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4[[quoteright:206:[[Webcomic/{{Adventurers}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Goldfish_Poop_Gang_606.GIF]]]]
5
6->'''Laharl:''' What do you want? I’m busy right now.\
7'''Mid-Boss:''' Tsk tsk tsk. You weren’t thinking of calling yourself the Overlord without first settling things with moi, were you?\
8'''Laharl:''' I already settled things with you. Twice, as a matter of fact.
9-->-- ''VideoGame/DisgaeaHourOfDarkness''
10
11A comedic version of the RecurringBoss, the Goldfish Poop Gang are characters who keep popping up, requiring you to fight them multiple times through the game. They [[VillainDecay quickly devolve]] from being [[QuirkyMinibossSquad actual threats]] to [[IneffectualSympatheticVillain pesky nuisances]], something [[VillainForgotToLevelGrind the]] party may [[LampshadeHanging comment on]].
12
13The party (and developers) may take a shine to them, and [[TheBattleDidntCount you won't actually be allowed to kill them off in the end]].
14
15The trope name comes from the Japanese idiomatic phrase ''kingyo no fun'', which literally means "goldfish crap" but idiomatically means a sycophant or hanger-on. That's because goldfish poop has a tendency to stick to the goldfish. So it's vaguely loathsome stuff that follows the fish around, just like a Goldfish Poop Gang.
16
17May overlap with recurring {{Quirky Miniboss Squad}}s if they're not treated seriously. Frequently overlaps with being an IneffectualSympatheticVillain or HarmlessVillain. Also frequently overlaps with VillainForgotToLevelGrind. May also fill the shoes of the UnknownRival, explaining why they keep coming back to annoy the party. Occasionally made a threat with TeamRocketWins. In Anime they're often a TerribleTrio.
18
19----
20!!Examples:
21
22[[foldercontrol]]
23
24[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
25* The [=MK5=] from ''Manga/{{Beelzebub}}''. It's even stated that losing in one page is their specialty.
26* ''Franchise/DragonBall'':
27** Pilaf, Shu and Mai in ''Manga/DragonBall''. However, they eventually disappeared as the series underwent CerebusSyndrome. Their final appearance in the manga was shortly after they released Demon King Piccolo, while in the anime they had one more {{filler}} appearance just before the start of ''Anime/DragonBallZ''. They were eventually brought back in ''Anime/DragonBallGT'' to help kick off the plot by accidentally [[FountainOfYouth turning Goku into a child]].
28** And they're back in ''Anime/DragonBallZBattleOfGods''. [[spoiler:As children, after asking Shenlong for youth, on an ironic reversal of what they did on ''Anime/DragonBallGT''.]]
29** They reappear in the same capacity in ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'', where they're more of a GreekChorus, commenting on the plot without affecting it. After one more feeble attempt at villainy, they seem to have given it up, and now live at the Briefs compound, engaging in extremely minor hijinks.
30* ''Manga/DragonGoesHouseHunting'': Letty has frequent run-ins with a group of GlorySeeker "Heroes" led by a black-haired JRPG protagonist parody, usually ending with the "Heroes" being [[DeathIsCheap incinerated]] by Dearia or otherwise defeated by Letty's other monster "underlings".
31* In ''Animation/GuardianFairyMichel'', the Black Hammer Gang turn into this as the series goes on, in later episodes usually being defeated by the fairy they tried to control.
32%%* ''Manga/KimbaTheWhiteLion'': Tom and Tab.
33* ''Manga/{{Kurohime}}'': Onimaru starts out as a one-man Goldfish Poop Gang, being a warlord with a grudge against Kurohime who keeps turning up in pursuit of her and driven away as soon as she can use her power. His life manages to go downhill from there when he loses his gang and gets turned into the TeamPet during the Shinigami arc.
34* ''Franchise/LupinIII'': Depending on the story, Zenigata can be this. No matter what the plot/enemy is, he's pretty much guaranteed to be involved in ''some'' capacity, but that can vary from him [[WorthyOpponent being a serious threat to Lupin and his plans]], a [[FriendlyEnemy grudging ally]], a useful patsy, or (this trope) simply a minor annoyance who's only there because the fans would miss him if he didn't make an appearance.
35* ''VideoGame/{{Medabots}}'': The Rubberobo Gang would try to steal rare medals and were essentially the franchise's answer to ''[[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Team Rocket]]''.
36* ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'':
37** Team Rocket from the anime (Jessie, James and Meowth), who thrive on popularity despite no longer posing a threat to Ash and friends. When we say they thrive on popularity, we mean that literally: on one occasion they save Ash's life on the premise that if he dies, [[NoFourthWall the show's over and they're out of a job]]. This even applies ''within'' the fourth wall. On several occasions they've helped Ash out or cheered him on in battle, because, as Meowth put it during Ash's battle with Tobias: "This is the guy who beats us all the time! So if he loses, think how bad it'll make US look!"
38** Subverted in the ''Anime/PokemonTheSeriesBlackAndWhite'' as Team Rocket truly TookALevelInBadass, even ignoring Ash and company sometimes. Officially [[ZigZaggingTrope zig zagged]] by ''Anime/PokemonTheSeriesXY'', where they're back to their usual selves, though noticeably more competent than they were before ''Black & White'', and no longer appear in every episode.
39* ''Anime/RaveMaster'' has the Jiggle Butt Gang (Big Butt Bandits in the dub), three crooks who are likely the most incompetent thieves in existence. How do they get their name? [[MeaningfulName Guess.]]
40** The Jiggle Butt Gang is persistent enough to return even in a different series, specifically Hiro Mashima's second manga series, ''Manga/FairyTail''.
41* ''Literature/ReZero'' has two-bit alley thugs, Ton, Chin and Kan. They regularly encounter and harass Subaru or his friends, and their meetings almost always end with the trio getting beat up or scared off.
42* ''Literature/{{Slayers}}'':
43** Lina Inverse actually gave this nickname to Naga at one point, as she constantly insists on calling Lina her partner (or rival, depending on which season/movie you're watching).
44** Martina from ''Slayers NEXT'' is a very obvious example. Subverted in that she winds up with some CharacterDevelopment and getting exactly what she wants at the end while Lina's still WalkingTheEarth, but then, she had stopped being a villain by that point.
45* ''Manga/{{Toriko}}'': Zonge and his followers are a non-villainous version, though they are technically rivals to Toriko ''et al.'' simply by virtue of being other Bishokuya, and they show up in many arcs and are almost always ineffective (or if so, Zonge himself is not deliberately effective).
46* ''Anime/TransformersCybertron'' has Crumplezone and Ransack degenerate into this. Subverted when the former becomes [[TookALevelInBadass Dark Crumplezone]] near the end of the series, then promptly zig-zagged in the very episode Dark Crumplezone made his debut in.
47* Weevil Underwood and Rex Raptor, from the ''Anime/YuGiOh'' anime, are basically this for the main characters or the bad guys. Although first introduced as winner and runner up of a televised tournament, they're immediately afterwards presented as credible threats only when they cheat, they pretty much exist for two purposes: 1) be annoying schemers, and 2) serve as mooks for the filler season villain Dartz. Less so in the manga, where Rex Raptor is never seen again after losing to Esper Roba, and Weevil is never seen again after losing to Joey. Out of the other major Duelist Kingdom opponents, Mako Tsunami shows up to lose to Joey, and Mai Valentine falls victim to TheWorfEffect, but does pretty well for herself against BigBad Yami Marik, even managing to acquire [[InfinityPlusOneSword one of the God cards]] from him, [[NewRulesAsThePlotDemands only to find she couldn't use it]]. Marik really only won on a technicality -- if Mai ''had'' been able to use the card (or decided against using it), she would probably have won.
48[[/folder]]
49
50[[folder:Comic Books]]
51* E.G.G. from ''ComicBook/{{Chew}}'' is a terrorist group that believes the government is covering up the real truth behind the bird flu epedimic and tries to correct said injustice by holding people hostage in order to force them to do something. Usually they show up only to be easily defeated whenever there is a need to show how badass certain character is (sometimes in-universe and sometimes to the audience).
52* Team Turmoil from Creator/MarkWaid's run on ComicBook/TheFlash were this. Defeating was such a routine task that the Flash rarely bothered to interrupt his conversations while doing so -- except to make fun of them, of course.
53* The Royal Flush Gang has been sort of the default team of minor Justice League villains for decades. If you need a brief cutaway shot of the League defeating some baddies, it's likely to be the Royal Flush Gang. They keep popping up mostly because they do look memorable, with their PlayingCardMotifs.
54* The Wrecking Crew from ComicBook/TheMightyThor were once a gang of super strong villains that could even give Comicbook/TheAvengers a run for their money but in the past decade or so, they've become more of a punchline when superheroes need someone to beat up over and over again.
55** For example, to illustrate that [[ComicBook/XMen the Juggernaut]] had gotten weaker after his HeelFaceTurn...he lost a fight with the Wrecking Crew. Losing to the guys who used to routinely give Thor a tough fight was treated as a pathetic embarrassment for Juggernaut.
56* ''ComicBook/SinCity'' has Shlubb and Klump, two idiot do-anything-for-a-job criminals that often show up and get pummeled by Dwight [=McCarthy=].
57* The evil Enforcers were a trio of [[BadassNormal Badass Normals]] who used to be able to give ComicBook/SpiderMan a hard time when he was starting out, but they're rarely treated as a serious threat any more.
58[[/folder]]
59
60[[folder:Fan Works]]
61* The Mane Six in ''Fanfic/TheDarkSideOfTheMirrorverse'', who are a bunch of annoying nuisances who can barely even be qualified as evil at all; any damage they manage to inflict is accidental or comes from a place of good intentions. [[spoiler:Twilight accidentally manages to become a real threat when one of her inventions backfires and transforms her into [[SuperpoweredEvilSide Nightmare Spotlight]].]]
62* Koi, Komi and Namori in ''Fanfic/{{FREAKINGENSOKYO}}''. Although desperate to [[BlackComedyRape have their way]] with the main character, they don't pose any real threat until [[TookALevelInBadass Chapter 83]].
63* Flosshead and Vinny ''Fanfic/SethInThePokecity'' got [[{{Flanderization}} flanderized]] into this. The former became a petty {{Troll}} who considers [[PokeThePoodle stealing newspapers]] to be a great crime, while the latter is an ExtremeDoormat who follows him without question. Occasionally, Flosshead's father [[Series/BarneyAndFriends Barney]] joins in, and his extremely low IQ hampers their progress further.
64[[/folder]]
65
66[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
67* The skinheads in ''Film/The51stState'' (known as ''Formula 51'' in America).
68* Captain Redbeard and his pirate crew in ''Film/AsterixAndObelixMissionCleopatra''.
69* Holli Would's goons in ''Film/CoolWorld''. That gang certainly knows how to mess around.
70* "Baldy" in ''Film/JohnnyMnemonic''.
71[[/folder]]
72
73[[folder:Let's Play]]
74* Downplayed and invoked in the Hobo Bros' [[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWCgzOPD6L_enIg57OL7pguah-sgM8ptu Youtubers VS Speedrunners]] series, which involves throwing teams of [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin five or ten youtubers against a speedrunner]] in a hacked game of ''VideoGame/SuperMario64'', where the youtubers actively try to fight and kill the speedrunner to prevent him from beating the game. The speedrunner in question is typically an expert named [=SimpleFlips=] who [[HilarityEnsues not only typically runs circles around his opposition but has been known to do things such as disguise himself as one of the youtubers to sow dissent from within]].
75[[/folder]]
76
77[[folder:Literature]]
78* Out of the thousand-plus Nadir tribes alluded to in the Literature/{{Drenai}} saga, the Green Monkeys have this reputation in-universe. The name probably doesn't help.
79* ''Literature/HarryPotter'': Played with. In perspective, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle pose less of a threat to Harry as [[spoiler:Voldemort]] rises in power. Though the goldfish poop gang join with [[spoiler:Voldemort]], they come to realize that it's not as fun as it sounds. Ultimately subverted when the gang endangers the PowerTrio's lives in the seventh book.
80-->''[Harry] [[LampshadeHanging could not believe that he was this close]], and he was going to be thwarted by Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle.''
81* ''Literature/MalazanBookOfTheFallen'':
82** Korbal Broach and Bauchelain are a rare literary example. They're actually brutal serial killers (Korbal is noteworthy for making golems out of the internal organs of orphans), which would lead one to think that the author might take them seriously. He doesn't.
83** The four Tiste Liosan which Trull and Onrack encounter in ''Literature/HouseOfChains'' on their journey are mostly portrayed as [[StopHavingFunGuys humourless twits]] and are consequently ridiculed. Not even the other characters take them seriously, despite them being so rarely seen nowadays that their existence is mythical. Most of their pagetime is spent with being casually stepped on or run over while they boast about enslaving everyone they don't like.
84[[/folder]]
85
86[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
87* Cobrander and his [[BumblingHenchmenDuo bumbling goons]], Ganirun and Spydon, in ''Series/BRoboKabutack''. Every time a new [[MineralMacguffin Star Piece]] is discovered, the three of them are always there to challenge Kabutack and co. to a competition for it.
88* Tim and Travis in ''Series/BigWolfOnCampus'', two bullies who want to get rid of the "Pleasantville Werewolf" (AKA Tommy, our protagonist). They initially act as adequate threats whenever a MonsterOfTheWeek isn't involved, but steadily become minor obstacles (or, occasionally, [[DemotedToDragon assistants to said weekly villain]]) to quickly subdue, and eventually just [[DemotedToExtra stop showing up together]].
89* The Trio from Season 6 of ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''.
90** Inverted by Warren Mears, who goes from Goldfish to Piranha thanks to a [[spoiler: wine bottle to the head & the luckiest gunshot in the world]]. Appropriately enough, he meets his [[spoiler: supposed demise being flayed like a piece of salmon]].
91** [[spoiler: Harmony]]. After being turned into a vampire, she proved the most welcome of thorns in Buffy's side in large part due to her uselessness in a fight, culminating in the most epic push-fight ever.
92* ''Series/ChouseiKantaiSazerX'': The [[QuirkyMinibossSquad Three Shoguns]] devolve into this after Sazer-X destroys their ship and the much more serious and threatening Neo Descal forces show up right after. Their status as this ends up getting exploited in the final arc by the real BigBad, who uses the Shoguns to distract Sazer-X while he works on his true plan in secret.
93* ''Series/TheInvisibleMan'' Arnaud [=DeFöhn=] to the world at large, a rather frightening [[PsychoForHire terrorist-for-hire]]. To [[ItsPersonal Darien Fawkes]], a mincing little prick who'd be dead or in jail if not for his infuriating penchant for [[NotSoDifferentRemark smug speeches]] and [[SoLongSuckers improbable escapes]].
94** Darien does have a personal grudge against Arnaud, as one of Arnaud's goons killed Darien's brother. Interestingly, Arnaud himself did not want Kevin Fawkes dead, as Kevin was a genius (and a friend) but forgot to tell his {{Mook}}s about it. Technically, though, the Mook was aiming for Darien, but Kevin pushed him out of the way.
95* ''Franchise/PowerRangers'': Bulk and Skull start out as bullies who would try to harass the gang at school and work out the Rangers' secret identities. They later become more sympathetic and serve as comic relief.
96* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'': The Ferengi were reduced to this after [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS1E4TheLastOutpost "The Last Outpost"]]'s attempt to make them the Federation's new regional rival in place of the now-allied Klingons fell flat on account of everybody except Creator/GeneRoddenberry thinking they were behaving like annoying idiots. They were turned into a recurring minor villain for Captain Picard to outwit in usually equally silly ways.
97* ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' has had several examples.
98** Dongoros and his entourage in ''Series/ChikyuuSentaiFiveman''. Dongoros is the PluckyComicRelief of [[TheEmpire Zone]] and his plots tend to be much less serious than the other commanders of Zone (though he has [[TeamRocketWins proven himself dangerous on a few occasions]]).
99** The Three Gorma Stooges in ''Series/GoseiSentaiDairanger'', a trio of LaughablyEvil Gorma Minions who show up repeatedly and challenge the Dairangers to a different sport each time.
100[[/folder]]
101
102[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]
103* Wrestling/ChrisHero and Necro Butcher during the early stages of what would come to be known as "The Wrestling/{{CZW}} Invasion". Obviously, they got more threatening as time went on but they started as two guys repeatedly kicked out of Wrestling/{{R|ingOfHonor}}OH events for harassing the wrestlers.
104* On NXT there's the duo of [[Wrestling/TenilleDashwood Emma]] and Wrestling/DanaBrooke, Team Disingenuous. They spend a lot of time bullying and antagonising the various women on the roster, always eventually getting their asses kicked for it.
105[[/folder]]
106
107[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
108* ''TabletopGame/BleakWorld'': The Prism organization are too busy fighting each other to bother anyone else with their goal of [[BrainwashingForTheGreaterGood assimilation.]]
109* The base rulebook for ''TabletopGame/WerewolfTheApocalypse'' contains an obscure quote, warning {{Game Master}}s not to fall into this trope:
110-->Just remember this: Antagonists are probably the most common purveyors of conflict to appear in chronicles, and they can make or break a good plot. One common mistake is overusing antagonists or bringing them out from behind the curtain too soon in your chronicle. If, for example, you're going to have two or three major antagonists, don't let them tip their hands all at once. Keep ''some'' things secret. Likewise, don't make them too predictable. When you're describing the approaching Pentex First Team, the last thing you want is for the players to say, "Look, it's Delta Bob and his goon squad. Don't forget they're all carrying cans of pepper spray! Battery-powered fans at the ready, packmates!" You get the picture.
111[[/folder]]
112
113[[folder:Video Games]]
114* ''VideoGame/AceCombat'' examples:
115** In ''VideoGame/AceCombat04ShatteredSkies'', the Yellow Squadron devolves into this in the final mission, since it had already been starting to take in rookies (with veteran members being transferred to augment other groups) even before [[spoiler:the player shot down both Yellow Four and then their leader Yellow Thirteen]]; even though they're flying the same planes, for this mission instead of 150 points per Yellow shot down, you only get 90 points each.
116** Strigon Team in ''VideoGame/AceCombat6FiresOfLiberation'' go from being elusive, deadly opponents in the first mission to being completely wiped out multiple times over in later missions.
117* The Tour Official, Sally Dobbs, in ''[[VideoGame/BackyardSports Backyard Skateboarding]]''.
118* Street Urchin Sabu in ''VideoGame/BangaiO''. His profile [[AllThereInTheManual in the instruction manual]] even states that he's addicted to the "Goldfish Game" salesman's waffles. [[LampshadeHanging Yeah]].
119* In ''[[VideoGame/BanjoKazooie Banjo-Tooie]]'', Klungo gets three {{Boss Battle}}s with our heroes. The first time, he's the WarmupBoss, and he doesn't get much more challenging after that, despite (randomly) switching strategies.
120-->'''Banjo:''' Don't you ever learn?\
121'''Klungo:''' Klungo clever, learn lotsss. Hasss learnt new potion.\
122'''Kazooie:''' Is it as useless as all the others?
123* ''VideoGame/BatenKaitosOrigins'': Giacomo. Arrogant and headstrong, he goes from being a cruel WakeUpCallBoss to one of these over the course of three fights. The last time he and Sagi fight, it's revealed TheEmpire ''threw him out'' for being one of these, and Sagi even admits to envying his perseverance. However, by the time ''VideoGame/BatenKaitos'' rolls [[FromNobodyToNightmare around]], [[TookALevelInBadass well...]]
124-->'''Giacomo:''' Say what you will. [[BadassBoast But you're my ticket back to the Empire, Sagi.]] [[HamAndCheese And every good ticket has to get punched!]]
125* ''VideoGame/BreathOfFireIII'': Ziggy is just a jerk you have to help a guy beat up to eventually gain access to a ship. But in ''VideoGame/BreathOfFireIV'' a similar Ziggy shows up who constantly challenges the party to fight him, and is not all that much of a threat what with low HP and, at his worst, can poison a member of your party.
126* ''VideoGame/CaveStory'' has Balrog, who does a HeelFaceTurn after being defeated for the third or fourth time.
127* In ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'', Ozzie, Flea, and Slash. Made even more apparent in a late-game sidequest during which you fight them again. [[spoiler:For crying out loud, Ozzie gets taken out by [[CatsAreMean a freaking cat]].]] If that doesn't scream "unbelievable incompetence", then what does?
128** Solt & Peppor in ''VideoGame/ChronoCross'' are a combination of this and HeKnowsAboutTimedHits. The last time you fight Solt & Peppor (which is optional), [[TookALevelInBadass they actually get serious]]. Their Cross Slash attack can do enough damage to kill one of your party members, which you might not expect, and they'll deal out relatively strong magic damage. They still aren't immensely difficult, especially compared to other optional boss battles, but they're not the free win they used to be, either.
129* ''VideoGame/{{Deltarune}}'': For most of the first episode, you had Suzie and Lancer, your "archenemies" who primarily showed up, cackled about how evil they were and how screwed you were at facing them, and then run away giggling. Notably, they underwent a quick HeelFaceTurn once [[KnightOfCerebus The King Of Spades]], the ''real'' villian of the game, shows his presence.
130* ''VideoGame/DisgaeaHourOfDarkness'' has the [[MeaningfulName quite appropriately nicknamed]] Mid-Boss, as well as Axel[=/=]Akutare in the [[VideoGame/Disgaea2CursedMemories sequel]] (you fight each one at least four times during the course of their respective games).
131** Interestingly enough, Mid-Boss and Axel are both voiced by Creator/GrantGeorge in the English versions (but sound nothing alike).
132** In ''VideoGame/{{Disgaea 3|AbsenceOfJustice}}'', the Vato brothers fit this trope to a tee, as well as being about as strong as the trope implies.
133** The same Axel plays the same role in ''VideoGame/{{Disgaea 4| A Promise Unforgotten}}'', taken to [[TheVirus an absurd degree]] in Chapter 6.
134* ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIII'': Robbin' 'Ood is a recurring boss that shows up twice to get in the Hero's way.
135* ''VideoGame/EatLeadTheReturnOfMattHazard'' has Sting Sniperscope, a [[DumbMuscle meathead]] with a [[Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger dumb accent]]. He's also Matt's (surprise) would-be replacement as video game protagonist and his intended executioner. With help from a hacker, Matt kills Sniperscope (effectively derailing his game's intended plot) and heads off on a quest to find out why the game developer wants rid of him. Matt has to fight Sniperscope two more times throughout the game, because he has [[OneUp three lives]]. Matt and Sting get more and more annoyed with each other every time they fight.
136* ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'': Inverted with [[DemonicSpiders hit-squads from the NCR, and/or Caesars Legion.]] They will send a squad of Legionaries or Rangers occasionally if you pissed either side off one too many times, and they will most of the time catch you off guard, and possibly half-cocked, as their weapons can even eat through Power Armor like a hot knife through butter. Plus their armor is pretty strong as well. And even if you manage to defeat one of these death squads, you can count on another ambushing you sometime during your travels through the Mojave. Played straight once you reach higher levels and get better weapons and armor for yourself and your follower.
137** Played terribly straight for the [[GangOfHats Powder Gangers]] however, who will likewise attempt to send their own version of these hit squads to ambush you around Primm if you have a negative reputation with them. The one to three sods are bog-standard [[TheGoomba gangers]] that can count themselves lucky if they're armored with more than a motorcycle helmet and have a functional gun, and they ''don't'' get stronger as you level. The most they can often hope for is to cripple your legs with their [[MadBomber dynamite]] before getting stomped into the ground.
138* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'':
139** [[BraggartBoss Gilgamesh]] in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'' is the first one in the series, and one of the most popular ones too. He is once again a GoldfishPoopGang member in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'', going most of the game as Alleyway Jack before revealing his true identity. He also reappears as an OptionalBoss in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'', makes a cameo in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'' if the player has acquired Odin (who is killed by Seifer and replaced by Gilgamesh), and was retroactively added to ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' in the Advance series as a hidden esper. He is an OptionalBoss again in ''Final Fantasy Advance: Dawn of Souls'' and a DLC boss in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII-2'', but he's vastly more difficult in that game. He is the only character in the series that is implied to have been the same person from game to game, in effect becoming goldfish poop for the whole series.
140** [[EnsembleDarkHorse Ultros]] and Typhon in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI''.
141** The Turks in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII''. (They were also ThoseTwoGuys, even though the group technically had four members; Elena and Tseng didn't get nearly as much time in the limelight as Reno and Rude.)
142*** Subverted when you encounter Reno, Rude, and Elena in the sewer after parachuting back into Midgar. While the fight is optional and you can steal some impressive loot from them (Minerva Band from Elena, Ziedrich from Rude, and Touph Ring from Reno), they will ''definitely'' give you a run for your money and prove why Shinra hired them.
143** Biggs and Wedge in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII''.
144** Fujin and Raijin in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'' though somewhat less.
145** The Leblanc Syndicate in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX2'', though they become allies later on.
146** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXI'' has the [[TerribleTrio Chebukki siblings]], who have a tendency to [[ProfessionalButtKisser brown nose]] whoever is currently antagonizing you in the ''Chains of Promathia'' storyline. [[spoiler:Including an [[OmnicidalManiac omnicidal]] deity.]]
147** For ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'' Ba'Gamnan and his siblings fall under this trope, particularly later on in the narrative, but more or less it is averted almost all together. Likewise, much like other games set in Ivalice, the other villains never take up this role. In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIIRevenantWings'', however, Ba'Gamnan and his motley crew play this role perfectly. To the point that Ba'Gamnan's own siblings grow tired of his bumbling leadership and decided to ditch him, prompting the ruthless bangaa bounty hunter to literally beat some sense into them after a kidnapping they staged went wrong.
148** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' has Grynewaht, who is introduced at the very end of ''Heavensward'' and fights the player throughout ''Stormblood''. He ends up not taking his repeated losses to the player very well. [[spoiler:He eventually undergoes "Hypertuning", essentially a crude cyborgization process, which shatters his mind; he dies throwing himself at the player to either kill them or die at their hands, and is given the game's standard TragicVillain sendoff where the player character looks sad at the end of the battle.]]
149* ''VideoGame/FossilFighters'': The BB Bandits, or at the very least, the main TerribleTrio, consisting of leader Vivian, obnoxious lackey Snivels, and TeamPet Rex. When they first appear, they might seem tough, but quickly prove to be little more than a recurring nuisance. Even when you invade their base! However, after you beat the game [[spoiler:and after their HeelFaceTurn]], they're upgraded to {{Superboss}} status -- and a ''hard'' {{Superboss}} they are, too.
150* The Hell Hounds in the first ''VideoGame/GalaxyAngel'' game, ''[[{{Subverted}} until]]''...
151* ''VideoGame/Grandia1'': Subverted with the three Garlyle Forces female sergeants Nana, Saki, and Mio. You encounter and fight them repeatedly, but if anything they get more dangerous as the encounters go on, using a lot of new moves and fighting more as a team. They must have been [[TookALevelInBadass leveling up and getting new kit]] just as busily as your party.
152* In somewhat of an example for ''VideoGame/GuitarHero II'' (Xbox 360 version), Music/{{Nirvana}}'s Heart-Shaped Box is significantly more difficult than the songs around it on Easy mode. It gets ridiculously easier on Medium and Hard, and stays mostly the same on Expert.
153* The Bandit Trio from ''VideoGame/HalfMinuteHero''.
154* ''VideoGame/HolyUmbrella'': Dondera Tank is an unusual example in that your first encounter with him is a HopelessBossFight. He still returns repeatedly after being defeated, each time with a new body and the same old bluster. In his fourth appearance, he gets taken out by another character before the player can fight him. The fifth time around, he desperately tries to prove he's still relevant by singing a VillainSong and [[BreakingTheFourthWall breaking the fourth wall]] when Dondera complains about it.
155* In ''VideoGame/JaysJourney'', Thinbeard and his dragon companion Azareth are constantly referred to as [[LampshadeHanging "Annoying recurring wannabe RPG villains"]].
156* ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'': Pete fills this role perfectly, though he actually becomes a legitimate threat in the Paradox Cups thanks to the restrictions set upon you and his stats getting boosted to extremes.
157* ''VideoGame/{{Landstalker}}'': Kayla, Wally, and Ink, full stop. They get a single moment of competence when [[spoiler:they hold Friday hostage in exchange for the Lithograph]]. Beyond that, every time they show up, it's only so that they can be subjected to [[HumiliationConga increasingly cruel and hilarious punishments]]. It's so bad that [[TheUnfought you never actually fight them]]; their rotten luck always does them in before you ever get the chance.
158* The Dread Lord of Contagion from ''VideoGame/{{Lusternia}}''. Don't let the name fool you, he's about as dread as a paper bag. [[{{Determinator}} Persistent little bugger, though.]]
159* Korg and Zet show up several times in ''Magi Nation'' for the Gameboy. They tend to run around trying to ambush Tony, then fail miserably due to Korg being only slightly more intelligent than a box of rocks, and the otherwise-intelligent Zet being very meek and letting Korg call the shots.
160* ''VideoGame/ManaKhemiaAlchemistsOfAlRevis'': Tony and Renee, [[AccidentalMisnaming A.K.A. the "Mook Squad"]]. Even Tony's (self-proclaimed) {{archenemy}}, Flay, doesn't take them seriously after a while. When they make a BigDamnHeroes moment to pull off an EnemyMine (if they're actually considered ''real'' enemies), the party's reactions to their arrival are, hilariously:
161-->"Not now..."
162-->"We don't have time to play with you!"
163** And in the sequel, ''VideoGame/ManaKhemia2FallOfAlchemy'', a set of different colored Punis that come after the party during Puniyo's character quests. They very quickly become annoying, because they have to be dealt with at least once per quest.
164* ''VideoGame/MischiefMakers'': The Beastector, a trio of animal-men who have giant robots and goofy voices. They constantly hound Marina and bicker among themselves, and are actually challenging bosses, but in the grand scheme of the plot, they serve little purpose. They ''do'' [[spoiler:end up as the final boss; after the real plot is over of course]].
165* ''VideoGame/MonsterRancherEVO'': Dotty and Petty most definitely fit this definition. You battle their weak monsters every so often, and they play this trope as straight as possible, often citing "Evil Villain Rules" that they live by.
166* ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'' has several fighters in the Story Mode, who are generally portrayed as ineffectual hangers-on to the big bad. [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Baraka]] has this lampshaded by [[McNinja Cyrax]].
167* ''VideoGame/MysticArk'': Sly is actually something of a threat when you first meet him in the second world, but then after beating the Beetle King, the guy starts to get a little strange. Then he just doesn't show up until the final world of the game where he expects you to give a flying hoot when he shouts "My plan is too brilliant for a dumbass like y-o-u to understand!" though he's surprising pathetic for a boss that late into the game, but then again, the game decides to subject you to two more moderately hard boss fights after him. He also never really did explain what that brilliant plan was...[[WildMassGuessing perhaps he's supposed to be Darkness' right-hand man?]]
168* ''VideoGame/PennyArcadeAdventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: Episode 4'' introduces the Fish Force, a blatant {{Expy}} of [[Anime/PokemonTheSeries Team Rocket]], who even have their own theme song! They show up several times to menace the heroes, despite having no connection to the greater plot, and while they can be challenging to an underleveled party, represent no real threat. If you fight them enough times, at the end of the game they [[HeelFaceTurn become your allies]].
169* ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}'' has Strega, a team of FlawedPrototype Persona users that often hound the heroes. While they are responsible for [[spoiler:killing Shinjiro]], one of the more important moments of the game, aside from that they are for the most part mere inconveniences for the player who generally don't put up much of a fight (though it certainly helps that you always outnumber them).
170* ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarUniverse'' has the Vol Brothers, one of the most grievously irritating examples of this trope. See [[http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/ps2/review/R114444.html this review]] for a more detailed rundown of their effects on some players.
171* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'':
172** The [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesTeamRocketTrio Team Rocket]] [[CanonImmigrant trio]] (see above) actually apply to this trope in the video game sense in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue Pokémon Yellow]]'' and ''VideoGame/PokemonLetsGoPikachuAndLetsGoEevee'', despite being ''somewhat'' more competent in those games (like they were in the show before VillainDecay set in).
173** Wheeler from ''VideoGame/PokemonRanger: Shadows of Almia''. While most of the members of Team Dim Sun, even the lower-level {{Mooks}}, like to throw down with relatively powerful (stolen and {{brainwashed}}) Pokemon like Rampardos and Magmortar, Wheeler is the [[YesMan sycophantic second-in-command]] to the BigBad, and his Pokemon of choice is...''[[ComMons Bidoof]]''. And that's the only one he uses. '''''Ever.'''''
174** VideoGame/PokemonLegendsArceus brings with it the bandits known as the Miss Fortunes, who show up to cause the petty mischief one might expect of bandits on a few occasions in the story. The Spanish localization even calls them the "Three Weeds", making their peskiness ever more apparent.
175* Benny & Clyde[[note]]and by extension, their original selves Kamijo and Yamamoto in the original ''Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari''[[/note]] in ''VideoGame/RiverCityRansom''.
176* ''VideoGame/{{Robopon}}'': Cruelly deconstructed in the second game, where the "rival" is an impoverished orphanage owner who challenges you to win money "for the children!" and has an absolutely pathetic team that always has at least one [[JokeCharacter Gear or Bulbot]].
177* ''VideoGame/SecretOfMana'': The Scorpion Army.
178* ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV'''s Terminal Guardian is a one-man poop gang. Every terminal you find is guarded by one man, wearing a different disguise and throwing different demons at you each time you find a terminal.
179%%** The Specter in ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne''.
180* ''VideoGame/ShogoMobileArmorDivision'' features Samantha Sternberg, a hot-headed female who constantly appears out of nowhere, screaming that she'll kick the player's ass, only to be quickly dealt with with no trouble at all, yet somehow manages to survive every encounter. [[spoiler:Near the end of the game, however, you have to face her on foot while she's in a HumongousMecha.]]
181* ''VideoGame/SkiesOfArcadia'': Baltor the Black Bearded is the first ship battle you have to fight against, and is relatively challenging when you come across him. However, the second time you fight him much later in the game, you have [[CoolAirship the most powerful airship built to date]] that has a cannon that you literally use to [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu kill ancient gods of destruction]], while he [[VillainForgotToLevelGrind still has the same old sailing ship he used last time]]. Too bad Baltor [[WeWillMeetAgain can't let go of things...]]
182* An even better example would be the Babylon Rogues from the ''VideoGame/SonicRiders'' games, consisting of [[ArrogantKungFuGuy Jet]], [[WrenchWench Wave]], and [[FatBastard Storm]]. They are never a threat to the heroes. They show up in nearly every race, though.
183* Dio? and his lackeys in ''VideoGame/SoulNomadAndTheWorldEaters''.
184* ''VideoGame/SpiderMan2'' has Mysterio. Dude's got a million robots that are actually threatening... but he himself is not. Aside from being a walking cliché by pretending to be an alien invader and hiding out in a Funhouse of Doom (hidden within an apartment), [[http://youtu.be/K1MZIU_feIk?t=27s he's probably the easiest "boss fight" in video game history]].
185* ''VideoGame/StarTrekOnline'': Ja'rod, son of Torg, captain of the IKS ''Kang'', ''was'' for the Starfleet player character. He tried to take them out several times during the "Klingon War" arc and ended up with Starfleet PC leaving the ''Kang'' dead in space every time. To add insult to injury, the PC then reveals Ja'rod's mentor Ambassador B'Vat was a nutcase trying to send the Klingons and Federation into a ForeverWar, and poor Ja'rod ended up on [[PunishmentDetail tribble extermination duty]] and the ''Kang'' gets disabled by the PC ''again''. Various quest revamps gradually removed his appearances, however.
186* ''VideoGame/Superman64'' has ComicBook/{{Brainiac}} who, despite being one of ComicBook/{{Superman}}'s most formidable foes normally, is about as easy to defeat as Mysterio above, as he [[ZeroEffortBoss literally has no AI programmed and will just stand there throughout the entire battle]].
187* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'': The Mario [=RPGs=] love these. It's seemingly mandatory for them to feature at least one in every game:
188** Croco the mobster wannabe from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG'';
189** "Master" Jr. Troopa from ''VideoGame/PaperMario'';
190** Popple the Shadow Thief from ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiSuperstarSaga'' and ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiDreamTeam'';
191** Lord Crump from ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor''. At first he appeared as TheDragon to Sir Grodus, but his [[YouHaveFailedMe continuous screw-ups]] cemented his position as the resident Goldfish Poop Gang.
192** O'Chunks, Count Bleck's [[DumbMuscle no-brains-all-brawn]] henchthug from ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario''.
193** [[MeaningfulName Midbus]] of ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory''.
194* In ''[[VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsDestiny Super Robot Wars D]]'' you had to fight five generals throughout the game [[spoiler: and all five of their mechs in the final battle]].
195* ''[[VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration Super Robot Taisen OG2]]'' has The Inspectors. They start off as a threat, sure, but by the end of the game, they've cemented their position here. Well, except for their TRUE leader...
196* ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'':
197** The Dark Wings from ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss'' are a fairly unique example. Unlike most examples, you don't actually fight them, and they're actually fairly competent. [[spoiler:Not to mention that you're technically on their side once Asch hires them]]. That doesn't stop them from being comic relief that fill the storyline role to a tee, though.
198** [[DefectingForLove Sheena]] from ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' is treated like this, until the inevitable HeelFaceTurn. Showing her [[PetTheDog playing hide-and-seek with kids and helping sick people]] certainly did nothing for her villain cred.
199** ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia'' has Zagi, who appears threatening at first but, as the party levels, becomes less and less to the point that Yuri is legitimately exasperated at his final appearance near the end of the game. To a lesser extent are the beast tamers Karol seeks the approval of, though they aren't so much bad guys or rivals so much as [[CannotSpitItOut looking to make sure]] [[WomenPreferStrongMen Karol can handle being Nan's boyfriend.]]
200*** From the same game, Adecor and Boccos AKA Tweedle-A and Tweedle-B fulfil this role with their persistent bumbling attempts at arresting the protagonist. Though they are mostly dealt with in cutscenes, player involvement is only required when the game needs a punching bag for a ForcedTutorial. That said, the final Tutorial fight with them, the Burst Arte tutorial, is annoyingly hard because it's two on one and they keep interrupting your attacks. Outside the storyline, you can also fight them in the arena (where they suck) and in the BonusDungeon (where they don't).
201%%* CampGay Bandiger in ''VideoGame/ThousandArms''.
202* Big John from ''VideoGame/ViewtifulJoe 2''. He constantly stalks Joe and Sylvia across several movies with a different disguise each time. Two of the other bosses actually take him out themselves.
203* Liz and Ard from ''VideoGame/WildArms2'', and the members of Cocytus, though to a lesser extent since they're all quite powerful and competent, not to mention that you fight none of them more than twice (Liz and Ard, however, are fought three times, almost always follow up a fight with them by throwing one of their robot bosses at you, and also accidentally set a ''very'' powerful optional boss on you late in the game).
204** Not to mention Zed in the original ''VideoGame/WildArms1''. The rest of the demons basically follow the SortingAlgorithmOfEvil, but Zed just shows up to cause havoc independently.
205** And let's not forget the Schrodinger family (Maya in particular) in ''VideoGame/{{Wild ARMs 3}}''. They pose a moderate threat (though nothing TOO bad), but they're still gimmicky comic relief and they reappear enough times to be annoying.
206* ''VideoGame/TheWitcher3WildHunt'': Sir Ronvid of the Small Marsh is a knight who challenges Geralt to a duel multiple times to defend the honor of his love Maid Bilberry. Ronvid is comically incompetent at combat and Geralt gets more annoyed with every challenge.
207* EXALT from ''VideoGame/XCOMEnemyUnknown'''s expansion Enemy Within. Exalt is a paramilitary organization opposing your team and committing acts of sabotage around the globe. When you first meet them, they are using ballistic weapons and no gene mods, while wearing business suits, while your team probably fields [[SlowLaser laser]] weapons, if not plasma. A while later, elite EXALT agents appear, fielding one gene mod each, and a pretty low powered one at that, laser weapons, and wearing body armor show up. XCOM soldiers definitely have access to plasma weapons, PowerArmor, and possibly PsychicPowers by then. EXALT doesn't progress further than that.[[note]]On Classic and Impossible difficulty, they become a much more serious threat due to their numbers, persistence, and effect on the strategic situation.[[/note]]
208* The Elements from ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}''. Of the four of them, their leader Dominia is the only credible threat posed to the party. Seraphita is so dumb she sometimes forgets she's a bad guy, Tolone spends much of her time ''reminding'' Seraphita she's a bad guy, and Kelvena just doesn't really seem to care all that much.
209[[/folder]]
210
211[[folder:Webcomics]]
212* Of course, ''Webcomic/{{Adventurers}}!'' [[http://www.adventurers-comic.com/d/0192.html made fun of this too]].
213* In ''Webcomic/CaptainSNES'', it's implied that the [[FunWithAcronyms Daltonian Hyper-Oceanic Piratical Extortion Squad]] will become this, and given that its members include [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI Ultros, Chopon]], [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyV Gilgamesh]], [[VideoGame/{{Lufia}} Berty, Bart]], [[VideoGame/SecretOfMana the Scorpion Army]], and, of course, [[VideoGame/ChronoTrigger Dalton]] himself, it's quite appropriate.
214* ''Webcomic/DominicDeegan'': Stunt and Bumper, the two thieves, play this role in the early years of the comic, before their respective [[HeelFaceTurn Heel Face Turns]].
215* ''Webcomic/KidRadd'' features two examples: Gnarl, Radd's "EvilTwin", and Kobayashi, a {{Ninja}}. Both subvert the trope [[spoiler:by executing dime-perfect [[HeelFaceTurn Heel Face Turns]], and Kobayashi learns [[EleventhHourSuperpower how to fight effectively]]]].
216** Plus they gain the ability [[TookALevelInBadass to fuse instantaneously into one being for more powerful attacks.]] And then they can unfuse to avoid attacks.
217* ''Webcomic/KillSixBillionDemons'': After Allison gets publicly exposed as carrying the MacGuffin, and everyone puts a price on her head to get it, she's followed around by a horde of various weird mercenaries who keep crashing into whatever DimensionLord's stronghold she's currently getting in over her head in. They're not incompetent as fighters, but in practice, they just keep fighting the local guards and each other, and a bunch of them die every time, while Allison is already making her escape from the real villains anyway.
218* ''Webcomic/{{Narbonic}}'': Professor Lupin Madblood tries to be the BigBad, but ends up being easily defeated no matter what he tries. One time, he lost when a gerbil convinced his army of robots to unionize.
219* The Linear Guild in ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', who are well aware of their status.
220** Though it turns out that they're really the unwitting (apart from [[DarkActionGirl Sabine]]) agents of [[TheChessmaster the Three Fiends]], recently introduced but ''highly'' competent major villains. The Guild can actually be [[TeamRocketWins pretty dangerous on their own, too]]- it's just that their victories never last long, due to their leader Nale's attempts at being {{Troperiffic}} always giving him a ''giant'' VillainBall.
221** As of strip #913 however, [[spoiler:every member of the Guild is either dead or MIA, with the sole exception of Sabine, making this Goldfish Poop Gang pretty much dead in the water]].
222* For a while in ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'', after Torg escaped from the Dimension of Pain demons, one of them would show up every Halloween to try and kill him and take his soul back to their dimension for eternal torment. The MainCharacters ''never'' took these attempts seriously; they actually started charging people admission each Halloween to watch the demon try and kill Torg. However, during the "That Which Redeems" StoryArc, the demons get a ''major'' dose of {{Not So Harmless Villain}}yness.
223* ''Webcomic/WTFComics'': The gnomish monks start out as a bit of a threat and get less effective every time they are encountered. [[http://www.wtfcomics.com/archive.html?421_13 The first time they were encountered]] they were a surprise to even Straha.
224[[/folder]]
225
226[[folder:Web Original]]
227* In ''WebVideo/CriticalRole'' Campaign 2, there is a gang of bandits originally led by someone named "Trevor" who keep running into the Mighty Nein. The first time (Episode 8), they were just scared about their leader being essentially [[NoBodyLeftBehind vaporized]]. The second time (Episode 23), they give up everything they have (not very much) without a fight and agree to [[ReformedCriminal go straight]]. By the third time (Episode 92), they have made good on that and decided to become hunters for a fur trading business, but are still terrified of the group.
228* In the ''Podcast/FriendsAtTheTable'' setting [[WeirdWest Sangfielle]], the Blackwick Group periodically runs into a trio of bandits called the Toll Collectors, because they were first encountered extorting travelers on a mountain pass for money (and were promptly defeated). Things get weird when the Blackwick Group splits into two parties chasing leads in different locations, and somehow both of them meet the Toll Collectors again. Things get extremely weird when it's revealed [[spoiler:due to the EldritchLocation nature of Sangfielle, there are ''eleven'' sets of Toll Collectors running around getting into trouble, and a new set of them emerges from the mines of Blackwick about once a month. Fortunately, by then they've all united under the Knights of Virtue and are now tentatively allied with the Blackwick Group, who rescue six Toll Collectors from a mutual enemy.]]
229* The ninja team from the Yama Dojo, in the ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse''. Team Kimba thrash them before the team is really a team. They come back on Parents' Day (it's a SuperheroSchool) and get pummeled so easily that Chaka has time to steal ninja weapons for some of the little brothers along with the visiting parents.
230[[/folder]]
231
232[[folder:Western Animation]]
233* ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog'':
234** Scratch and Grounder, the Sonic Super Special Search and Smash Squad. They don't even have half a brain between them. More like a quarter. Hey, you could probably call them the WesternAnimation equivalent of [[Anime/PokemonTheSeries Team Rocket]].
235** Scratch and Grounder themselves have Goldfish Poop in the form of Coconuts. They're all technically on the same side but rarely work together to capture Sonic, the former two being goal-oriented and the latter much more egotistic. Despite actually having half a brain over Scratch and Grounder, Coconuts is usually tasked with degrading housework (although he does tend to fail his solo capture attempts).
236* ''WesternAnimation/Ben10'': The Circus Freak Trio could be considered this, though they never really were a threat to begin with; the only thing that makes them dangerous in the episodes they show up in is the boss they are working for (successively [[MonsterClown Zombozo]], [[EnemyWithout Ghostfreak]] and Forever King Discroll). Most of the time, however, Ben kicks their asses pretty easily, to the point where it's borderline humiliation for them.
237* ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'': [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin The Box Ghost]]. But with a name like that, would you really expect otherwise? However, we see a possible alternate future in which he's taken [[TookALevelInBadass enough levels of badass to be considered epic]]. He also happens to have once gained control over ''Pandora's Box''. Good thing he's relatively nice.
238* Sgt Blob, Frizz and Nug are this in ''WesternAnimation/TheDreamstone'', blundering mooks for Zordrak, who constantly fall against the heroes in their attempts to steal their MacGuffin, and even described by the latter as "tiresome".
239* ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures'': The Dark Hand. Doesn't help that their formerly badass boss got canonically [[RetCon retconned]] later on. The Shadowkhan at times as well, though their effectiveness appears to depend on [[spoiler:how close the mask holder is]].
240* ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPandaLegendsOfAwesomeness'': Fung and his croc bandits. Let's just say there's a good reason his catchphrase is "Darn it!"
241* ''WesternAnimation/LaffALympics'': The Really Rottens are a crew of malcontents who try to cheat their way into winning against the Yogi Yahooeys and the Scooby Doobies. Most of the time, they are caught cheating and disqualified, but once in a blue moon they will [[TeamRocketWins bumble their way to victory.]]
242* ''WesternAnimation/LeagueOfSuperEvil'' is what happens when one makes a show about this trope.
243* ''WesternAnimation/MaoMaoHeroesOfPureHeart'' gives us the Sky Pirates, whose toughest members were knocked overboard, leaving only a very, very persistent quartet of villainous cybernetic losers.
244* ''WesternAnimation/MrBogus'': The Dirt Dudes fall into this territory DependingOnTheWriter.
245* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls1998'':
246** The Amoeba Boys. Their attempts at villainy are truly pathetic, to the point that they only manage to do something really bad ''by complete accident'' that requires the girls' assistance to rectify.
247** There's also the Gangreen Gang, who, while sometimes being a legitimate threat, mostly commit common petty crimes such as common thievery, vandalism, and prank phone calls, and are generally seen as more of a nuisance compared to most of the other villains on the show (bar the Amoeba Boys mentioned above).
248* ''WesternAnimation/{{ReBoot}}'' has Hack and Slash, who consistently fail to execute Megabyte's plans.
249* ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'':
250** Bebop and Rocksteady from ''WesternAnimation/{{Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles|1987}}'' (1987). Because regardless of species, common thugs/henchmen are no match for trained ninjas.
251** ''All'' the 1987 villains are delegated to this status during the ''WesternAnimation/TurtlesForever'' movie, mainly because they were stupid enough to release Ch'rell from his cosmic prison.
252** The Purple Dragons in the [[WesternAnimation/{{Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles|2012}} 2012 series]]. Even the Turtles don't take them seriously. The worst they really do is commit thievery. It gets a little better later when Hun comes along and replaces Fong as the new leader, being a more skilled fighter, but Hun and the rest of the gang quickly became DemotedToExtra after that.
253* ''WesternAnimation/{{ThunderCats|1985}}'': The Mutant leaders deteriorated into this over the course of the series, near the end unable to muster even a tiny iota of competence. At times, they even made mistakes they were even ''specifically'' warned against. (For instance, in one episode, Vultureman builds a thundrainium-powered cannon - thundrainium being a WeaksauceWeakness to Thundarians - but warns them that it won't work if fired at close range. This is ''exactly'' the miatake Sslith and Jackalman make when using it.) This is in stark contrast to BigBad Mumm-Ra, who remained a major threat.
254* ''WesternAnimation/WinxClub'' has the Trix become this in the third season. While they were formidable foes in the first two seasons, they are horribly outclassed by the fairies' new Enchantix forms, to the point where any one of the fairies is often enough to take down all three witches.
255* ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown'': Jack Spicer starts out as an actual threat, but quickly undergoes VillainDecay that turns him into a one-man GoldfishPoopGang, to the point where the Xiaolin Warriors start beating him up for sport and he's left with only a single Shen Gong Wu by the end of the series. However, in the GrandFinale, we are introduced to an alternate BadFuture where Omi was not present, and Jack has [[TookALevelInBadass taken the mother of all levels in Badass]] and has successfully [[TakeOverTheWorld taken over the world]], and has [[WickedWitch Wuya]], [[MagnificentBastard Chase Young]] and [[SealedEvilInACan Hannibal Roy Bean]] as his prisoners. Also at the beginning of that same season, his good side had been split from him and he was proving himself to be quite formidabble.
256[[/folder]]

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