| 1 | %%% |
| 2 | %% |
| 3 | %% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order. |
| 4 | %% |
| 5 | %%% |
| 6 | |
| 7 | %% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1622394160006244100 |
| 8 | %% Previous thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1330573027070760100 |
| 9 | %% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread. |
| 10 | %% |
| 11 | [[quoteright:250:[[ComicBook/LuckyLuke https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lucky_luke_fingers_the_magician_5.png]]]] |
| 12 | %% |
| 13 | ->''"Hi, hi! The more important it is to others, the more it's worth to steal. It's great watching dithered faces!"'' |
| 14 | --> -- '''The Thief''', ''VideoGame/{{Disgaea 3|AbsenceOfJustice}}'' |
| 15 | %% |
| 16 | %% One quote is sufficient. Please place additional entries on the quotes tab. |
| 17 | |
| 18 | [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kleptomania Kleptomania]], from the Greek root words ''kleptein'' ("to steal") and ''mania'' ("obsession with, madness"). In the real world, it's an obsession with collecting or hoarding things (which are typically small items like paperclips or pens, which the sufferer may or may not be even aware they stole) with no regard to any material gain. While it might seem quite mild, it can lead to compulsive shoplifting and is often comorbid with personality disorders, which can make things even worse. |
| 19 | |
| 20 | In fiction, it's the trait of a LovableRogue and is frequently played for laughs. "Sufferers" tend to outright enjoy the act of theft, steal anything that isn't nailed down (particularly if it's valuable, in contrast to RealLife sufferers), gleefully enjoy the material rewards, and may well be a KarmaHoudini for this (compared to actual sufferers of kleptomania, who feel an impulse to steal regardless of the value of the item and often feel guilty afterwards). They are distinguished from other thief-related tropes by the fact that they steal for the pleasure of stealing and frequently have trouble leaving something valuable be. They may or may not be outright described as suffering from kleptomania. Sympathetic characters are often MrViceGuy. |
| 21 | |
| 22 | In the animal realm, this is a trait of packrats, ferrets, monkeys, and some birds, most famously [[ThievingMagpie magpies]]. |
| 23 | |
| 24 | Compare ForTheEvulz. Characters who might have this trait include the LovableRogue, the GentlemanThief (particularly if they do it out of boredom), and the TokenEvilTeammate. They are often an ImpossibleThief. The KleptomaniacHero is given this trait by the player's own actions (which may be lampshaded as this trope) but not necessarily characterized as such. This character may make liberal use of their FiveFingerDiscount card. See also SleightOfHandiness. |
| 25 | |
| 26 | You know they've met their match when you hear the words "Oi! GiveMeBackMyWallet!" |
| 27 | |
| 28 | Also not be confused with a certain [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureGoldenWind Stand]], or the Music/TheRollingStones' [[Music/StickyFingers album]] it references either. See ThievingPet for the animal version of this trope. |
| 29 | |
| 30 | ---- |
| 31 | !!Examples: |
| 32 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 33 | |
| 34 | [[folder:Anime & Manga]] |
| 35 | * Sasha Blouse from ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'' is a BigEater prone to stealing food. While normally PlayedForLaughs, her obsession with food [[FreudianExcuse resulted]] from surviving a severe food shortage during her childhood. As such, she tends to habitually snag food whenever she sees it and is affectionately teased by her comrades for her thieving habits. |
| 36 | * The titular character of ''Characters/LupinIII'' is the GentlemanThief variant. |
| 37 | * Azusa Shiratori from ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' has extreme kleptomania as her most notable quirk; she has an obsession with objects (and occasionally animals) [[ImTakingHerHomeWithMe she considers to be "cute" and will frequently try to take them for herself]], giving the object in question a French name from ''Manga/TheRoseOfVersailles'' and proclaiming it to be hers. As far as she's concerned, [[MoralMyopia anything she latches onto is rightfully hers and anyone who tries to take their things back from her is a bully]]. |
| 38 | * The family trait of the Andro clan from ''Manga/WelcomeToDemonSchoolIrumaKun'', specifically the one we see most, Jazz. Their family magic, a form of XRayVision that lets them see valuables and how to steal them best, makes the lot of them chronic pickpockets. Jazz himself landed in the Misfit Class on his first day for swiping valuables from the teachers. |
| 39 | [[/folder]] |
| 40 | |
| 41 | [[folder:Asian Animation]] |
| 42 | * Caesar from ''Animation/DobyAndDisy'' is a [[VisualPun literal]] cat burglar who will impulsively steal anything from signs to ice cream, often impeding Doby and Disy's adventures as he does so. |
| 43 | [[/folder]] |
| 44 | |
| 45 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 46 | * ''ComicBook/AstroCity'': "The Dark Age" opens with Royal Williams pickpocketing valuables from various shell-shocked citizens, in contrast to his early childhood being the honest and upright brother to Charles. |
| 47 | * ''ComicBook/BlackMoonChronicles'': Even after becoming a powerful general in Wismerhill's army, [[LoveableRogue Pile-ou-Face]] is often seen robbing people of their purses in the background. |
| 48 | * Jax from ''ComicBook/JaxEpochAndTheQuickenForbidden'' stole a notepad and a spellbook and magic gloves and boots. |
| 49 | * Kieszonka (Pocket) from ''ComicBook/LilIPut'' series is a pick-pocket, almost always seen either trying to steal something or running away after being caught red-handed (unless she's already in jail). |
| 50 | * "Fingers", a stage magician and thief encountered by ComicBook/LuckyLuke once. Not only will he constantly pickpocket everyone around him (which means he cannot be kept in prison because he will casually disarm the guards and steal their keys), but he will regularly offer you your wallet, gun, and [[ImpossibleThief underwear]] back, as a gesture of goodwill. |
| 51 | * Tabitha "Boom-Boom" Smith, in Warren Ellis's ''ComicBook/{{Nextwave}}'' "possesses the mutant powers of blowing things up and stealing all your stuff." |
| 52 | %%* ''ComicBook/TankGirl'' and all her friends, habitually. |
| 53 | * In the ''Franchise/{{Tintin}}'' story ''[[Recap/TintinTheSecretOfTheUnicorn The Secret of the Unicorn]]'', a kleptomaniac named Aristides Silk steals Tintin's wallet which contains a PlotCoupon. It turns out that, similar to RealLife kleptomaniacs, he feels rather guilty about his actions; he sorts the stolen wallets by the owner's name. [[ThoseTwoGuys Thomson and Thompson]] [[CluelessDetective end up walking out with their arms full of their own stolen wallets]], and their countermeasures have varying degrees of success and slapstick. |
| 54 | * ''ComicBook/WonderWoman'': |
| 55 | ** [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1942 Vol 1]] villain Byrna Brilyant, otherwise known as "Blue Snowman", is a MadScientist with a twist; nearly all of her impressive tech other than the robots themselves started out as stolen from other scientists or laboratories where it was either left aside unfinished until she took an interest, had potential for use in her schemes with a few tweaks or was just a project she was curious about. |
| 56 | ** ''ComicBook/WonderWomanBlackAndGold'': In "The Golden Age", after helping stop a bank robbery, Etta Candy tries to sneakily make off with all the bank's free candy. |
| 57 | [[/folder]] |
| 58 | |
| 59 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 60 | * In ''Fanfic/AllGuardsmenParty'', Nubby Nubbs is noted to firmly believe that it's not stealing if they didn't belong to your unit and didn't really need it (and if they're enemies, it's not stealing ''especially'' if they need it). He thus is usually the one to provide the party with extra supplies. |
| 61 | * ''Fanfic/{{Arcanum}}'': Ruby will gladly steal anything that isn't attached and won't be immediately noticed as missing, from money and jewelry to mundane things such as clean robes. |
| 62 | * In ''Fanfic/CallItWhatYouWant'', Xue Yang who often shows up either stealing something or with other characters concerned that he will steal something. |
| 63 | * ''Fanfic/CheatingDeathThoseThatLived'': Jack Tylos from Seven revels in being a "master thief". His skills range from picking pockets to robbing banks, and he's never caught after reaching adulthood. It starts as a way for him to keep himself fed on the streets of District 7, and then to win the Hunger Games when he smuggles a stolen taser into the arena. Later in life, he hides stolen weapons around victor hangouts for them to use against the Capitol when the Rebellion comes. When one of the children of his fellow victor Snag is reaped, the largest bank in the Capitol is robbed by a mysterious figure who makes a clean getaway, with Snag realizing that Jack did it to get sponsor money for his daughter. |
| 64 | * In ''Fanfic/CyclesUponCycles'', Shepard's enhancements come with a side of KleptomaniacHero. He usually doesn't even notice he's stealing things until his teammates ask for their stuff back, though he occasionally gets the urge for more blatant thievery. |
| 65 | * In ''Fanfic/KiraIsJustice'', the protagonist's sister, Kate, is a kleptomaniac. |
| 66 | * In ''Fanfic/PacificWorldWarIIUsNavyShipgirls'', this is Lexington's thing, usually taking the more exotic equipment out for a spin, she surprisingly has standards when it comes to taking stuff. |
| 67 | * ''WebVideo/UltraFastPony'' has Applejack stealing random stuff, off-screen. Like trees, bicycles, and medical supplies. |
| 68 | [[/folder]] |
| 69 | |
| 70 | [[folder:Films -- Animation]] |
| 71 | * ''WesternAnimation/BatmanHush''. After revealing his secret identity, Bruce Wayne admits to Selina Kyle that he broke things off with her in the past because he believed she was a kleptomaniac--why else would she be a ClassyCatBurglar given that she has the beauty and talent to make it in a legitimate career? Selina is not amused. |
| 72 | * In ''WesternAnimation/{{Tangled}}'', Flynn lifts the satchel with their loot from his own partners in the opening -- and at the conclusion, lifts Rapunzel's tiara -- giving it back after a dirty look. |
| 73 | * From the film ''WesternAnimation/TheThiefAndTheCobbler'', who else but the Thief? He steals pretty much everything he can possibly get his hands on and tries to steal several things he shouldn't even try to get his hands on. At the end of the film, he also steals all the letters from the words "The End", and then goes on to steal the film strip itself. |
| 74 | [[/folder]] |
| 75 | |
| 76 | [[folder:Films -- Live-Action]] |
| 77 | * ''Film/AChristmasHorrorStory'': Clarice's boyfriend applauds her sticky fingers after she steals the keys to the school for Molly and the others. Later PlayedForDrama when she confesses that she constantly steals stuff without knowing why and wonders if that's why Krampus is attacking her family. |
| 78 | * Allison from ''Film/TheBreakfastClub'', who steals the lock to Bender's locker, his knife, Brian's wallet, and a patch from Andrew's jacket. |
| 79 | * ''Film/{{Bubble}}'': Rose steals money from Kyle's drawer during their date. She is also seen with the gold watch that was on the dresser of the house she was cleaning. Her ex-boyfriend accuses her of stealing money and weed from his home, which seems likely. |
| 80 | * Tangerine of ''Film/BulletTrain'' is implied to be a kleptomaniac, swiping biscuits from the snack cart and a child's stuffed toy at different points. He says it's like a compulsion, he's unaware he's doing it when it's happening, and he really wishes he could stop. |
| 81 | * In ''Film/TheChargeAtFeatherRiver'', Pvt. Cullen is in the guardhouse for stealing (and drunkenness). Throughout the Brigade's mission, he keeps filching things: most commonly Smiley's canteen full of booze. |
| 82 | * In ''Film/{{Descendants}}'', this is a habit [[WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}} Jafar]] has raised his son Jay to have. At several points in the movie, we see him unloading various trinkets he's nicked, including phones, jewelry, wallets, even an entire laptop. At one point, he steals the hood ornament off of a limousine. When asked about it, he says: "it's like buying everything I want... except it's free." |
| 83 | * In ''Film/TheGettingOfWisdom'', the half-Asian student Annie, one of Laura's few genuine friends, has a habit of stealing items from the boarding school staff, particularly money and jewelry. Once they find out, she is immediately expelled. |
| 84 | * ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2014'': Rocket, being as he is a racoon, doesn't understand the notion that taking something that belongs to someone else is illegal, even if he wants it more. In ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2'', he kicks off the plot by stealing the item the Guardians were hired to protect, trying to justify it when the owners come after the Guardians to kill them all for this on the grounds they were being "high and mighty", but Yondu later calls him on having done it just because he could. |
| 85 | * ''Film/{{Help}}'': Music/TheBeatles visit a jeweler seeking help to remove a ring stuck on Ringo's finger - in the background, George casually pockets several bits of merchandise. |
| 86 | * In ''Film/HomeAlone2LostInNewYork'', Marv engages in some petty theft with literal sticky fingers: covering one of his hands in tape and then sticking it into a Salvation Army bucket full of change as he walks by. |
| 87 | * ''Film/HowHigh'': In the scene where Silas is making the "special brownies" for Dean Cain, [[LineOfSightName I Need Money]] tries (but fails) to steal the milk bottle. |
| 88 | * There is a character from the movie ''Film/IfItsTuesdayThisMustBeBelgium'' who starts the trip with an empty suitcase. By the end of the film, the suitcase is full of stuff he's pilfered, including a life preserver from a cruise boat. |
| 89 | * ''Film/TheLastDetail'': Two navy personnel have prisoner escort detail for another sailor who is a kleptomaniac. Throughout the movie he keeps producing chocolate bars etc from his clothing, always insisting "I bought it" to their suspicious looks. |
| 90 | * Harpo Marx usually takes this role in Creator/TheMarxBrothers' various movies. A standout example occurs in ''Film/TheCocoanuts'' -- in one scene he's standing next to Bob Adams and Groucho, then proceeds to steal Bob's handkerchief five times, his wristwatch twice, Groucho's tie three times, and Groucho's ''dentures'' [[ImpossibleTheft out of his mouth!]] |
| 91 | %%* Dodger the Capuchin monkey from ''Film/MonkeyTrouble''. |
| 92 | * In ''Film/Penelope1966'', the eponymous character is kleptomaniac and can't help but stealing things just for the sake of it. She also robs a bank solely because she DesperatelyCravesAffection from her banker husband who's too MarriedToTheJob to really care about her. |
| 93 | * Emmett Ray from ''Film/SweetAndLowdown'' appears to be an easily diagnosable kleptomaniac. |
| 94 | * Alvin Firpo from ''Film/TrappedInParadise'' is frequently seen stealing stuff, regardless of whether or not it has any practical value. |
| 95 | * ''Film/{{Whirlpool}}'': Ann Sutton is a rich, bored housewife who has been caught stealing several times. |
| 96 | * ''Film/WhiteWolves II: Legend of the Wild'': Crystal is doing community service because she was accused of theft, and it's implied she's guilty, as she is seen shoplifting, and steals Mason's altimeter on a whim. |
| 97 | * In ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'', Quicksilver's basement is full of stolen goods such as several [=TVs=], a Pong arcade machine, and an entire shelf of junk food. His mother, upon opening the door, assumes Wolverine and co. are cops and simply offers to cut a check for whatever he stole. |
| 98 | * [=ZigZag=] from ''Film/ZigZag2002'' had a problem with shoplifting even before he stole Mr. Walters' money. |
| 99 | [[/folder]] |
| 100 | |
| 101 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 102 | * Creator/AgathaChristie: |
| 103 | %%** [[spoiler:Mrs Van Schuyler]] from ''Literature/DeathOnTheNile'' |
| 104 | ** [[spoiler:Curate Hawes]] from ''Literature/TheMurderAtTheVicarage'' is responsible for the misappropriation of the Church funds, and is likely the cause of the disappearance of a pound note which the Vicar mentioned at the beginning of the novel. |
| 105 | ** [[spoiler:Anne Meredith]] from ''Literature/CardsOnTheTable'' is a known thief who committed murder after [[spoiler:her employer]] discovered [[spoiler:her]] stealing habits. |
| 106 | ** [[spoiler:Alton the butler]] from ''Literature/LordEdgwareDies'' discovered the victim's body and did not report it immediately. Instead, he saw it as an opportunity to steal cash that was lying about nearby. |
| 107 | ** Played with in ''Literature/HickoryDickoryDock'', when it seems there's one of these at large in a student boarding house. [[spoiler:Not only was Celia actually faking to get the attention of a psychiatry student she's in love with, but she was actually given the idea by a fellow lodger... who turns out to be the accomplice of a third resident who is a smuggler and used Celia's faked condition to disguise the creeping around he had to do in the course of his activities.]] |
| 108 | ** One clever thief wasn't a kleptomaniac. Instead, she worked for an elderly lady who ''was'', letting her take the blame for expensive forks going missing when she went missing. |
| 109 | * Mulch, the kleptomaniac dwarf from the ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'' series. He also likes to steal things just for the challenge. |
| 110 | * Oliver Winslow from ''Literature/BarberBlackSheep'' is a life-long kleptomaniac who spent years in prison for theft and still can't shake the habit. It's heavily implied to be a symptom of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, although the VictorianEngland setting of the novel means that neither he nor anybody else recognize him as such. |
| 111 | * Silk from ''Literature/TheBelgariad''. |
| 112 | * ''Literature/TheCatWhoSeries'': Book #19 (''The Cat Who Tailed a Thief'') has a string of random thefts in Pickax in December, which prove to be the work of a kleptomaniac, [[spoiler:Danielle Carmichael]]. |
| 113 | * ''Literature/ConstanceVerityDestroysTheUniverse'': Having been trained to steal things, Chestnut the Wonder Dog is a master of pick-pocketing and running off with valuables despite being an otherwise normal dog. Connie has been trying to wean him off of this since adopting him. |
| 114 | * ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': |
| 115 | ** Moist von Lipwig -- it's a RunningGag that he keeps stealing Drumknott's pencil and certain samples of paper. |
| 116 | ** Nobby Nobbs. ''Literature/{{Thud}}'' brings up the problem of why Nobby is allowed to be on the City Watch despite his thieving ways. It's because he's an old friend of Sam Vimes, he seldom steals anything of value, and (like Fred Colon) has a keen ability to read the mood on the streets as well as his ability to sneak around where the (worse) criminals can't see him. Nobby's ability to steal without being seen has also come in handy a few times and is part of the reason he is still employed. |
| 117 | ** The Nac Mac Feegle are an entire race of people with a deep and abiding love of stealing (and drinking, and fighting, preferably all at the same time). Fittingly, the "Big Man" of the main Feegle clan in the Tiffany Aching series is Rob Anybody, which seems to be as much a description as a name. |
| 118 | * ''Literature/{{Endling}}'': Renzo is a skilled thief, and tends to loot as the group travels, to Khara's displeasure. |
| 119 | * Meparik from ''Literature/HeraldsOfRhimn''. He happily steals an [[MacGuffin acorn bracelet]] and at least five wallets during ''Shadow Herald'' alone, two of which are attached to a GiveMeBackMyWallet moment. Given that he steals both for the thrill ''and'' to survive, this doubles as an example of the FiveFingerDiscount. |
| 120 | * In '' Literature/{{Heralds of Valdemar}}'' Skif, a former [[StreetUrchin street urchin]] and thief, tends to pickpocket people for fun. He also plays a lot of pranks that involve stealing and/or breaking in. |
| 121 | * Magnet from ''Literature/{{Holes}}''. Things just seem to stick to him wherever he goes. Unfortunately, a lot of those items don't belong to him, so he wound up at the juvenile camp. |
| 122 | * In ''Literature/TheIronTeeth'', [[OurGoblinsAreDifferent goblins]] don't ''steal''. Humans are just really touchy about people rescuing shinies they leave lying around. |
| 123 | * The eponymous [[Literature/GentlemanBastard Locke Lamora]], of ''Literature/TheLiesOfLockeLamora'', once had it said about him that "if he had a bloody gash across his throat and a physiker was trying to sew it up, Lamora would steal the needle and thread and die laughing. He... steals ''too much.''" Lamora was 5 years old at the time. |
| 124 | * Jeremy Koji in ''Literature/TheMentalState'' is an inmate who suffers from kleptomania. The main character actually weaponizes this as part of a complicated plan to maintain indefinite control over the prison populace and infiltrate the primary antagonist's organisation. By the end of the story, Jeremy is completely cured of his condition, as his new life as a police informant is more than exciting enough to fill the void that was bothering him. |
| 125 | * In the second era of the ''Literature/{{Mistborn}}'' series, [[Literature/WaxAndWayne Wayne]], the PTSD-suffering sidekick of Wax, will frequently steal small items. Sometimes he does it for a specific purpose, [[ChekhovsGun sometimes for no apparent reason]]. He always leaves something in exchange, though, but the value is not always similar. [[InsistentTerminology Wayne insists that he is trading]], even if the value is completely disproportional, i.e. stealing a ludicrously expensive aluminum gun from the police and leaving a drawing of it in its place or in the inverse case, stealing a minor item and leaving an aluminium bullet behind. |
| 126 | ** It gets to the point when the heroes discover that a certain ArtifactOfDoom was stolen, they immediately stare at him out of habit, even though he'd never entered the vault before. [[spoiler:Turns out that he did steal the artifact, but didn't realize what it was. The real treasure was never inside the vault, instead hidden as part of a statue at the entrance. Wayne lifted it (this time without replacement because the building was abandoned), thinking it was an expensive chunk of solid aluminum]]. |
| 127 | * ''Literature/MonsterOfTheMonthClub'': Sweetie Pie keeps snagging things that match her likes from Rilla and, in one incident, another guest's room, forcing Rilla to quietly return them. |
| 128 | * Jean de Flambeur from ''Literature/TheQuantumThief'' is a GentlemanThief of the [[{{Transhuman}} Transhuman Age]] and is used to stealing things like [[ImpossibleThief time, minds or planets]], but he still compulsively pickpockets people around him to stay in shape. At times it's actually useful. |
| 129 | * ''Literature/RoysBedoys'': In "No Stealing, Roys Bedoys!", Roys keeps stealing food and toys from the other kids. |
| 130 | * ''Literature/SoThisIsEverAfter'': Lila is a thief who's cheerfully, unapologetically kleptomaniacal, constantly stealing things wherever she goes. She met Arek and Matt through stealing from them. |
| 131 | * The main character of Mary Anderson's book, ''Step On a Crack'' suffers from an odd sort of kleptomania where she feels compelled to steal certain items over and over in conjunction with nightmares and occasional fugue states. [[spoiler:All of her problems stem from repressed memories of her real mother]]. |
| 132 | * ''Literature/VillainsByNecessity'': Arcie is the former leader of the (now defunct) Thieves Guild and pockets everything he comes across, even if they happen to be owned by his traveling companions. |
| 133 | * PlayedForDrama ([[TerribleIntervieweesMontage a small amount of drama]]) in the Literature/XWingSeries novel ''Wraith Squadron''. A bit character who interviews to join the eponymous squadron is rejected when he, apparently compulsorily, swipes a framed picture from the commander's desk. (It's mentioned that he is facing charges for several other equally petty thefts, but is confident he'll be cleared.) |
| 134 | [[/folder]] |
| 135 | |
| 136 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 137 | * An episode of ''Series/{{Alf}}'' dealt with this when one of Tanner's neighbors is revealed to be a kleptomaniac. Alf caught her stealing some of the family's jewelry and confronted her son, who he had become friends with, and he had to explain that his mother simply couldn't help it. |
| 138 | * ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003'': [[BunnyEarsLawyer Romo Lampkin]] likes to "borrow" small items from people such as Laura Roslin's glasses or a button from Admiral Adama's jacket. This habit becomes plot-relevant when Apollo goes through his stash and finds an item that reveals the culprit behind a series of bombings. |
| 139 | %%* Adrianna in ''Series/BeverlyHills90210''. |
| 140 | * ''Series/BigSky'': Scarlet steals a small item in her first scene, and says later that she's a kleptomaniac, getting a thrill out of doing this. |
| 141 | * ''Series/BreakingBad'': Marie has the compulsive urge to steal small objects from stores and open houses, particularly while under stress. The only reason she's not punished for this whenever she's caught is because her husband Hank is a law enforcement officer who is able to write the charges off. It does eventually escalate to the point where [[spoiler:she tries to steal her sister's baby, [[HarmfulToMinors although considering the situation that led to it]], it's hard to blame her.]] |
| 142 | * ''Series/TheBrittasEmpire'': It is revealed in the episode "Sex, Lies, and Red Tape" that every time Helen falls pregnant, she gains the urge to shoplift unnecessary stuff (one of the things shoplifted was a wedding dress that was too small for her). She had been convicted at least seven times before the events of that episode, leading to her freaking out when she was caught. |
| 143 | * Gina from ''Series/BrooklynNineNine'' apparently has a habit of swiping objects and Terry has to specifically task Rosa to keep an eye on Gina when they visit Holt's house. Unfortunately, she'd already stuffed her bag full of loot. |
| 144 | * Faith in her early appearances on ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''. Dawn started doing this late in Season 5, and it became a serious issue in Season 6 when the DysfunctionJunction was at its worst. |
| 145 | * ''Series/DeadLikeMe'': Mason will steal ''anything'', from money and watches to parking meters and children's Halloween candy. |
| 146 | * ''Series/EerieIndiana'': In both "Mr. Chaney" and "Zombies in P.J.s", Dash X can be seen at the World O' Stuff shoplifting a trench coat's worth. |
| 147 | * ''Series/{{ER}}''. Luka gets his new girlfriend a job at the hospital. It's soon offhandedly mentioned that the petty cash is missing. Later, Abby mentions that she can't find her wallet. Later still, the desk clerk is looking for his PDA when he hears it chiming (he sets an alarm to remind him to take his medication) from the girl's purse. Sure enough, she has it, and everyone instantly realizes that she's responsible for everything else. She takes off, and in his futile efforts to find her, Luka learns that she was also stealing from the bar where she previously worked. |
| 148 | * In ''Series/FamilyMatters'', Steve Urkel joins a big brothers program, taking in a young boy called 3J as his charge. In his first episode, as a bit of a RunningGag, 3J regularly snatches other people's wallets while they aren't looking. This actually ends up saving Steve when 3J seemingly pays off one girl in a bad part of town to leave him alone, later revealing to Steve that it was ''her'' money in the first place. |
| 149 | * ''Series/{{Frasier}}'': One woman calls into Frasier's show and reveals she's recently started stealing things because it gives her a thrill to take them. She also mentions that her friends all think she's dull and boring, implying that she started stealing to push back against that image. Her story inspires Frasier, who's recently realised how dull his own life is, to steal a keepsake from his neighbor when she asks him over to help change a lightbulb. |
| 150 | * ''Series/{{Friends}}'': One of Rachel's [[GirlOfTheWeek Guys of the Week]] frequently steals cash from her purse and walks off with one of her jackets when she's not looking. When Monica calls her out for dating him Rachel counters that at least he bought her a bracelet with the money, except it turns out he stole the bracelet from Monica. |
| 151 | * ''Series/GameOfThrones'': Even after Daenerys commands Kovarro not to steal anything from their host Xaro Xhoan Daxos, he takes a golden wine chalice, dumps the wine, and takes the chalice. |
| 152 | * On ''Series/GilmoreGirls,'' Jess, in his early episodes, would steal things for his own amusement, to alleviate SmallTownBoredom after going FromNewYorkToNowhere. It baffles his uncle, Luke, because the items he steals are of no monetary value. He swipes a garden gnome from Rory and Lorelai's neighbor and hides it in a closet, and later steals all 500 of his high school's baseballs. [[NoodleIncident We never do find out what he did with them.]] |
| 153 | * In the first episode of ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' Angela Petrelli was established as a kleptomaniac who stole socks. It wasn't explained [[BrickJoke until Season 4]]. |
| 154 | * Amanda from ''Series/{{Highlander}}''. She's more or less the Hollywood version, with a taste for expensive stuff. |
| 155 | * ''Series/ItsAwfullyBadForYourEyesDarling'': As revealed in "A New Lease", Samantha has a habit of taking clothes from the other girls and stuffing them in her bed. |
| 156 | * Liv becomes one in the ''Series/{{iZombie}}'' pilot after eating the brain of a dead Romanian escort. This also helps her figure out why the escort died (she took something she shouldn't have). One of the things Liv steals is a [[Film/OfficeSpace red Swingline stapler]]. At the end of the episode, after eating another brain, she replaces all the stolen items. |
| 157 | * PlayedForDrama (and somewhat more realistically) in an episode of ''Series/LawAndOrderCriminalIntent'' when a couple of murderers are caught when one of them can't resist stealing an eggcup from their victims' home. This leads to a somewhat {{Narm}}y ending where her partner screams "EGGCUP!" at her while he's hauled off. |
| 158 | * Parker from ''Series/{{Leverage}}'' is an prolific pickpocket. She poses as a kleptomaniac when the team needs to infiltrate a rehab facility, and in the same episode, she pickpockets someone ''accidentally'' because it's so reflexive for her. |
| 159 | %%* Kenzi in ''Series/LostGirl''. |
| 160 | * ''Series/MidsomerMurders'': In "[[Recap/MidsomerMurdersS9E4 Down Among the Dead Men]]", one of the suspects is a kleptomaniac cleaning woman who is being blackmailed by one of her clients. When Barnaby discovers her secret, she shows him a room crammed to the brim with objects she has stolen from her employers. |
| 161 | * In the Crystal Gayle episode of ''Series/TheMuppetShow'', the Prairie Dog Glee Club spend the episode snatching whatever isn't tied down, including but not limited to, Kermit's collar. As Scooter notes, they must have pack rat blood in 'em. |
| 162 | * A more realistic than usual example on ''Series/MyNameIsEarl'' of all things, with a recurring character who is shamefully compelled to steal pens and ''only'' pens, regardless of how many he has already, and regardless of the fact that he doesn't even ''want'' the pens. Still PlayedForLaughs, though. |
| 163 | * In Tricia's back-story in ''Series/OrangeIsTheNewBlack'', she stole even while trying to pay a store back for something else she stole. |
| 164 | * ''Series/OurMissBrooks'': Somebody is stealing phonebooks in the episode "Phonebook Follies". |
| 165 | * ''Series/ThePact'': Louie it turns out is one, having stolen new items for years, with many stuffed inside a closet in her house. She's finally caught and arrested for shoplifting, with her friends learning about this. It's made her feel powerful and in control, Louie explains, becoming addictive over time. Unlike in most examples, it's {{played for drama}} and portrayed pretty realistically. |
| 166 | * Mike Hamar of ''Series/TheRedGreenShow'' is a robber on parole who hasn't had an honest day's work in his life. A RunningGag is that he frequently has to return small items to the people he's talking to, having picked their pockets out of force of habit. |
| 167 | * In ''Series/RoomAtTheBottom1967'', Fogg and his men get up to all sorts of petty pilfering at Titan Products, leading to the hiring of a new Internal Security Officer. |
| 168 | * ''Series/Scoundrels2010'': The West family has crime be InTheBlood and they were all trained by family patriarch Wolf to be good at petty crimes, be it stealing from stores, conning motels or doing scams and blackmail. The plot of the series has his wife trying to reform the family after he gets arrested, and they all struggle with being "clean". |
| 169 | * The titular character of ''Series/{{Sherlock}}''. He breaks his flatmate's computer password to use the laptop ("Mine was in the bedroom"), has stolen more than one of Lestrade's police [=IDs=] (he comments that he "pickpocket(s) him when he annoys me"), and has taken the precaution of taking his older brother's ID in case he might ever need it. |
| 170 | * ''Series/{{Trinkets}}'': Elodie has kleptomania, as does Tabitha (Moe took the fall for her brother Ben). They all meet in a Shoplifters Anonymous group. Unlike most examples, this is ''not'' {{played for laughs}} but shown to be a destructive, debilitating addiction. Elodie especially struggles with it. |
| 171 | * ''Series/TheTwilightZone1985'': In "Lost and Found", Jenny Templeton notices that the contents of her trash can and the mug that she uses for her pencils have both disappeared. She soon discovers that they were stolen by two time travelers from 2139 who wanted souvenirs as [[YoungFutureFamousPeople she will one day become the first President of Earth]]. The male time traveler returns the mug as they were only supposed to take things that Jenny wouldn't miss. |
| 172 | * In ''Series/VeronicasCloset'', Veronica hires a new model for a fashion show and is amazed as throughout the interview, the woman constantly picks up things and puts them in her purse without the slightest acknowledgement that she's stealing. She continues this behavior throughout the show, stealing the light bulbs from the runway, blithely declaring, "Those are ''my'' light bulbs!" when Veronica confronts her. Veronica finally gets fed up and fires her when the woman has the nerve to steal her bracelet right off of her wrist and insist, "This is ''my'' bracelet!". The woman leaves in a huff, but not before taking a folding chair along with her. |
| 173 | * In an episode of ''Series/WaitingForGod'', several residents report items missing from their rooms. It turns out to be resident ditz Betty who's absent-mindedly stealing everything. |
| 174 | * [[LovableRogue Neal Caffrey]] from ''Series/WhiteCollar'' has this problem, especially [[CharacterDevelopment early in the series.]] As a convicted felon and confidential informant for the FBI, it probably isn't a good idea to pick his handler's pocket, yet he still does it. Even though, [[FriendlyEnemies considering the characters, and the fact that Neal tends to give what he steals from Peter back almost immediately, this probably amounts to good-natured teasing in the context of their relationship]], doing this to a federal agent doesn't say much for Neal's self-preservation. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] by Mozzie, another thief who likes stealing things just as much, but does not have the impulse control of a two-year-old. |
| 175 | -->'''Mozzie''' (after Neal steals a painting despite the fact that it would be incredibly obvious that he stole it, and he could go back to prison for a long time if someone found out): [[ManChild You're like a child.]] |
| 176 | * An episode of ''Series/{{Zoey101}}'' has Coco getting fired and the school getting a new dorm advisor who's better than Coco in every way until Zoey and her friends discover that she has been stealing from students and staff, which she blames on mental illness. The last scene of the episode shows her stealing the dean's car. |
| 177 | [[/folder]] |
| 178 | |
| 179 | [[folder:Music]] |
| 180 | * "How Many Tbone Steaks Can I Fit In My Pants," by Music/BAJohnston, is about the boss of a grocery store not giving an employee a raise, and the employee retaliates by constantly stealing from work. Even the awful toilet paper. |
| 181 | %%* The Exodus song "Force Of Habit" is about someone fitting this trope. |
| 182 | %%* Music/{{The Rolling Stones|Band}} have an album named ''Music/StickyFingers''. |
| 183 | [[/folder]] |
| 184 | |
| 185 | [[folder:Tabletop Games]] |
| 186 | * ''TabletopGame/ChangelingTheDreaming'': The Piskies aren’t exactly thieves, but items of great value somehow always end up in their pockets. When a piskey sees something she desires, she can’t help but swipe it, often without consciously making the decision to do so. |
| 187 | * ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': |
| 188 | ** ''Literature/{{Dragonlance}}'': The Kender are an entire race of pseudo-{{Hobbits}} who are relentless thieves that will pick pockets and break into locked chests/drawers/houses without even consciously thinking about it, to the point that the "kender greeting" from other races is to swear and protectively clutch at one's valuables. Worse, they do this out of intense natural curiosity, meaning every single kender is convinced that they're only borrowing interesting things in good faith, and will certainly return them. Except they often wander off and forget the whole thing... but they're utterly convinced that they're not doing anything wrong. In fact, accuse a kender of being a thief and [[{{Hypocrite}} he will protest at length]]. Kender always have dozens of pockets in which they keep their various pilfered goods. As a gameplay mechanic, a Kender can check their pockets to try and find an item of trivial value that they have stolen without remembering. This trait is one of many reasons why kender are considered TheScrappy of the setting and even of ''D&D'' as a whole. |
| 189 | ** ''[[HalfHumanHybrid Half]]''-kender keep the kender tendency to unthinkingly "borrow" interesting things, but tend to feel worse about it as their human side lets them have a better understanding of concepts like ownership and private property. On the plus side, they tend to be better at remembering to ''actually'' return the things they pick up; on the negative side people tend to react negatively to them since they still tend to pick up things and don't look like kender so you don't realize you have to take measures to protect your stuff. |
| 190 | * ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}}'': The semi-felinoid alien Sparrials in the Space setting have Kleptomania as a trait in their species template. |
| 191 | * ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'': |
| 192 | ** The Skaven of Clan Carrion are shameless thieves, and will gladly help themselves to anything they think they can get away with filching -- even within the clan, a Skaven of Clan Carrion only truly owns what he's currently clutching in his own claws. |
| 193 | ** ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasyRoleplay'': The Halflings are stereotyped as having sticky fingers, but the reasoning behind it is quite complex. Halflings usually live in large villages where everyone is more or less related. This leads to property rights being rather fluid; if something is missing, it's probably been borrowed by someone who needed it and who might or might not bring it back, but who really cares since we can borrow someone else's. This attitude, when transferred to human or Dwarf society (both of whom are ''very'' keen on personal property) easily comes across as skuzzy. |
| 194 | * ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': |
| 195 | ** The [[VideoGame/DawnOfWar Blood Ravens]] obsessively collect artifacts of historical value, especially anything that might hold a clue to their lost history. [[{{Fanon}} Fanonically]], this is exaggerated (perhaps not terribly so), to the point of grabbing anything that might be of historical value, a useful weapon or piece of wargear, or bling for the heck of it. |
| 196 | ** Orks of the Deathskulls clan have a marked tendency to filch anything that catches their eye, regardless of whether it's clearly unattended, just laying around, in another Ork's pile of stuff, or in another Ork's pockets. |
| 197 | [[/folder]] |
| 198 | |
| 199 | [[folder:Toys]] |
| 200 | * Ox and Wedgehead from ''Toys/{{Uglydolls}}'' are compulsive thieves with the tendency to "borrow" from others without the intent of returning. They claim it's their magic trick of turning your stuff into their stuff. |
| 201 | [[/folder]] |
| 202 | |
| 203 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 204 | * ''[[Videogame/OneHundredPercentOrangeJuice 100% Orange Juice]]'': Marie Poppo kickstarts the plots of the various campaigns by stealing other characters’ valuables. This is also demonstrated by her Hyper “Ubiquitous” where it has her teleport to another character and steal their stars. [[spoiler:Turns out she (or rather, ''[[SelfDuplication they]]'') do this to lead everyone to [[BigBad Tomomo]].]] |
| 205 | * ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIII'': A side-mission assigned to Connor by [[HistoricalDomainCharacter Daniel Boone]] entails the investigation of none other than [[BigfootSasquatchAndYeti the Sasquatch]]. Keeping with the generalized "nothing is actually supernatural" trait of the larger franchise, it turns out that the creature is actually a very big, very hairy man living in the wilderness who, when found by Connor, admits to being a kleptomaniac but is ultimately harmless. After learning the truth, Connor just leaves him alone. |
| 206 | * Adventurers with the Kleptomania negative quirk in ''VideoGame/DarkestDungeon'' randomly half-inch stuff out of curios in the dungeons. Unusually, it's considered to be one of the ''very worst'' quirks a hero can have, for two reasons. One, the Hamlet runs entirely on the loot economy, and anything stolen by a Kleptomaniac adventurer isn't coming back. Two, a lot of items you can interact with need a special item to make safe - keys, purifying herbs, holy water - and Kleptomaniac adventurers don't bother, meaning they tend to cost a bit more in bandages, antivenom, and medical treatments from all the blight, bleed and diseases they pick up from opening trapped chests and rooting through the guts of decaying sea creatures. |
| 207 | * Billiken is a more aggressive version of this in ''VideoGame/DevilSurvivor2'' - he compulsively mugs other demons (or tamers) and has no qualms about killing. Once he depletes your wallet, he can hit you with the powerful ''Barrage Strike'' move. |
| 208 | * The thief units in ''Franchise/{{Disgaea}}'' are given this characterisation. |
| 209 | * In ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' series, this is a cultural trait of the [[CatFolk Khajiit]]. As their language has [[LanguageEqualsThought no word for "rules"]] and they take a rather ''loose'' view of what constitutes personal property, this is unusually {{Justified|Trope}}. In their culture, taking things that belong to others simply isn't [[BlueAndOrangeMorality seen as wrong]]. Unsurprisingly, this leads to significant CultureClash with the other races who consider the Khajiit taking things to be "theft", and the [[FantasticRacism Fantastic Racists]] of those races use it against the Khajiit to bar them from their cities and even to justify [[SlaveRace slavery]]. Additionally, Khajiit who've lived among other cultures have shown the ability to grasp the concept. |
| 210 | * ''VideoGame/MoshiMonsters'': Zigzagged. Tiki the toucan tends to steal objects with the intention of just borrowing them but neglecting to return them. Baz Barnacle takes things from his cousin Buck and sells them, but as far as he's concerned, he's just borrowing them. Raffles the Sneaky Tealeaf steals objects a lot but he always gives them back. |
| 211 | * ''VideoGame/{{Overlord}}'': Jewel the Thief is one of the {{Fallen Hero}}es who defeated the last Overlord. Representing Envy, she obsessively steals items simply for the sake of stealing them, losing all interest in the item once it's hers. [[spoiler:She was corrupted by the Wizard, possessed by the slain Overlord, into following her base desire]]. |
| 212 | * Shir Gold from ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarII'' has a random chance of stealing from every armory, armor shop, or item shop you enter with her in the party. The downside of this is that she'll also hightail back to your base, even if you're currently on an entirely different planet. |
| 213 | * Jean Armstrong in ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyTrialsAndTribulations'' often steals small objects from the customers at his restaurant, including Phoenix's Magatama. [[spoiler:It's heavily implied he does so to pawn off whatever he can get his hands into due to his crippling debts]]. |
| 214 | * Phineas Filch in ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies'', to insanely impossible levels. During Case 2, he manages to snatch Apollo's bracelet, Athena's Widget, Fulbright's shoes (while he's ''wearing'' them), and L'Belle's cream. |
| 215 | * The twin ghosts at the Labyrinth of Amala in ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne'' will take the nonviolent approach: they will offer you tea for a very low sum. The tea is drugged, and they will kick you and our demons back into the entrance of that Kalpa, after helping themselves to more of your money, of course. |
| 216 | * ''VideoGame/TheSims 3'': You can give your Sims the "Kleptomaniac" trait. It lets you swipe three items per day. However, the item your Sim steals is random. |
| 217 | * Spies in ''VideoGame/TheSimsMedieval'' can steal from other Sims as well as from the messenger posts. Because of this, spies can get more money more easily than almost any other profession. |
| 218 | * ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' has Rouge the Bat, a "professional treasure hunter". Often she makes no attempt to hide how she wants to steal the Master Emerald from Knuckles, either. |
| 219 | * ''VideoGame/{{Spookware}}'': Mister Blue is one of the suspects of chapter 2 and a kleptomaniac who keeps stealing stuff from around the ship for no reason, and even Righti's car. |
| 220 | * The Villager in the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' series is portrayed this way, whose Pocket move allows the Villager to grab objects not already held by someone else, store it, and use it later. This includes nearly all projectiles in the game, most of the items that occasionally drop onto the stage, and anything left on the ground by any character's moves (including things that shouldn't logically be able to fit in the Villager's trousers' pocket, such as [[KamehameHadoken energy blasts]], [[ShockAndAwe lightning bolts]], and [[Characters/MegaManClassicHeroes Rush]]). |
| 221 | * Garrett of ''VideoGame/{{Thief}}'' usually gives "the rent is due" as an excuse for his thieving, or has some other objective he needs to accomplish. However, it is clear from his actions and dialogue that he really enjoys theft. For example, when a museum in ''Deadly Shadows'' boasts that its security is impenetrable, Garrett takes it as a personal challenge. |
| 222 | * Marisa Kirisame in ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'' [[InsaneTrollLogic figures]] that since a human lifespan is so much shorter than the lifespans of the {{Youkai}} that make up so much of the cast, she can just "borrow" whatever she wants from them, and they can have it back after she's dead. Unsurprisingly, it doesn't convince anyone, and sometimes the victim will take what's theirs back. It also just so happens that Marisa's an ImmortalitySeeker... |
| 223 | * Nekomiya Mana of ''VideoGame/ZenlessZoneZero'' is semi-reformed criminal gangster who's still a firm believer that everyone's wallets are also her wallets. Regardless of whether or not she's obtained consent or you realize she has it now. |
| 224 | [[/folder]] |
| 225 | |
| 226 | [[folder:Webcomics]] |
| 227 | * Thief in ''Webcomic/EightBitTheater'', who steals from everyone (both via outright sleight of hand and contracts with legal mumbo jumbo) to [[spoiler:finance the search for a cure for his sick father]]. When this is done he still steals everything that's isn't both nailed down and on fire. |
| 228 | * Uru of ''Webcomic/{{Archipelago}}'' compulsively steals from his teammates [[spoiler: even when [[ForcedTransformation transformed into a jabberwocky]] ]], and Credenza always makes him return the items or pretends she just found them and returns them herself. |
| 229 | * The pixie Feiht in ''Webcomic/ChasingTheSunset'' regards anything shiny as there for the taking. (Spelling her name backwards gives you a clue to her personality.) |
| 230 | * Sam Starfall in ''Webcomic/{{Freefall}}'' is good enough at pickpocketing that his sticky fingers become a problem when he tries to go honest. At one point, the Mayor's assistant tests whether he's dead or just unconscious by waving a wallet under his nose, and concludes he's only stunned when he instinctively bites down on it. |
| 231 | -->'''Sam:''' "Honest Sam" is what they'll call me.\ |
| 232 | '''Helix:''' You've got somebody's wallet again.\ |
| 233 | '''Sam:''' This could be a problem. I have no idea how that got there. |
| 234 | * "The Raccoon" from ''Webcomic/KiwiBlitz''. He steals "random crap" purely for thrills, and doesn't mind returning it when forced to do so. A later flashback shows that he literally has kleptomania. |
| 235 | * The dungeon rats in ''Webcomic/LatchkeyKingdom'' like to collect "treasures", which can be actual artifacts or random junk they found and liked. |
| 236 | * ''Webcomic/{{Megatokyo}}'': Meimi Sonoda and her daughter Yuki. They often only realize they have stolen something when on their way home. Their kleptomania is tied to [[ImpossibleThief their powers]]. Meimi is an expy of [[Manga/KaitouSaintTail Saint Tail]]. |
| 237 | * Spring Clean of ''Webcomic/StarMares'' is a hoarder of 'collectibles,' with a particular fascination for shiny things - including ancient mystical artifacts that are part of the inner workings of immortal cyborg generals. |
| 238 | * Sette Frummagem from ''Webcomic/{{Unsounded}}''. Her dad is a head of the thieves' guild, so it's no surprise that she would become a pickpocket. What ''is'' a surprise is how ''good'' she is at it. |
| 239 | * Sidney Malik Of ''Webcomic/{{Widdershins}}'' is cursed with this. Walking through a crowd could result in an extra ten wallets with no effort from him. He isn't happy with the curse and it may have played a part in him being expelled. |
| 240 | [[/folder]] |
| 241 | |
| 242 | [[folder:Web Original]] |
| 243 | * Drivena steals everything from a seemingly worthless amulet to a pen from the police station in ''Literature/AegerothACheckeredHistory''. |
| 244 | * Hazard from the ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'' is a known kleptomaniac. |
| 245 | ** As is Packrat, who has been caught stealing anything that looks interesting, regardless of how dangerous it might be. |
| 246 | ** Belphegor, in keeping with his codename[[note]]named for the Demon of Invention, Sloth, and Feces[[/note]], is both a capable [[InsufferableGenius (if arrogant)]] inventor and a [[BrilliantButLazy lazy slob]]; he's also a notorious thief of other inventors' equipment and ideas. While he isn't as compulsive about it as Hazard, he is widely despised for this and several other [[ScienceRelatedMemeticDisorder unpleasant aspects]] of his personality. His [[OppositeSexClone mental duplicate]], Belphoebe, has proven to be a lot less irritating over all, though she's still quick to rip off others when the opportunity arises. Mind you, theft is common among the MadScientist students in general; Belphegor is merely the most blatant about it. |
| 247 | [[/folder]] |
| 248 | |
| 249 | [[folder:Web Videos]] |
| 250 | * Nott in ''WebVideo/CriticalRole'' feels especially compelled to do this when she spots fancy jewelry or attractive baubles. And in the following campaign, Fearne makes a habit of this as well, simply because [[BlueAndOrangeMorality she doesn't see anything wrong with taking something if she wants it]]. |
| 251 | * ''WebVideo/OriginsSMP'': Fundy will steal absolutely ''everything'' that he can physically get to. He's stolen so much stuff from people that Wilbur has declared his item stash the community storage, and everyone just comes by to take their stuff back every once in a while. |
| 252 | * ''WebVideo/SMPLive'': At first, Wilbur steals because [[spoiler:Schlatt & Co. convince him to]], but later he does it just because he can. |
| 253 | * Joseph from ''WebVideo/SuperMarioLogan'' is implied to be one, since "Joseph's House!" reveals he efficiently stole Bowser Junior's Clown Car and house painting as well as Cody's Go-Kart trophy. [[spoiler:At the end of the video, however, Junior and Cody take the Clown Car and trophy with them when they flee from Joseph's run-down house after extremely getting scared by a Boo.]] |
| 254 | [[/folder]] |
| 255 | |
| 256 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 257 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Centaurworld}}'': Glendale the gerenuk centaur is a compulsive kleptomaniac, and often needs to physically restrain herself from stealing objects to hoard in [[StomachOfHolding the portal on her belly]]. She later says that taking what doesn't belong to her makes her "feel alive". |
| 258 | * Swiper the Fox from ''WesternAnimation/DoraTheExplorer'' is one of the most iconic examples of this trope. Once an episode showing up at random times to steal whatever is relevant to the plot from Dora and Boots. [[SwiperNoSwiping Though everyone saying "Swiper no swiping" three times before he takes anything always makes him back down.]] |
| 259 | * ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales1987'': While a common thief otherwise, Dijon seems to suffer from kleptomania, being unable to resist stealing even when not intending to, including stealing worthless junk like old shoes. |
| 260 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'': Bender. Just as well he seems to have [[DoAnythingRobot near-infinite space in his chest]], though in one episode he goes on such an epic spree of kleptomania that he nearly fills it up. |
| 261 | -->'''Fry:''' Come on, Bender. I'm sure there's plenty of cool stuff to swipe.\ |
| 262 | '''Bender:''' I don't know, Fry. I feel like, for the first time in my life, I've stolen enough.\ |
| 263 | '''Fry:''' What?!? Snap out of it! ''[[[GetAHoldOfYourselfMan slaps Bender]]]''\ |
| 264 | '''Bender:''' Wow, thanks, buddy. Don't know what came over me. ''[sing-song] Oh, I love stealin'. I love takin' things.'' |
| 265 | * In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/GoofTroop'', Pete accidentally turns Goofy into one using hypnosis. |
| 266 | * Grunkle Stan from ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' will steal anything he wants or needs, from waxworks to light bulbs. While he does have his reasons, [[spoiler:such as having spent his late teens to his late twenties living alone in poverty]], it's mostly due to his greed and the fact that he seems to genuinely enjoy breaking the law. |
| 267 | %%* Peep on ''WesternAnimation/JimmyTwoShoes'', to compliment his father's [[HonestJohnsDealership dealership]]. |
| 268 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheNewAdventuresOfWinnieThePooh'' has a recuring trio of packrats who steal anything that catches their eye. They insist they are not stealing because they "pay" for whatever they take by replacing it with walnuts. |
| 269 | %%* One of Zak's little friends from ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretSaturdays'' is a thief. |
| 270 | * In the 2018 reboot of ''WesternAnimation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower'', Entrapta has no moral qualms about petty theft. On two separate occasions, she steals someone's tiny food. When she needs a six-sided hex driver, she enters Hordak's sanctum without permission and takes one. |
| 271 | * Homer Simpson from ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' has been known to steal beer mugs from Moe's, office supplies (including computers) from work, and especially just about anything from Ned Flanders. One episode had him get a job at a Walmart parody only to find out every employee has a shock collar on their neck. When his coworkers told him they all knew how to disable the collars and steal everything that's not nailed down, they asked him not to judge them. Homer not only doesn't judge them but he steals an entire cart of [=TVs=] right then and there. |
| 272 | %% * ''WesternAnimation/SonicUnderground'': |
| 273 | %% ** Sonic's brother Manic has this problem. It stems from his upbringing as a thief's adopted son. |
| 274 | %% ** Said adoptive father might also count, given the first thing we see him do is steal Manic as a DoorstopBaby (left on someone else's doorstep). |
| 275 | * Mr. Krabs in ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants''. One episode had an amusement park hosting a "Free Day" where everything in the park was free. Mr. Krabs took this to mean ''everything'', including streetlight lightbulbs and [[spoiler:''the egg of the star attraction.'']] |
| 276 | * Red X in ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' outright states that he steals for fun. |
| 277 | * The mysterious pickpocket in the ''ComicBook/{{Tintin}}'' episode "The Secret of the Unicorn" is revealed to be a kleptomaniac old man who doesn't see anything wrong with collecting wallets [[TheCollectorOfTheStrange (he doesn't even empty them out, just puts them on a shelf in alphabetical order)]]. |
| 278 | [[/folder]] |
| 279 | |
| 280 | [[folder:Real Life]] |
| 281 | * A common misconception is that [[ThievingMagpie magpies]] steal shiny objects to line their nests, though studies seem to show that, while Magpies do indeed enjoy stealing objects, they have no attraction to shiny things over other objects, and are actually often nervous of them since they are unfamiliar and may pose a threat. |
| 282 | * [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_UyqImB4yw This ferret]]. Ferrets and mustelidae in general are well known for this. |
| 283 | * Monkeys are known to steal food, backpacks, phones, or anything they can take from people. |
| 284 | * One of the unfortunate tendencies of King [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farouk_of_Egypt Farouk of Egypt]] was his habit of stealing from his hosts. He famously stole a pocket watch from the [[UsefulNotes/TheMenOfDowningStreet British Prime Minister]] (nobody's quite clear whether it was UsefulNotes/WinstonChurchill, UsefulNotes/NevilleChamberlain, or UsefulNotes/ClementAttlee), and filched a sword from his brother-in-law, the Shah of Iran. He thus obtained the unenviable nickname, "The Thief of Cairo." He was overthrown in 1952. |
| 285 | [[/folder]] |
| 286 | ---- |
| 287 | ->By the way, here's your wallet back. I've already memorized your credit card numbers and photocopied your driver's license. |
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/context.php
FollowingContext Main / StickyFingers
Go To
- Show Spoilers
- Night Vision
- Sticky Header
- Wide Load
