have the Groosalugg (a title meaning "The Brave and Undefeated" - Groo for short), a champion from a swords-and-sorcery alternate universe, who is always eager to please his "princess".
99* Commander Jeffrey Sinclair, commanding officer of ''Series/{{Babylon 5}}''. Badass RulesLawyer AcePilot who is, in fact, a complete and utter ''dork''. His successor, John Sheridan, was no better. If you piss Sheridan off, he ''will'' nuke your ass. But he'll go from nuke-slinging badass to rushing over to his second in command's room in the middle of the night because he had a great idea, and being ''completely'' oblivious to her being dressed in nothing but a flimsy nightgown. ({{Justified}} somewhat because they are LikeBrotherAndSister).
100* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': Xander Harris is a nerdy loser of the first water -- hugely into comics and science fiction. And he's got a moral center as strong as tungsten steel and, when pushed, the sheer unbreakable will to back it up. Angelus referred to him -- sarcastically -- as "Buffy's WhiteKnight" not really comprehending just how corret he was being.
101%%* ''Series/{{Chuck}}'': Chuck [[spoiler:from season 3 onwards.]]
102* ''Series/CriminalMinds'' has Aaron Hotchner, although you wouldn't necessarily know it if you met him on the job due to his [[TheStoic stoic nature]] and PerpetualFrowner glare. But get him at home with his young son or in a social situation with his team, and you'll realise that he has quite the adorkable side hidden underneath his [[TheComicallySerious Comically Serious]] demeanour.
103* ''Series/DoctorWho'': The Doctor in most, [[TheNthDoctor if not all]] incarnations. Special mentions go to the ridiculously awkward Fourth, Tenth and Eleventh Doctors, who can't seem to get the hang of holding a normal conversation, but have destroyed civilizations. Some might also consider Rory Williams, after he [[TakeALevelInBadass took a level in badass]].
104* ''Series/DueSouth'': Constable Benton Fraser, the quirky, unfailingly polite, straight-arrow FishOutOfWater mountie.
105* ''Series/{{Firefly}}'': Simon Tam. An intelligent and chivalrous but very socially awkward doctor who can be surprisingly resourceful and dangerous [[BigBrotherInstinct when his little sister's in danger]].
106* ''Series/TheFlash2014'': Barry Allen is a forensic scientist prone to geek-outs, sometimes socially awkward. He's also the fastest man alive and a superhero.
107* ''Series/{{Glee}}'': Blaine Anderson has become known as "Dapper" in the fandom for a reason: he constantly wears bowties, cardigans, polo shirts and sweater vests. He doesn't like to wear socks for some odd reason and has a passion dancing like Carlton from ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir'' to songs by Music/KatyPerry. He also is willing to take on football players about twice his size if they mess with his boyfriend and probably could have taken him down considering he boxes and started his private school's chapter of ''Film/FightClub''.
108* ''Series/{{Heroes}}'': Hiro Nakamura considers it his personal quest to "[[ArcWords Save the cheerleader, save the world.]]" He is absolutely ''giddy'' over the fact that he gets to be a hero just like his favorite anime and comic characters, and his enthusiasm tends to spill over into fanboying "Flying Man" because he has cool powers, too (though Nathan really [[IJustWantToBeNormal wishes he didn't]] and ''certainly'' doesn't want Hiro yelling "FLYING MAN!" where everyone can hear).
109* ''Franchise/KamenRider'':
110** ''Series/KamenRiderFourze'': Gentaro Kisaragi. [[{{Keet}} Enthusiastic]], [[FriendToAllLivingThings plans to befriend everybody]] [[DefeatMeansFriendship even if he has to fight them first]], preposterous haircut, [[ChickMagnet surrounded by interested women]].
111** ''Series/KamenRiderSaber'': Rintaro Shindo / Kamen Rider Blades, a knight deeply devoted to a secret order that has been fighting monsters born from human imagination for thousands of years. In battle, an absolute badass swordsman. Otherwise a silly bookworm who has very little real world experience and thus reacts with a childish glee to things like pastries or cultural customs. It also means he can't even talk to people without coming across as either weird or suspicious because of his TheUnsmile and an odd word choice (for one, he calls people ''Homo Sapiens'').
112* ''Series/TheLoneGunmen'': All of the gents qualify to some degree or another. They certainly ''are'' dorks, and they're completely incorruptible underground hackers and journalists operating with the motive that InformationWantsToBeFree. However, Byers and Jimmy Bond fit the mold best. Byers is a soft-spoken gentleman who used to be a loyal worker for the FCC and still believes that America can one day live up to the {{Eagleland}} Type One. The other two derided him as a "narc" until he stared down armed members of the Conspiracy and chewed them out, demanding to know who the hell they were and what gave them the right to pull these stunts. Jimmy Bond, their last recruit, is a BookDumb puppy dog of a man who is TooDumbToFool, but gifted with a surprising amount of compassion and intuition that makes him see things that the otherwise intellectual Gunmen are apt to miss.
113* ''Series/OhsamaSentaiKingOhger:'' Rita Kaniska/Papillon Ohger is the stalwart king of Gokkan and Chief Justice of the International Criminal Court, who is also a fierce swordsman and archer in battle. They are also incredibly awkward and obsessive fan of a yeti mascot behind the scenes.
114* ''Franchise/PowerRangers'': The legendary MemeticBadass Tommy Oliver ''absolutely'' qualifies.
115* ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'': John Watson has some elements of this, particularly in fandom portrayals. Both his sweater-wearing cuteness and his badassery have become memes. They definitely have. BBC has him portrayed as an adrenaline junkie, but overall a likeable guy, [[BewareTheNiceOnes don't mess with his friend. It'll end badly if you do.]] [[BadassAdorable And he'll look adorable while doing it.]]
116* [[TheSpock Spock]] in ''Series/{{Star Trek|The Original Series}}''. Julian Bashir in ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine''. Malcolm Reed in ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise''.
117* ''Series/{{Supergirl 2015}}'': Kara Danvers/Zor-El is a cute, awkward, and idealistic FlyingBrick. Lampshaded by a shock-jock DJ who mocks Supergirl's adorkable and wholesome persona.
118[[/folder]]
119
120[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
121* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons 3.5'' has the iconic cleric, Jozan. He's a competent fighter, spellcaster, and orator, and very morally upright, but he's also TheKlutz when it comes to being sneaky or anything else dexterous. In the iconics feature novels he suffers near-permanent CrushBlush around the paladin Alhandra, as well as GibberishOfLove and grinning like an idiot whenever she praises him. In the "Creature Feature" stories, meanwhile, he's the D&D equivalent of a good little Christian boy, so saintly sweet and gentlemanly he gives the rogue Lidda sugar overdoses. Then add on a tendency to be the NoRespectGuy, and yeah.
122[[/folder]]
123
124[[folder:Theater]]
125* Shakespeare's ''Theatre/HenryV'' is a fine leader and a victorious conqueror, effortlessly eloquent when rallying his troops to snatch victory from sure defeat. He is also full of awkward when trying to talk to the French princess (who doesn't speak English) and sounds like a total moron when trying to speak to her in French. This kind of depends on the actor playing Henry, but it's a common interpretation.
126[[/folder]]
127
128[[folder:Video Games]]
129* ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamAsylum'': While obviously not an example of the trope himself, Harley Quinn uses this as an insult to Batman.
130* ''VideoGame/BeyondGoodAndEvil'' has Double H, whose dorkiness is actually directly tied to his badassery: He's [[FanBoy fanboyishly obsessed]] with his BadassCreed, to the point of using its ''name'' as his BattleCry ("'''''CARLSONNN AND PEETERSSSS!'''''") and applying quotes from it to everything he does, regardless of the circumstances. It helps that he's also an [[IOweYouMyLife obsessively loyal]] BruiserWithASoftCenter.
131* ''VideoGame/{{Blazblue}}'': Through training alone, Bang Shishigami has enough speed and stamina to keep up with characters who have special powers and deadly artifacts, and in some cases, immortality. He also protects the innocent, risks his life for others, considers no good deed to be beneath him no matter how mundane, and dedicates much of his life to helping out his community.
132** While this makes him a beloved hero in his community, his tendency to talk and act like a hero from a Sentai series with no volume control makes it impossible for any of the other characters to take him seriously.
133* ''Franchise/DragonAge'': Alistair. On the one hand, he's brave, noble, and heroic (making him a distinct rarity in the [[CrapsackWorld Dragon Age verse]]) and approves of the player being so as well -- on the other, he's a bit of a {{Manchild}} who can barely get through a sentence without slipping into bad humor and/or BuffySpeak, ''especially'' if he's talking to a woman.
134* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'':
135** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'': Zack Fair is strong, handsome, loyal, determined, honorable, friendly, and all over a nice guy. He also is a serious badass and one of the strongest fighters in the series. However, as seen in ''VideoGame/CrisisCore'', he's also 16-18 for most of his game and has the attention span of a hyperactive Labrador. Puppy, indeed.
136** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'': Steiner is not the main hero, but he is a Dork Knight at times. He leans more towards being more of an IdiotHero.
137* ''Franchise/FireEmblem'':
138** [[TheHero Roy]] from ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBindingBlade'' is a brave and skilled swordsman, and a very charismatic leader and highly intelligent TeenGenius GuileHero to boot, but he definitely has his awkward teenager moments; especially in his supports with any of his potential wives. His father Eliwood from the prequel game can fall into this sometimes, too, but to a lesser degree.
139** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'' we have Sumia. A submissive badass in the battlefield, a CuteClumsyGirl outside of it.
140*** [[TheHero Prince Chrom]], too. And [[spoiler: his daughter Lucina (who can be mothered by Sumia)]] can have her moments.
141*** In truth, almost every character in ''Awakening'' counts to some degree. Characters like [[{{Tsundere}} Severa]] and [[HeroicComedicSociopath Henry]] are very upfront about it, while others like [[UndyingLoyalty Frederick]] and [[LittleBitBeastly Panne]] require a little more digging to reach their dorky sides.
142*** It seems that Chrom [[spoiler:and Lucina's]] dorkiness comes from somewhere; even [[TheHero Prince Marth]] from [[VideoGame/FireEmblemShadowDragonAndTheBladeOfLight the games taking place 2000 years before theirs]] had moments like this as well, mainly due to his rather childish and naive personality.
143** Applies to the Avatar aka [[CanonName Corrin]], of ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates''. An unstoppable, badass {{Determinator}} on the battlefield, but a cheerful, socially inept ''dork'' off of it.
144** Alm from ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemGaiden Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia]]'' takes the usual "badass on the battlefield, dork off of it" nature of ''Fire Emblem'' heroes up a notch with his love of corny jokes and bad puns. Celica is fairly stern and serious much of the time, but she too isn't without her silly moments, such as chuckling at the word [[HehHehYouSaidX "booty"]].
145* ''VideoGame/ImmortalSouls'': John looks and fights the part of a badass NinetiesAntiHero, but he's really a softie who is a bit naive and cares about saving innocents and doing the right thing, though [[HeroicNeutral you do have to initially push him into it]]. He also gets absolutely tongue-tied talking to his LoveInterest [[TheIngenue Allison]] and whenever [[VillainousCrush the Black Witch]] tries flirting with him. Or when talking about Allison. Or when ''thinking'' about Allison.
146* ''VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising'': Pit is captain of an army of centurions, has mastered ''nine'' different weapon types, and was able to defeat Medusa [[spoiler:(Twice, in fact)]] and [[spoiler:Hades]], by himself. He also happens to be easily flustered, a jokester, and has UndyingLoyalty to his goddess Palutena. It helps that, despite being at least 25+ years old, he looks and acts like a thirteen-year-old.
147* ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' has Poppy, Keeper of the Hammer, [[PintSizedPowerhouse an unbelievably strong yordle]] tasked with delivering a [[CarryABigStick legendary hammer of Orlon]] to a fabled "Hero of Demacia" and is remarkably and suspiciously capable with wielding it herself. She's also a complete dork with NoSenseOfDirection, a chipper sense of humor (but ironically CannotTellAJoke), and is [[HumbleHero so humble]] that she ''genuinely'' [[IgnorantOfTheCall doesn't consider how she might actually be the hero she was looking for]].
148* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'': [[TheHero Link]] ''loves'' this trope. No matter which incarnation he's in. Here are a few examples.
149** Described by the page quote is the Link in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker''; he may be brave, kind, and heroic, but he's still a huge dork of a KidHero with especially cartooney facial expressions, even for the art style.
150** Similarly, the Link in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'' is a good example as well, being a somewhat klutzy Sleepyhead, especially around Zelda; both of them have slayed monsters, saved the world, shown unbelievable amounts of determination stronger than titanium, and are overall very capable at what they do.
151** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'', Link started off in the backstory as very stoic and serious, but he's loosened up considerably by the time you get to control him. He often makes cheesy puns in dialogue, he hums excitedly while cooking food, and should you choose to sleep on the waterbed in Zora's Domain, Link can be heard bouncing on the bed and giggling like a little kid.
152* ''Franchise/MassEffect'': Garrus Vakarian is of the {{Number Two}}/{{Friendly Sniper}} variety. He is a highly trained sniper who (1) aided in stopping a full scale assault on the galactic seat of government, (2) led a group of vigilantes on a [[WretchedHive space station]] that would put Mos Eisley Spaceport to shame, and (3) became the leader of a task force designated to prepare for the inevitable genocidal alien invasion. During the course of all of this, he has a bad habit of saying InnocentlyInsensitive things, and turns into a shy, stuttering confused mess when either making or receiving romantic/sexual advances.
153* ''VideoGame/OctopathTravelerII'': Crick starts out as a very earnest NaiveNewcomer who is constantly getting teased by Temenos for his awkwardness. However, he's also extremely dedicated to his job, and even the antagonists note how strong he is.
154* ''VideoGame/ShadowOfTheColossus'': In many odd ways, Wander could count as this. The narrative ([[{{Minimalism}} what little there is]]) never calls attention to it, but for [[BadassNormal a guy who's capable of slaying Colossi]], he seems really unprepared for it; he doesn't know how to handle a sword beyond awkward stabs and clumsy swings that throw him off balance, and even when he's running normally, it's less of a composed sprint and more like a frantic scramble as if he's about to trip over everything (ironic considering [[ColossusClimb how well he does vertically]]). It appears that [[InvokedTrope Team ICO was counting on this clumsiness to endear himself to audiences]], almost assuredly to create dissonance once [[WhatTheHellHero the tone of the game begins shifting against him and his Colossus-slaying.]]
155* ''VideoGame/SpaceAce'': Dexter; normally, he's TheAce, but thanks to Borf's [[FountainOfYouth Infanto]] [[TransformationRay Ray]], he spends most of the game as a skinny, awkward teenager.
156* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'': The titular bros, Mario and Luigi, each in their own way.
157** Mario constantly risks his life to save Princess Peach and the Mushroom Kingdom, goes out of his way to help anyone he meets and is unfailingly brave and noble. He's also a happy-go-lucky, excitable guy who possesses an extreme optimism and enjoys all sorts of activities, no matter how childish they might seem.
158** Luigi is a flat-out cute dork and LovableCoward, he would rather stay out of trouble and is constantly overlooked in favor of his more famous, older brother. However, that doesn't stop him from being the best person he can be and his moral fiber is just as strong as Mario's.
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162* ''WebAnimation/{{Dreamscape}}'': Soya. Anjren points out at the end of the first episode that he can shift from a goofy nice guy to a serious badass just like that.
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165[[folder:Webcomics]]
166* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'': John Egbert starts off as a goofy dork. He quickly grows into a badass and the team's leader, without ever becoming less of a dork.
167** On a more literal note, both Karkat and Dave are dorks, and they are knights. Bipbopbam. Dork Knights.
168* ''Webcomic/{{Unsounded}}'': In life, Duane Adelier was a skilled warrior, an exceptionally competent tacit-casting mage, and responsible for training young soldiers in the ways of battle pymary. He was also a noble, slightly goofy man who held on to an idealistic view of peace between the two major religions, the castes, and the political viewpoints of his country when few held the same, and was quite fond of dramatic operas and plays. The character currently still retains most of these personality traits, however the horrific trauma of the past six years has caused an air of hopelessness with all he does due to the loss of his loved ones, the betrayal of his country, and the firm belief his soul is now damned. Nevertheless, he still retains many of his idealistic and goofy traits and his competence in a fight.
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171[[folder:Western Animation]]
172* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': Everyone. [[Characters/AvatarTheLastAirbenderSokka Sokka]] in particular stands out, as does [[Characters/AvatarTheLastAirbenderZuko Zuko]] after his HeelFaceTurn (before which he was a NerdInEvilsHelmet).
173** [[Characters/TheLegendOfKorraAvatarKorra The titular Avatar]] in ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' who was raised in a secluded compound from age four to sixteen and it shows as she's a SociallyAwkwardHero with a good heart despite her immaturity. She does develop over the seasons into a mature and wise leader but, like Aang in flashbacks, still retains some dorkiness. Considering the very first Avatar Wan was a goof himself, it may be inherited through reincarnation.
174* ''WesternAnimation/TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes'': ComicBook/AntMan and ComicBook/TheWasp. The former a ScienceHero who'd much prefer doing science stuff than heroics, and squees when he begins mapping Ant DNA, the latter an excitable GenkiGirl who really enjoys fighting crime and watching cartoons.
175* ''WesternAnimation/TheDreamstone'': Rufus, being MrImagination, TheKlutz and a CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass rolled into one, gets moments of this DependingOnTheWriter. Especially prominent in the pilot episode, where he even wields a sword.
176* ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'': WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck as WesternAnimation/StuporDuck. He mistakes a TV melodrama as the evil machinations of a villain named Aardvark Ratnik and goes about righting wrongs that don't really need righting to start with. The latter-day short ''Superior Duck'' may count as well.
177* ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'':
178** [[Characters/MiraculousLadybugAdrienAgreste Adrien Agreste]] is a studious, kind-hearted, sweet [[TheAce Ace]] who genuinely cares about others and ''literally'' JumpedAtTheCall. He's also the dorky, [[PungeonMaster punny]] superhero Cat Noir. Adrien, despite being polite and pretty friendly, started the series as a {{homeschooled kid|s}} who had [[SociallyAwkwardHero difficulty relating]] to his peers. He got better after CharacterDevelopment kicked in.
179** [[Characters/MiraculousLadybugMarinetteDupainCheng Marinette Dupain-Cheng]], [[{{downplayed}} to an extent]]. She's the protagonist to Adrien's {{deuteragonist}}, and a compassionate, [[NiceGuy genuinely nice]] GirlyBruiser, who likes [[TheFashionista fashion]], and [[GamerChick trumps people at video games]] left and right. And as Ladybug she stands for [[ComesGreatResponsibility responsibility]] and [[ForGreatJustice justice]] alongside Cat Noir. Despite all that, she gets pretty flustered and even more clumsy than usual around her crush, Adrien, alternating between CannotSpitItOut and [[GibberishOfLove a hilarious case of]] MotorMouth.
180* ''WesternAnimation/MyAdventuresWithSuperman'': Clark Kent/Superman is much less sure of himself and more socially awkward than previous versions of [[Franchise/{{Superman}} the Man of Steel]] (and unlike past incarnations, his mild-mannered personality as Clark isn't just an act he puts on to keep a low profile). He's a stammering mess when flustered and runs from Lois when she tries to interview him as Superman. His uncertainty and unfamiliarity with his alien and "un-normal" abilities also contributes to him being [[AdaptationalWimp much weaker in a fight than past incarnations]], as he [[WillfullyWeak subconsciously suppresses the full extent of his strength]] because of his fears of accidentally hurting/killing others, even enemies attacking him. Despite this, he's still very much an AllLovingHero who only wants to use his powers to help others.
181* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': Shining Armor, the Captain of the Royal Guard and Twilight Sparkle, his socially awkward and magically-gifted sister.
182* ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012'': Both [[TheLeader Leonardo]] (to the point he models himself after a Captain Kirk knockoff) and [[TheSmartGuy Donatello]] (even more when his crush, April, is present). Add an all-out goofball in Michelangelo, and is easy to see why the overtly seriousangry Raphael feels a little out of place.
183* ''WesternAnimation/TheTick'': Arthur wants to be a super, and definitely has some dorky qualities, but is overshadowed by The Tick. The Tick, by contrast, is an IdiotHero.
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186[[folder:Real Life]]
187* Sir Archibald Wavell. A quiet unassuming man with an eccentric but likable disposition who wrote an anthology of poetry. He was also the British commander in the Mediterranean theater and under his command, the Allies won their first victories, and the Italian Empire was reduced to a sort of [[TheLoad flypaper]] for the German army. He is a large part of the reason for Italy's persistent reputation for limited prowess in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII.
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