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| 3 | %% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order. Thanks! |
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| 10 | %% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1339831361037720100 |
| 11 | %% Please do not change or remove without starting a new thread. |
| 12 | %% |
| 13 | [[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/BugsBunny https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/BugsBunny_01_350_8107.png]]]] |
| 14 | [[caption-width-right:350:Be careful, watch that last step!]] |
| 15 | |
| 16 | ->'''Aelius:''' I think that if someone tried to rob you in the street, you'd pick his pocket, sell him a better knife and probably offer him a job as a tax collector.\ |
| 17 | '''Basso:''' I choose to take that as a compliment. |
| 18 | -->-- ''Literature/TheFoldingKnife'' |
| 19 | |
| 20 | A trickster is a character who plays tricks or otherwise disobeys normal rules and conventional behavior. The Trickster openly questions and mocks authority, encourages impulse and enthusiasm, seeks out new ideas and experiences, destroys convention and complacency, and promotes chaos and unrest. At the same time, the trickster brings new knowledge, wisdom and many AnAesop. Even when punished horribly for their effrontery, their indomitable spirit (or plain sheer foolishness) keeps them coming back for more. |
| 21 | |
| 22 | Tricksters can be anything from gods of chaos, bedeviling heroes for a few laughs, to master manipulators who use cruel ploys and {{sadistic choice}}s. They can also be [[GuileHero heroes]] (or more likely [[AntiHero Anti-Heroes]]) who [[WeakButSkilled make up for a lack of strength]] or bravery with manipulation, [[CrazyPrepared planning]], or just plain cheating. The trickster is often a MasterOfDisguise and may have magical or super-powers. They're often found WalkingTheEarth. |
| 23 | |
| 24 | In mythology and religion, the trickster deity breaks the rules of the gods or nature, sometimes maliciously but usually, [[NiceJobFixingItVillain albeit unintentionally]], with ultimately positive effects. Often, the bending/breaking of rules takes the form of tricks or thievery, and their actions often end up ''changing'' the rules in the process of breaking them, much like an act of "civil disobedience". |
| 25 | |
| 26 | Tricksters can be cunning or foolish or [[TooCleverByHalf both]]; they are often funny even when considered sacred or performing important cultural tasks. Even if not otherwise punished, they are often prone to [[HoistByHisOwnPetard being caught in their own trap]], and are very vulnerable to CounterZany schemes. Sometimes the Trickster appears as a sort of catalyst, in that their antics are the cause of other characters' discomfiture, but they themself are left untouched. (Or at least unenlightened, if the trick backfires.) |
| 27 | |
| 28 | In modern literature, the Trickster survives as a character archetype, ranging from the [[TricksterMentor self-aware and purposeful]], through the merely impulsive and mischievous, to an openly hostile antagonist. Mythical versions may also be [[HijackedByJesus Hijacked By]] [[SatanicArchetype Satan]], sometimes in direct contravention of their original legends. |
| 29 | |
| 30 | In cases where The Trickster is an antagonist or villain, they are quite frequently a HarmlessVillain and more of a nuisance than a threat. They often want nothing more than to show that they are smarter and more clever than the hero, who may also treat such a villain as an amusing diversion as they are often easy to defeat non-violently. |
| 31 | |
| 32 | The Trickster is NOT the same as the {{Jerkass}}. While the Trickster may be mischievous, impudent and uppity, they are not necessarily openly malevolent or sociopathic; in fact, in many cases Tricksters are ''more'' friendly to humanity [[JerkassGods than the gods are]]. It is possible, however, for a character to be introduced as a Trickster before being gradually or suddenly revealed to possess depths of cruelty and malice that make them truly villainous, in a form of BaitTheDog. |
| 33 | |
| 34 | Compare MessianicArchetype and TheFool. May overlap with NominalHero, particularly if the trickster is doing it purely for fun. |
| 35 | |
| 36 | !!Sub Tropes |
| 37 | [[index]] |
| 38 | * TheArtfulDodger |
| 39 | * AsianFoxSpirit |
| 40 | * TheBarnum |
| 41 | * BlitheSpirit |
| 42 | * ConMan |
| 43 | * TheChessmaster |
| 44 | * ChessmasterSidekick |
| 45 | * ClassyCatBurglar |
| 46 | * CleverCrows |
| 47 | * CourtJester |
| 48 | * {{Cuckoosnarker}} |
| 49 | * CunningLikeAFox |
| 50 | * DeadpanSnarker |
| 51 | * DelightingInRiddles |
| 52 | * {{Doppelganger}} |
| 53 | * FairyTrickster |
| 54 | * FantasticFoxes |
| 55 | * FixingTheGame |
| 56 | * TheGadfly |
| 57 | * TheGambler |
| 58 | * GentlemanSnarker |
| 59 | * GentlemanThief |
| 60 | * GreatGazoo |
| 61 | * GuileHero |
| 62 | * HeadsOrTails |
| 63 | * HighSchoolHustler |
| 64 | * KarmicTrickster |
| 65 | * LovableRogue |
| 66 | * LovableTraitor |
| 67 | * LovesSecrecy |
| 68 | * MagnificentBastard |
| 69 | * ManipulativeBastard |
| 70 | * MasterOfIllusion |
| 71 | * MirthToPower |
| 72 | * MischiefMakingMonkey |
| 73 | * AMischiefOfMice |
| 74 | * MonkeyKingLite |
| 75 | * MoochingMaster |
| 76 | * OpportunisticBastard |
| 77 | * PeeveGoblins |
| 78 | * PeterPanParody |
| 79 | * PhantomThief |
| 80 | * PlayfulHacker |
| 81 | * ThePrankster |
| 82 | * ThePresentsWereNeverFromSanta |
| 83 | * RascallyRabbit |
| 84 | * RascallyRaccoon |
| 85 | * RoguishRomani |
| 86 | * ScrewballSquirrel |
| 87 | * ServileSnarker |
| 88 | * ShapeshiftingTrickster |
| 89 | * TeasingParent |
| 90 | * TheSnarkKnight |
| 91 | * SneakySpider |
| 92 | * TheSpook |
| 93 | * ThoseWilyCoyotes |
| 94 | * TheTramp |
| 95 | * TrenchcoatBrigade |
| 96 | * TricksterGirlfriend |
| 97 | * TricksterGod |
| 98 | * TricksterMentor |
| 99 | * TricksterTwins |
| 100 | * {{Troll}} |
| 101 | * TurnCoat |
| 102 | * TwoHeadedCoin |
| 103 | * TheUnfettered |
| 104 | * VillainousHarlequin |
| 105 | * WiseSerpent |
| 106 | * TheWonka |
| 107 | [[/index]] |
| 108 | |
| 109 | ---- |
| 110 | !!Examples: |
| 111 | |
| 112 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 113 | |
| 114 | %%[[folder:Advertising]] |
| 115 | %%* Domino's Pizza mascot The Noid. |
| 116 | %%* The Trix Rabbit. |
| 117 | %%* [=McDonald=]'s Hamburglar. |
| 118 | %%* Mayhem, played by Dean Winters [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9eqj7xRzk0 as seen here]]. |
| 119 | %%* Chester Cheetah from the recent series of Cheetos Commercials |
| 120 | %%[[/folder]] |
| 121 | |
| 122 | [[folder:Anime & Manga]] |
| 123 | * ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'s'' Gin Ichimaru. Bonus points for not one, but two trickster AnimalMotifs. |
| 124 | * ''Manga/FullMetalAlchemist'': |
| 125 | ** Edward Elric definitely fits this trope, especially when dealing with corrupt alchemists. |
| 126 | ** And ultimately, [[spoiler: The Truth, aka God of the setting. All his sadistic glee in claiming the hefty toll was replaced with real joy that Ed finally learned the ultimate lesson, that alchemy isn't everything.]] |
| 127 | * Satoko Houjou from ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'' is a kid who enjoys playing pranks on her friends, ''especially'' NewTransferStudent Keiichi. Her traps later come to good use when she [[spoiler:uses them to trap men out to kill Rika]]. |
| 128 | * ''Anime/{{K}}'' has [[AmnesiacHero Yashiro "Shiro" Isana]]. In the first season, the superpowered Red and Blue Clans, and the "Black Dog", Kuroh Yatogami, a lone superpowered fighter, are all chasing him because they believe he's the culprit in a murder. Shiro uses his cleverness to escape, get Kuroh to believe in his innocence, escape some more, and outwit the Blue Clan, the [[StoicSpectacles stoic-genius]] faction. Having a [[ItMakesSenseInContext psychic cat]] around did help, though. Even after he [[spoiler: gets his memories back and reawakens as the most powerful King]], he prefers to use his cleverness rather than fighting. |
| 129 | * ''Anime/KaiketsuZorori'' who considers himself an Anti-Hero, a self-proclaimed prankster genius and one of his goal is to become known as the King of Pranksters or a [[ToBeAMaster Prankster King]]. |
| 130 | * [[Myth/NorseMythology Loki]], from ''VisualNovel/KamigamiNoAsobi'', is true to his mythological basis... ''mostly'' - [[spoiler: it turns out he's in love with Baldr and doesn't want to have to kill him, but has to stop Baldr's SuperpoweredEvilSide]], but until that part comes around, he's this exactly. He does things like putting magic rings on Yui (the [[OtomeGame harem center]]) and Tsukito (the [[CrossoverCosmology moon god]], [[Myth/JapaneseMythology Tsukuyomi]]) that [[ChainedHeat connect themselves]] until they understand each other's hearts, just to freak out the rest of the [[HaremGenre harem]]; and when they do a school play, he gets cast as the prince's servant instead of the "star", so he derails the play with a coup d'etat (Thor, who usually keeps him in line, is busy PlayingATree). |
| 131 | * ''Franchise/LupinIII'' is one of the most iconic tricksters in anime, using his skills as a thief to outwit anyone who tries to catch him, especially the ever-persistent [[InspectorJavert Inspector Zenigata]], and even when he does get caught he always finds a way out. His craftiness and sheer unpredictability almost always keep him one step ahead of his adversaries, and he usually makes complete fools out of them while making his escape. It helps that he's just as infamous for being a MasterOfDisguise as he is for being a master thief, just like [[Literature/ArseneLupin his grandfather and namesake]]. |
| 132 | * [[WarriorMonk Chantez Arpinion]] of ''Manga/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaVivid'', a [[NunTooHoly highly mischievous nun]] who uses a deceptive fighting style that utilizes SuperSpeed, DoppelgangerAttack techniques, {{Invisibility}}, and [[BlatantLies bald-faced lying]]. In fact, [[EstablishingCharacterMoment her first full scene]] had her cheerfully lying to the CloneJesus [[CrystalDragonJesus analog]] of her Church just so she could have an opening in their sparring match. A later chapter reveals that she used to be a StreetUrchin before the Saint Church took her in, which likely influenced this part of her personality. |
| 133 | * In ''Literature/MayoChiki'', [[{{Ojou}} Kanade]] runs circles around most other characters. Or make them run circles around her, at any rate. |
| 134 | * Naruto Uzumaki from ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' crosses this trope with {{Determinator}}. |
| 135 | * Xelloss in ''Literature/{{Slayers}}''. He even refers to himself as a "trickster priest." ("fuzaketa puriisto", "the playful priest"; sometimes translated as "roguish priest" or "mysterious priest".) |
| 136 | * Monkey D. Luffy from ''Manga/OnePiece''. The fact that he's also an IdiotHero makes his opponents wonder whether he's really this or just [[BornLucky really lucky]]. |
| 137 | ** Even more so than Luffy is his crew member, Usopp. His fighting style is mainly based off of [[ConsummateLiar lying]] and other creative strategies. |
| 138 | ** Marshall D. Teach (aka Blackbeard) is an evil variant of this, [[EvilCounterpart having many similarities to Luffy]] while also being his ShadowArchetype; he's a loud, HotBlooded pirate captain who starts off as a complete nobody that people underestimate due to his [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} outwardly goofy behavior]], but he's also very crafty and knows how to [[ManipulativeBastard manipulate]] others for his own ends. He and Luffy are both cases of BewareTheSillyOnes. |
| 139 | * Niou Masaharu from ''Manga/ThePrinceOfTennis''. It's even his in-universe nickname. |
| 140 | %%* Vash the Stampede from ''Manga/{{Trigun}}''. [[spoiler: Knives Millions]] too, to a large extent. |
| 141 | %%* The Mad Hatter in ''Manga/AngelSanctuary''. |
| 142 | %%* The Count from ''Anime/{{Gankutsuou}}''. |
| 143 | %%* Count D. from ''Manga/PetShopOfHorrors''. |
| 144 | %%* Tomie from ''Manga/{{Tomie}}''. |
| 145 | %%* The Sinners in ''Manga/ChronoCrusade'', particularly Aion. |
| 146 | %%* [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure Joseph Joestar]], to the Nth frickin' degree. "Your next words will be..." |
| 147 | %%* [[MagnificentBastard Hiruma Youichi]] from ''Manga/Eyeshield21''. |
| 148 | %%* ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'' has both Kazumi Asakura and Haruna Saotome acting like this on occasion. |
| 149 | * Blue (Green in the US) in ''Manga/PokemonAdventures'' starts off as a ConArtist who scams Red out of his earned Gym Badges and manipulating him to do a few cons on Team Rocket, namely getting any info/pics of the Mythical Pokémon Mew. But she isn't truly malevolent and is often an ally of Red throughout the original ''[=RGBY=]'' saga... just don't assume she always has your best interest. |
| 150 | * Duplica the Ditto trainer, Zorua, and various Ghost Pokémon in ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'' are all character who employ trickery and mischievous pranks to mess with people, often disguising themselves as other characters and imitating their behavior to near perfection. They don't do this out of malevolence unlike say, Team Rocket. They just want a good laugh. |
| 151 | %%* Kaworu Nagisa in ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''. |
| 152 | %%* Johann Liebert from ''Manga/{{Monster}}''. |
| 153 | %%* Many characters in ''Literature/HaruhiSuzumiya'', Haruhi herself included. |
| 154 | %%* The unnamed female protagonist from ''Manga/{{Trickster}}'' by Aro Hiroshi. |
| 155 | %%* Xerxes Break from ''Manga/PandoraHearts''. |
| 156 | %%* WordOfGod says [[TheWonka Romania]] from ''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers'' is one. |
| 157 | %%* Izaya from ''Manga/{{Durarara}}''. |
| 158 | %%* Hisoka from ''Manga/HunterXHunter''. |
| 159 | %%* [[{{Yandere}} Yuno Gasai]] from ''Manga/FutureDiary''. |
| 160 | [[/folder]] |
| 161 | |
| 162 | [[folder:Card Games]] |
| 163 | * In the ''TabletopGame/YuGiOh'' OCG, the Ghosttrick Archetype's effects revolve around flipping monsters face-down and protecting themselves as long as they are face-down. In effect, they act like pranksters or mischievous spirits: popping out and scaring people, then running away and hiding. |
| 164 | [[/folder]] |
| 165 | |
| 166 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 167 | * Franchise/{{Batman}} has ComicBook/TheJoker and ComicBook/TheRiddler. The Joker often spends just as much time performing pranks and other petty things as much as killing people. The Riddler has a compulsion to make complicated puzzles for [[ItAmusedMe his own amusement]]. |
| 168 | ** ''ComicBook/BatMite'', who comes from Mr. Mxyzptlk's homeworld of the fifth dimension, is a hyperactive fanboy who tries to help out, only to further complicate things, and he actually has respect for Batman, despite being more of a pest instead of evil. |
| 169 | * ComicBook/{{Deadpool}} is an insane mercenary, so he does odd things and disrespects authority, but cops are okay, provided they're not trying to arrest him. |
| 170 | * Jaeger of the aboriginal sci-fi comic ''ComicBook/{{Finder}}''. Although he ''seems'' random and impetuous, his behavior is bound by the code of the titular super-scouts, but also his designation as a ritual scapegoat in his mother's native culture. |
| 171 | * ComicBook/{{Loki}}, Marvel's version of the Norse God of Mischief and Lies. Varies from out-and-out villain to anti-hero, depending on the writer and the incarnation (for example, de-aged Loki is a lot less malevolent than his previous, older self). |
| 172 | * Maelstrom, Cosmic Marvel's version. |
| 173 | -->'''Maelstrom:''' I can't feed you to a giant demonic dragon if you're '''asleep'''! Where would the fun be in '''that?''' |
| 174 | * The Cloud Gremlins in ''ComicBook/MyLittlePonyMicroSeries'' Issue #2 . Doesn't help their quoting the appropriate [[Theatre/AMidsummerNightsDream Shakespeare play]] too. |
| 175 | * ComicBook/PlasticMan, according to some people interviewed for the 80s cartoon DVD of the titular character, serves as a trickster in the DC Comics mythos of heroes. |
| 176 | * ''ComicBook/ThePowerpuffGirls'' has the Micro-Puffs, tiny sprite versions of the girls who show up merely to yank the girls' chains. They appeared in the DC run of the comic book. |
| 177 | * ''ComicBook/SamAndMax'''s titular duo functions as one of these - Max provides the impulsiveness, Sam provides the {{Aesop}} and they both contribute to the chaos. |
| 178 | * ComicBook/SpiderMan, whose actions end up teaching him his own wisdom. |
| 179 | ** He's also this in a literal and symbolic sort of way, being the smaller, smarter animal who outwits the bigger, and in some cases, dumber animals (his rogues gallery), to the point that his alter ego is (obviously) related to spiders, while those of some of his enemies are related to animals like rhinos, octopuses, scorpions, and vultures. And as mild-mannered Peter Parker, he has to contend with the likes of Flash Thompson and J. Jonah Jameson too. |
| 180 | * Mr. Mxyzptlk from Franchise/{{Superman}} is an imp with RealityWarper abilities. Which, interestingly enough, leads to Superman having to resort to trickster methods just to get rid of him. |
| 181 | ** Then you have The Impossible Man, and he and Mxy had a crossover together, where their differences became apparent. Let's just say it doesn't end in friendship. |
| 182 | %%* [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin The Trickster]] from ComicBook/TheFlash. |
| 183 | %%* [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Impossible Man.]] |
| 184 | %%* [[ComicBook/{{Hellblazer}} John Constantine]] |
| 185 | %%* Nightcrawler, ComicBook/{{Gambit}}, and Iceman of the ''ComicBook/XMen''. |
| 186 | %%* ''ComicBook/VForVendetta'': V, though a rather dark one. |
| 187 | [[/folder]] |
| 188 | |
| 189 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 190 | * Sacanas from ''Fanfic/TheCaptainGoodkingSaga'' fits this to a T, especially when he tricked his apprentice's father into being TakenForGranite by promising the father he would be "forever young and beautiful". [[MeaningfulName The clue's in the name]]. [[note]]Sacanas is Portuguese for "trickster"[[/note]] |
| 191 | * ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'' has several examples. |
| 192 | ** Doctor Strange is probably the stand-out one, using his extensive foreknowledge to both assist (when he deems it necessary) and to wind up the rest of the cast (when he deems it funny). It actually gets to the point where Odin irritably demands if Strange is present at a particular place for anything ''other'' than making smart remarks. |
| 193 | ** Loki, naturally. However, his pranks are only ever mischievous, never malignant (though he's still got a very ruthless streak where his enemies are concerned). For example, when Steve is trying to work a smoothie machine: |
| 194 | --->'''Loki:''' There's something just a little off about that lid.\ |
| 195 | '''Steve:''' ''[examines it closely]'' I don't see anything wrong.\ |
| 196 | '''Loki:''' How about now?\ |
| 197 | ''[the lid disappears, splattering everything within five feet]'' |
| 198 | ** Albus Dumbledore, CoolOldGuy extraordinaire, enjoys pulling {{Stealth HiBye}}s on characters and gently teasing them. [[BewareTheSillyOnes This does not, however, mean that he's not a threat]]. |
| 199 | * The works of Fialleril (most notably ''Fanfic/DoubleAgentVader'' and ''Fanfic/HereticPride'') tend to expand on the culture and religion of the slaves of Tatooine. The most frequently-mentioned figure in that religion is Ekkreth, a shapeshifting gender-fluid trickster deity, whose role in every story about them is to find ways to outwit the slave masters and free the slaves, before slipping or flying away laughing. |
| 200 | * Lorelei from the "[[https://www.fanfiction.net/~thewhovianwerewolf Lorelei Chronicles]]" series. Being a universe-hopping MasterOfIllusion gives her MANY opportunities to screw with people, albeit in a non-cruel, non-destructive way. Justified in that she comes from a broken home, which leads her to believe that making people laugh is her mission in life. |
| 201 | * Lana in ''Fanfic/PokemonResetBloodlines'' once convinced her classmate [[IdiotHero Frax Lono]] to go to school [[ShirtlessScene without his shirt]] by telling him the class was to be about Alolan sumo. |
| 202 | * ''Fanfic/ThanksButNo'': Marinette picks Alix for the Fox Miraculous due to a long history of pulling pranks, from tricking a ten-years-old Chloe into thinking glue was hair gel to being one of the class’s trickster. When Lila comes and claims to be Scarabella’s best friend and a reserve hero, Alix convinces Kim to plot a prank on the transfer student under the guise of her hazing, but really it’s to make her pay for her lies. |
| 203 | * Loki from ''Fanfic/TheTwoYearEmperor'', a GreatGazoo mischief god who periodically shows up to [[HurricaneOfPuns have pun fights]], be the comic relief, and be a TricksterMentor for the main character by sliding him important hints. |
| 204 | [[/folder]] |
| 205 | |
| 206 | [[folder:Film -- Animation]] |
| 207 | * Disney's ''WesternAnimation/{{Peter Pan}}'' has the titular character as one. Not only are his antics on cartoonish levels, but he's quick-witted, fast on his feet, always one step ahead of Hook and his crew, and treats nearly everything like a game. |
| 208 | * The Genie from Disney's ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'' acts as one, though he's not nearly as malicious as [[JackassGenie most genies]] are portrayed. He enjoys playing pranks and creating elaborate setpieces. |
| 209 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheBadGuys2022'': |
| 210 | ** Mr. Wolf engages in all sorts of trickery and thievery, having lead a team of other anthropomorphic criminals to amass a small fortune. |
| 211 | ** To a lesser extent, [[spoiler:Diane Foxington was also one of these, though she cleaned up her act before the start of the film.]] |
| 212 | * The [[CleverCrows crows]] from ''WesternAnimation/{{Dumbo}}'' are an interesting variation of the trope, as they're the TropeNamer for the MagicFeather. They don't quite fit the criteria for a TricksterMentor but their general [[JerkWithAheartOfGold demeanor]] puts them very in line with more classical (albeit AT WORST [[AboveGoodAndEvil amoral]]) examples. |
| 213 | * Stitch from ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitch'' was genetically-engineered to be this, using his strength, cunning, and other abilities for mischievous purposes. |
| 214 | * [[BigEater Meeko]] from ''WesternAnimation/{{Pocahontas}}'', although he's a bit less of trickster and more of an outright thief. |
| 215 | * Eris from ''WesternAnimation/SinbadLegendOfTheSevenSeas'' spends all of her time playing tricks on the protagonist (along with all the mortals in the story) and well, just causing general chaos. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUQYCf4OXyg&feature=related just listen to this theme song.]] |
| 216 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Zootopia}}'' features a [[RascallyRabbit trickster rabbit]] and a [[CunningLikeAFox trickster fox]] teaming up. |
| 217 | %%* Br'er Rabbit from ''Film/SongOfTheSouth'' and the original stories. |
| 218 | %%* Crash and Eddie from ''WesternAnimation/IceAge2''. |
| 219 | %%* Mushu from ''WesternAnimation/MulanII''. |
| 220 | %%* Loki, from Marvel's animated feature ''WesternAnimation/ThorTalesOfAsgard''. |
| 221 | [[/folder]] |
| 222 | |
| 223 | [[folder:Film -- Live-Action]] |
| 224 | * Creator/PaulNewman in ''Film/CoolHandLuke'' has a disrupting influence on the day-to-day life in the prison. |
| 225 | * [[Creator/QuentinTarantino Johnny Destiny]], from ''DestinyTurnsOnTheRadio'', manipulates the fates of the entire cast, for better or for worse, and may or may not be Coyote in disguise. |
| 226 | * Tyler Durden of ''Film/FightClub'' is a more malicious, destructive example. |
| 227 | * The short comedy ''Film/HaroldOfOrange'' was made to show how this trope would be played out in RealLife. |
| 228 | * Mr. Nick from ''Film/TheImaginariumOfDoctorParnassus''. Yes, he's the Devil but he seems more interested in playing games than damning souls, [[spoiler: to the extent that he actually tries to prevent Parnassus' daughter from going into Hell and when she does says, "Damn, I won" in a tone of regret]]. |
| 229 | * Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse |
| 230 | ** Loki is the on-screen incarnation of the comic book character of the same name who, in turn, was based on [[Myth/NorseMythology the Norse God of trickery and chaos]]. He starts off as a trickster in ''Film/{{Thor}}''. When he returns post-banishment in ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'', he's decidedly less tricky, being now bent on revenge and subjugating Earth. In ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld'' Loki is more tricky than ever, and his [[MasterofIllusion powers of illusion]] drive much of the plot. The trend continues in ''Film/ThorRagnarok'', where he's called the God of Mischief in-universe, and it's even lampshaded in his play ''The Tragedy of Loki of Asgard'': |
| 231 | --->'''Loki Actor:''' I just couldn't help myself, I'm a trickster. |
| 232 | ** Frigga in ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld''. While it's not to the same degree as her son Loki (or perhaps, that's what she ''wants'' us to believe), it still speaks volumes that she was his tutor not just in magic, but in cunning as well--it seems that Loki had studied from the best. Unlike her former pupil, Frigga maintains an air of being virtuous, and she exploits this by playing Odin like a fiddle for a year, committing what can be construed as ''treason'' by visiting Loki, an enemy of the Crown, in his cell, which her king has explicitly forbidden. Odin--whom she notes is not a very good liar--is plainly unaware of how wily and insubordinate his wife truly is. Malekith attempts to insult her by calling her a witch after [[spoiler:he falls for her trick with Jane, and Frigga merely smirks with satisfaction--like Loki, she thoroughly enjoys outwitting her foes]]. It makes one wonder if she might be the Goddess of Mischief in all but name; she simply hides her underhandedness a lot better than her trickster son. |
| 233 | * The Creator/MarxBrothers, particularly Groucho. And by extension, Roland T. Flakfizer from ''Film/BrainDonors'' |
| 234 | * Film/TheMask (explicitly linked to [[Myth/NorseMythology Loki]]) and most other characters played by Creator/JimCarrey, some mentioned elsewhere on this page, some not - such as Creator/AndyKaufman (''Man on the Moon''), a RealLife trickster figure who would be called a troll today. |
| 235 | * ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'': Jack Sparrow. ''[[InsistentTerminology Captain]]'' Jack Sparrow. In the commentary of the [[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanTheCurseOfTheBlackPearl first film]], during the scene where he tricks the two ''Interceptor'' guards into arguing, allowing him to slide out of the frame, sneak aboard and get behind the wheel before they even realize he's gone, the writers joke that they consider this scene akin to a Bugs Bunny cartoon. |
| 236 | * Reg Dunlop from ''Film/SlapShot'', as he hoodwinks a town. |
| 237 | * Br'er Rabbit from ''Film/SongOfTheSouth'' [[OlderThanTheyThink based on]] African-American folktales, is the American version of this archetype. |
| 238 | * From ''Franchise/StarWars'': |
| 239 | ** Han Solo, to a degree. In ''Literature/TheHanSoloAdventures'' he pulls a wide array of tricks, with a playfulness that nicely offsets his grimmer, mercenary side. |
| 240 | ** Yoda. Though he would technically be more along the lines of TricksterMentor, it's usually assumed that he likes practical jokes for their own value, too. |
| 241 | %%* Many of Creator/CharlieChaplin's characters falls under the Trickster archetype. |
| 242 | %%* Many of the characters Creator/EddieMurphy has portrayed are Tricksters. |
| 243 | %%* ''Film/MirrorMask'': You need a name with a bit of style. Mixed with... romance. Something like... Valentine. |
| 244 | %%* Kayako and Toshio from ''Ju-on'' (and the remake series, ''Film/TheGrudge''). |
| 245 | %%* Film/{{Ferris Bueller|sDayOff}} |
| 246 | %%* Flip from ''Anime/LittleNemoAdventuresInSlumberland''. |
| 247 | %%* Quicksilver from ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast''. |
| 248 | [[/folder]] |
| 249 | |
| 250 | [[folder:Gamebooks]] |
| 251 | * Alyss the demigoddess from the ''Legends of Lone Wolf'' novelization of the ''Literature/LoneWolf'' gamebooks, and then appearing as a CanonImmigrant in the main series starting Book 16. She fancies herself as neutral and is certainly mischievous, but BigBad Naar and his minions are such utter bastards that she systematically ends up on the side of Good anyway. |
| 252 | [[/folder]] |
| 253 | |
| 254 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 255 | !!!'''By Author:''' |
| 256 | * Creator/NealStephenson very evidently likes to both use and reference this archetype; [[MeaningfulName Hiro Protagonist]] is a Trickster/Technologist in ''Literature/SnowCrash'', as are many of the key figures of both ''Literature/{{Cryptonomicon}}'' and ''Literature/TheDiamondAge''. In ''The Diamond Age'', [[PlayfulHacker The Hacker]] is explicitly name-checked as a modern trickster archetype, and in ''Cryptonomicon'' Enoch Root discusses with Randy the way various cultures have interpreted the archetype - from worship (Athena) to deep distrust (Loki). Root himself plays the role of TricksterMentor in ''Literature/TheBaroqueCycle''. Jack Shaftoe is the Trickster in spades as is, to a lesser extent, Eliza. |
| 257 | !!!'''By Work:''' |
| 258 | * ''Literature/PeterPan'': Peter Pan's the TropeCodifier of literature. He treats everything like a game as much as he enjoys messing with Captain Hook. |
| 259 | * ''Literature/AlicesAdventuresInWonderland'': The Cheshire Cat. |
| 260 | * In ''Literature/AmericanGods'', Odin is a trickster and a literal con man. [[spoiler: So is his son, Loki. It is a two man con.]] |
| 261 | * Neil also wrote [[Literature/AnansiBoys his own story]] about Anansi, going by the name of Charlie Nancy. He has... well, ''two sons who inherit his powers''. |
| 262 | * The Drode in ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}''. |
| 263 | * Francisco d'Anconia from ''Literature/AtlasShrugged''. |
| 264 | * Robin Goodfellow in the ''Literature/CalLeandros'' series. His species is a puck. |
| 265 | * Willy Wonka of Roald Dahl's ''Literature/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory'' ([[AdaptationOverdosed and its many adaptations]]) is a TricksterMentor ''and'' the trope namer for another trickster subtrope -- TheWonka. |
| 266 | * Colin in Creator/JohnCWright's ''Literature/ChroniclesOfChaos''. Always ready to pull a stunt whenever they need a distraction. |
| 267 | * Tzigone from ''Literature/CounselorsAndKings'' is a highly intelligent and playful street performer/thief (with latent magical abilities, though she really only starts developing those in the second and third books) who enjoys mocking her stratified society and overturning its rules wherever possible. Unlike some tricksters, though, when push comes to shove she's plainly one of the good guys. |
| 268 | * ''Literature/TheCountOfMonteCristo'' has an example in the titular Count who uses elaborate mind games and his obscene wealth to bring down his opponents as well as reward his followers. Somewhat {{Deconstructed}} as his games sometimes have collateral damage he does not expect. |
| 269 | * Coyote in his ''Literature/CoyoteBlue''. |
| 270 | * ''Literature/TheDarkswordTrilogy'' has Simkin. |
| 271 | * Franchise/{{Discworld}}: |
| 272 | ** Granny Weatherwax. She can't tell a joke to save her life, but is borderline unflappable, shows zero regard for societal norms whenever they get in her way, and has a knack for cutting people down to size by exploiting how they think. You don't have to have a sense of humour to be a Trickster! |
| 273 | ** Moist von Lipwig is a ConMan turned BoxedCrook who's never happier than when he's doing something insanely risky and / or selling a new idea to sceptical people. |
| 274 | ** Scrappy the kangaroo from ''Literature/TheLastContinent''. Acknowledged in exposition as a trickster god and therefore the sort of guy who puts a land mine under a seat cushion for a bit of a chuckle. |
| 275 | ** Other Discworld trickster gods are Hoki the Jokester (banned from Dunmanifestin for pulling "the old exploding mistletoe trick") and the dwarfish mine-spirit Agi Hammerthief. |
| 276 | * In the ''Literature/DoctorWhoNewAdventures'' novel ''Love and War'', the 25th century New Age Travellers have a trickster god they just call the Trickster (who doesn't appear to be related to ''Series/TheSarahJaneAdventures'' character). During Jan's vision quest, he [[AFormYouAreComfortableWith appears to Jan]] as "Arlan Jardolz, the Betalan comedian" and to Ace as Vic Reeves. |
| 277 | * Harry Dresden of ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' believes himself to be this, but Murphy points out that he's actually very predictable in the sense that he enjoys familiarity and routine, despite being deceptively intelligent (as one of his exes puts it, he's only slow in the short term - in the long term, he sees ''everything''); he just has authority problems. However, the trickster part comes in because while people ''know'' he's going to pull some trick on them, they just don't know ''what''. |
| 278 | * Robin Goodfellow from ''Literature/AnElegyForTheStillLiving'' talks in riddles, plays practical jokes, manipulates anyone he can get his hands on and implies that he is the AnthropomorphicPersonification of the Trickster Archetype. |
| 279 | * The Meddler of the ''Literature/FirekeeperSaga'', who is known for having seemingly good intentions but never stopping to consider the consequences. |
| 280 | * Pocket in Creator/ChristopherMoore's ''Literature/{{Fool}}''. |
| 281 | * In Creator/JohnCWright's ''[[Literature/TheGoldenOecumene The Golden Age]]'', ''The Phoenix Exultant'', and ''The Golden Transcendence'', the Neptunians. All of them. They live that far out to live a wild life in which sending people computer viruses is considered high spirits. In ''The Golden Transcendence'', Diomedes comments that he would steal a ship to carry out their plan, but he's surprised that inner-system people like Phaethon and Atkins would. |
| 282 | * Ulric Skakki in Creator/HarryTurtledove's ''Golden Shrine'' trilogy. |
| 283 | * [[Literature/HowTheGrinchStoleChristmas The Grinch]] and ''Literature/TheCatInTheHat'' both fit this archetype to a t. And they do look almost quite similar in their live-action incarnations. |
| 284 | * Neil Gaiman's "Harlequin Valentine". |
| 285 | * In ''Literature/HarryPotter'': |
| 286 | ** Fred and George Weasley are famous setting off pranks in Hogwarts. They later open a joke shop, thereby becoming ''professional'' tricksters. |
| 287 | ** Peeves is also a good example, but the Twins prove their superiority when, in Book Five, they leave and order Peeves to "Give her (Umbridge) hell from us." And Peeves salutes! It says a lot about how much the other teachers hate Umbridge, too, that they let Peeves get away with just short of murder during her short tenure. [=McGonagall=], a RulesLawyer herself under Dumbledore, is said to even help Peeves herself with discreetly muttered advice about which way to unscrew a chandelier. |
| 288 | * Foxface in ''Literature/TheHungerGames'', known for being TooCleverByHalf. |
| 289 | * ''Literature/JourneyToChaos'': Tasio the Trickster flies in and out of mortal life, bring hope or despair as he fancies. One of his many names is "Overturner of Fortune" to reflect this. On an average day, he's just a pest. |
| 290 | * In ''Literature/TheIronTeeth'' web serial, the protagonist Blacknail the goblin is a trickster. Throughout the story, he makes up for his small size through trickery and cheating. As an outsider among humans he also constantly disobeys convention and acts in unexpected ways. He is also fond of disguising himself using a long cloak. |
| 291 | * In Creator/RudyardKipling's ''Literature/TheJungleBook'', Tabaqui the Jackal. |
| 292 | -->''"All thanks for this good meal," he said, licking his lips. "How beautiful are the noble children! How large are their eyes! And so young too! Indeed, indeed, I might have remembered that the children of kings are men from the beginning."\ |
| 293 | Now, Tabaqui knew as well as anyone else that there is nothing so unlucky as to compliment children to their faces. It pleased him to see Mother and Father Wolf look uncomfortable.'' |
| 294 | * Merry and Pippin from ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' are also ThoseTwoGuys. |
| 295 | * Colin from the post-Apocalypse novel ''{{Literature/Malevil}}''. Shrewd, often a pain in the ass, and as Emmanuel's favorite friend allowed to get away with a lot. |
| 296 | * In ''Literature/{{MARZENA}}'' we have UnreliableNarrator, MindScrew and ShoutOut lover Anika Fun Bremen, obviously. And Marian too, being the head of a Private Intelligence Company is all about psychology and fun mind games, ChronicBackstabbingDisorder ought to ensue. |
| 297 | * The Marquis of Carabas in ''Literature/{{Neverwhere}}'' by Creator/NeilGaiman. He is named after the alias used by Puss In Boots, a Trickster character in his own right. |
| 298 | * John Taylor from the {{Literature/Nightside}} novels, sometimes. |
| 299 | * Randal Patrick [=McMurphy=] from ''Literature/OneFlewOverTheCuckoosNest''. |
| 300 | * In the ''Literature/RainbowMagic'' series, Trixie the Halloween Fairy and Addison the April Fool's Day Fairy are fond of pranks and tricking people. |
| 301 | * In ''Literature/RainbowsEnd'', Mr. Rabbit deliberately invokes this archetype, teasing both friends and foes with his technological prowess and bizarre sense of humor. In the online world, he is nearly a god, and he likes to leave virtual carrot ends in other people's virtual worlds. |
| 302 | * Harlequin, as seen in the story ''"Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman'' by Creator/HarlanEllison. |
| 303 | * ''Literature/TheReynardCycle'': Much like his BeastFable counterpart, ''Literature/ReynardTheFox'', Reynard is this in spades. He particularly enjoys [[BatmanGambit Batman Gambits]]. |
| 304 | * ''Literature/ReynardTheFox'': A KarmicTrickster fox from a series of European medieval tales. He is a downright criminal who always manages to fool everybody despite several attempts to bring him to justice. |
| 305 | * ''Literature/RepairmanJack''. Even though he's an "urban mercenary" he prefers using his wits to solve a problem than violence and his violent solutions often show a twisted sense of humor. |
| 306 | * Aiken Drum in Julian May's ''Literature/SagaOfTheExiles'', exiled for such pranks as altering a dam's configuration so that a giant penis sticks out of it, peeing water. [[spoiler:And that's ''before'' he gets superpowers.]] |
| 307 | * In Creator/RafaelSabatini's ''Literature/{{Scaramouche}}'', Andre-Louis plays this role on stage and in life. This aspect of the character comes out even more so in the [[Film/{{Scaramouche1952}} 1952 film]]. |
| 308 | * Zosim the Trickser God is a minor member of the pantheon in ''Literature/{{Shadowmarch}}'', though [[spoiler: he's ultimately revealed to be the BigBad, manipulating everybody to try and become top god]]. Interestingly, though the rest of his pantheon are clear counterparts to the Greco-Roman gods, Zosim himself resembles [[Myth/NorseMythology Loki]] far more than he does [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Hermes]]. |
| 309 | * Puck from ''Literature/TheSistersGrimm''. Given that he's supposed to be Shakespeare's Puck (from ''Theatre/AMidsummerNightsDream''), this is unsurprising. |
| 310 | * ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' gives us a smorgasbord of Trickster-types running the full spectrum from "light-hearted" to "sodding dangerous"... although quite a lot weigh more towards the dangerous; [[TheGadfly Gadflys]], [[WorldOfSnark snarkers]] and [[{{Troll}} Trolls]] abound. Included are the [[CourtJester court Fools]], [[TheBard Bards]] or {{Mummers}} like Moon Boy, Patchface, Butterbumps, the Blue Bard, Penny, poor "Jinglebell" and Marrillion, as well the historical Florian and Mushroom who either have been trained to include sanctioned havoc in their acts or otherwise make it part of their living in various shapes. However, [[FateWorseThanDeath if they overstep]]... [[TheChessmaster Tyrion]] [[DeadpanSnarker Lannister]] ''could'' have wound up as a trained Fool, himself, were it not for being born a [[{{Pride}} Lannister]] trumping being a dwarf (however, he's not exactly escaped the trope, given his propensity to be [[KarmicTrickster a reactive]], [[GuileHero tricksome]] [[TooCleverByHalf blighter]] of epic proportions). In fact, to get ahead in both [[BattleOfWits Westeros and Essos]], it ''pays'' to have an extensive bag of tricks up your sleeve and a will to use them -- no matter who you may be. As a result, few major players ''don't'' have shades of the grifter and Trickster to them: [[DownplayedTrope even for those infamously without much of a sense of humour]]... eh, [[ManipulativeBastard Lord]] [[TheChessmaster Tywin]] or [[PrinciplesZealot Lord]] [[TheStrategist Stannis]]? However, arguably the two biggest and straightest ones are [[MagnificentBastard Lord Petyr Baelish and "Lord" Varys]]. Both play others for their own ends using misdirection and [[XanatosSpeedChess any other means going]], while being sardonic wits of the highest order. The major difference between them seems to be how much chaos they're willing to spread to achieve their goals and why. [[spoiler: Varys ''seems'' to view collateral damage as a [[NecessarilyEvil Necessary Evil]] to bring long-term stability. Petyr? It's all part of [[OpportunisticBastard his Game]]: the more the merrier.]] |
| 311 | * Holo from ''Literature/SpiceAndWolf'' |
| 312 | * ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'': In the ''Literature/NewJediOrder'', the goddess Yun-Harla is a trickster venerated by [[ScaryDogmaticAliens the Yuuzhan Vong]] and is one of their premier deities (to the point that most of the Vong's intelligence network is actually overseen by her priests, the deception sect). Midway through the series, Jaina Solo (Han and Leia's daughter) begins deliberately taking on aspects of Yun-Harla to mess with the Vong's heads and becomes a trickster in her own right as a result. |
| 313 | * ''Literature/TheSupervillainySaga'' has Gary Karkofsky a.k.a Merciless: The Supervillain without [=MercyTM=] is one as he is frequently overmatched by gods, demons, demigods, superheroes, and supervillains. He manages to survive only by the fact that he uses ObfuscatingStupidity and a variety of ConfusionFu tactics. He even gets the WorthyOpponent respect of Baba Yaga who calls him a "clever peasant." |
| 314 | * ''Literature/TailchasersSong'': The legendary Lord Firefoot is known as the smartest cat that's ever lived. He displays some aspects of a trickster, such as when he tricked a shark to take him across the ocean, only to landlock it and eat it. |
| 315 | * ''Literature/TillEulenspiegel'': A medieval folk hero well known in German, Flemish, and Dutch folklore. He travels across the land where he tricks everybody by taking their words literally or fooling them in ways that he gets money or gets off scot-free, despite his actions. |
| 316 | * ''Literature/TortallUniverse'': Kyprioth the Trickster, who features most prominently in the ''Literature/TrickstersDuet'', where he's plotting to regain his status as the patron god of the Copper Isles. The raka of the Isles have an attitude towards life heavily shaped by their peculiar patron god. The human Aly, a Tortallan spy he brings to the Isles as part of his plan, however, gives him a run for his money. |
| 317 | * Lestat de Lioncourt, ''brat prince'', from ''Literature/{{The Vampire Chronicles}}''. |
| 318 | * Miles Vorkosigan in ''Literature/VorkosiganSaga''. |
| 319 | * Hirahim Lightfoot in the cosmology of Creator/DavidWeber's ''Literature/TheWarGods''. Notable in that unlike other deities who were created or fathered by the head deity Orr, he appeared from nowhere and not even Orr seems to know his origins. |
| 320 | * ''Literature/WarriorCats'' has Sol. In addition to his life of traveling the earth to screw things up in as many places as possible, he has actually once been called a trickster in the books. |
| 321 | * El-ahrairah, the rabbit {{folk hero}} in ''Literature/WatershipDown'' is stated to be based on Br'er Rabbit. As a punishment for his trickery, [[EverythingTryingToKillYou all the creatures of the world were set against him]] ([[JustSoStory and rabbitkind)]]... which just means he has to be ''extra''-tricksy to escape from them. |
| 322 | * Mat Cauthon of ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'' novels. |
| 323 | [[/folder]] |
| 324 | |
| 325 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 326 | %%* Most of ''Series/TheATeam''. Especially Murdock. |
| 327 | %%* Londo Mollari from ''Series/BabylonFive''. |
| 328 | %%* Gaius Baltar from ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|2003}}'', although more out of desperation than anything. |
| 329 | * Joker from the Creator/AdamWest-era ''Series/Batman1966'' was quite firmly in this mold, as opposed to his frightening MonsterClown persona of the modern era. |
| 330 | %%* Flabber from ''Series/{{Beetleborgs}}''. |
| 331 | %%* Uncle Arthur from ''Series/{{Bewitched}}''. |
| 332 | %%* Avon from ''Series/BlakesSeven''. |
| 333 | %%* Osawa Eriko in ''Series/{{Boss|2009}}''. |
| 334 | * ''Series/DoctorWho'': There is a significant element of the Trickster in most if not all incarnations of the Doctor, but it's particularly apparent in their second, fourth, seventh and eleventh incarnations (who typically tended to be cheerfully anarchic types who relied on ObfuscatingStupidity and a veil of harmless eccentricity that concealed a sharp intellect and devastating, ruthless effectiveness). The very nature of the character is an aimless wanderer, exiled from a race of cold and distant godlike beings, who eagerly seeks out new knowledge and experiences, and who tends to stroll into a calm but usually oppressive status quo, object to some kind of injustice taking place, cause untold chaos in trying to resolve it and and then leave having completely upended society but ensured it is in a better, fairer state than it was before they arrived. They also tend to delight in puncturing pomposity, self-importance and arrogance wherever they find it; in addition to opposing the BigBad of the week on principle, many episodes often find them zeroing in on a less malevolent but no less pompous and self-important character and finding some way of puncturing their bubble (a recurring gag in the Third Doctor's tenure, for example, was him finding some way of cheerfully undermining a pompous civil servant, military officer or scientist who crossed his path). The Doctor also tends to use cunning, manipulation and guile[[note]]and in a pinch, running, lots of running,[[/note]] to win their battles rather than strength or brute force. |
| 335 | %%** The Master certainly qualifies as well. |
| 336 | %%** The Celestial Toymaker from the days of the First Doctor. |
| 337 | %%* Megan from ''Series/DrakeAndJosh''. |
| 338 | * ''Series/GameOfThrones'': Littlefinger actively destabilizes Westeros to provide himself opportunities to manipulate people and increase his own power. |
| 339 | %%* Sue Sylvester from ''Series/{{Glee}}''. |
| 340 | %%* ''Series/{{Heroes}}'': Claude Rains. |
| 341 | %%* Colonel Hogan from ''Series/HogansHeroes''. |
| 342 | %%* Lucy Ricardo of ''Series/ILoveLucy''. |
| 343 | * Klus from Studio 100's ''Series/KabouterPlop'' series, he loved playing tricks and pranks around the other gnomes. Sometimes having his own pranks backfiring at him. |
| 344 | %%* This goes to the whole team of ''Series/{{Leverage}}''. |
| 345 | %%* Merlin and Trickler ([[ShapedLikeItself it's in the name]]) from ''Series/{{Merlin|2008}}''. |
| 346 | * Holly Curran from ''Series/NightAndDay'', through and through. One of the show's most mysterious characters and frequently ambiguous in motivation, she often spreads falsehoods for fun and will periodically pop up like a pagan deity to play mind-games and wreak chaos - especially with Alex Wells and, prior to her disappearance, Jane Harper. On one occasion she even manages to trick Alex into admitting to assaulting Josh Alexander by making him believe that he killed Josh, and that she's buried the body for him. Appropriately, during the SchoolPlay storyline, she is initially cast as Puck from Midsummer Night's Dream. |
| 347 | * Rumplestiltskin in ''Series/OnceUponATime''. Very, very much so -- and he's pulled his tricks on ''everyone''. |
| 348 | * ''Series/OurMissBrooks'': Walter Denton is a prank player, with limited respect for authority. |
| 349 | %%* Shawn Spencer from ''Series/{{Psych}}''. |
| 350 | %%* ''The'' Trickster from ''Series/TheSarahJaneAdventures''. |
| 351 | %%* Q and his son, from ''Franchise/StarTrek''. And Squire Trelane of Gothos (books have him as a Baby Q, but that's not quite in canon. |
| 352 | * The Trickster from ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'', who is revealed to be [[spoiler:the ArchangelGabriel]]. He's also known to some as Loki. He once spent an entire episode [[TheyKilledKennyAgain killing Dean over a hundred different times]] ([[BlackComedy all humorous]]) just to teach Sam [[YouCantFightFate a lesson.]] In the war between the ArchangelMichael and [[{{Satan}} Lucifer]], he chooses [[TookAThirdOption neither side]], wanting to help the humans, who most of the [[spoiler: other]] angels don't seem to care about. |
| 353 | %%* Every strategist on ''Series/{{Survivor}}''. |
| 354 | %%* Artemus Gordon from ''Series/TheWildWildWest''. |
| 355 | %%* Alex Russo from ''Series/WizardsOfWaverlyPlace''. |
| 356 | [[/folder]] |
| 357 | |
| 358 | [[folder:Music]] |
| 359 | * The jazz ballad [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaJ-YfXu0bQ Long Daddy Green]] by ''Blossom Dearie'' is a long description of a trickster, showing a character with benign sides, who gets more and more troublesome as the song progresses. |
| 360 | * [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AZN0vj1w4o Rabbit's Song]] by Music/SJTucker is about a being only reffered to as "Trickster", implied to be a kind of demi-god or wizard, who's looking for an animal to help him [[TricksterMentor teach his lessons]] to mankind "without instilling fear." He eventually settles on Crow, Raven, Coyote, and Rabbit. |
| 361 | [[/folder]] |
| 362 | |
| 363 | [[folder:Myths & Religion]] |
| 364 | %% This is just a list of the names of characters. Dont' uncomment until it has some information included. |
| 365 | * Myth/AfricanMythology: The tortoise often played this role alongside the hare with the two being rivals. Of course, the tortoise always came out on top. After all, where did you think ''The Tortoise and the Hare'' came from? |
| 366 | * Myth/AztecMythology: Tezcatlipoca subverts the archetype in that he was at the same time an authority figure and a very important one at that. The only times he was really trickster-ish was mainly when he wanted to annoy his brother, Quetzalcoatl. He was definitely at the far "god of chaos" end of the trickster archetype. [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Alternative names]] for him translate approximately to things like "he to whom we are his slaves", "change through violence" (likely a reference to revolution), and "enemy of both sides". |
| 367 | * Literature/TheBible: {{Satan}} could be considered a much more sinister variant of this trope, as he uses his cunning to corrupt the virtuous and lead people astray. |
| 368 | * Myth/BrazilianFolklore: |
| 369 | ** The Saci is the archetypal prank-player of the folklore, though he plays mostly harmless pranks. Other characters like Curupira and Caipora, also qualify, as they dwell in the jungles and use their guiles to lure poachers into traps. |
| 370 | ** Pedro Malasartes is a traditional character in Portuguese and Brazilian folklore, popular in several folktales. He is depicted as a cunning, picaresque, and unscrupulous country man who uses his wits and creativity to get by. In many humorous folk stories, Pedro disguises his craftiness with seeming naiveté to trick the more powerful, the rich, and the miserly. For example, he once told a stingy old woman that he was cooking a delicious "Stone Soup," so she would offer her own ingredients to eat it too. Pedro filled the soup with so much food that he could remove the rocks and eat his share. Another famous trickster character is João Grilo, who appears in Cordel literature from the Northeastern region and even became one of the main characters in the play and subsequent film ''Film/OAutoDaCompadecida''. |
| 371 | * Bulgarian and Macedonian folklore have Hitar Petar ("Sly Peter"). Nasreddin Hoja is also present in those tales as Peter's rival, but to the rather unpleasant history with the Ottoman Empire, he's always the one who gets outwitted. |
| 372 | * Myth/CelticMythology: |
| 373 | ** The {{leprechaun}}s are considered the most notable Irish version. If one should be lucky enough to catch a leprechaun, they should be very careful not to get distracted or take their eyes off them before they show you where their pot of gold is or grant you one or a few wishes, or the leprechaun will quickly run away, with very little chance of finding him again. |
| 374 | * Myth/ClassicalMythology has various examples, the main ones being descendants of TricksterGod Hermes. |
| 375 | ** Autolycus, [[ReallyGetsAround one of his multiple sons]], who is well known [[LamarckWasRight for having inherited his father's arts of theft and trickery]]. |
| 376 | ** [[TheSmartGuy Odysseus]], Hermes's great-grandson, although he uses his skills for [[BlackandGrayMorality hypothetically]] better purposes. |
| 377 | ** Sisyphus, the king of Corinth, was enough of a trickster that he used the gods' secrets to cheat death twice. Zeus ultimately had him punished by forcing him to roll a boulder up a mountain in Tartarus for all of eternity. |
| 378 | * Myth/JapaneseMythology: |
| 379 | ** The bird-like {{Tengu}} are an entire race of tricksters, playing pranks on those who offend them. |
| 380 | ** Although Susano'o has been labeled as a Trickster God, he's quite a subversion due to being a lot more barbaric and bloodthirsty than other examples, although he did have one moment of genuine Trickster-ness with how he disposed of {{Orochi}}. |
| 381 | * Myth/MesopotamianMythology: Inanna. In one Sumerian myth, she tricks her grandfather Ea into giving her the ''me'' (the arts and skills of civilization) by getting him drunk. |
| 382 | * Middle Eastern Folklore: |
| 383 | ** Nasreddin Hodja (in Persian- and Turkic-speaking countries)/Juha (or Joha or Guha or Goha or...) (in Arabic-speaking countries), the [[UsefulNotes/{{Islam}} Sufi Muslim]] Trickster. His stories typically portray him as a somewhat reluctant Muslim cleric and judge, and a bit of a fool, who nonetheless manages to outwit his neighbors. A few typical stories: |
| 384 | *** Nasreddin running an ''avant-le-lettre'' KansasCityShuffle on a hapless border guard: bringing donkeys carrying sacks of hay across the border, and always telling the guard that he's a smuggler. The guard searches the sacks but never finds anything but hay in the sacks. Years later, when the guard asks him what he was smuggling, Nasreddin/Juha just says "donkeys." |
| 385 | *** A specifically Egyptian tale has Goha being forced to sell his house against his will to a particularly unpleasant man who used shady dealings to cement the transaction. He hammers a nail into an interior wall of the house and uses the nail as an excuse to visit the old house whenever he likes. (To this day "Goha's nail" is an Egyptian term for something you intentionally leave at a place so you'll have an excuse to go back there later.) |
| 386 | *** Nasreddin/Juha is sitting in judgment in a lawsuit by the owner of a kebab stand against a poor man. The owner accuses the poor man of standing near the stand and enjoying the smell of the grilling meat as the poor man ate his bread, and demands payment. This exchange follows: |
| 387 | ---->'''Nasreddin:''' ''[to the poor man]'' Do you deny this?\ |
| 388 | '''Poor man:''' I do not.\ |
| 389 | '''Nasreddin:''' Do you have any coins?\ |
| 390 | '''Poor man:''' Just a few coppers.\ |
| 391 | '''Nasreddin:''' Give them here.\ |
| 392 | '''Poor man:''' Your Honor, they're all I have!\ |
| 393 | '''Nasreddin:''' That may be so, but please just give me those coins.\ |
| 394 | '''Poor man:''' Very well. ''[hands over the coins]''\ |
| 395 | '''Nasreddin:''' ''[to the stand owner]'' Pay close attention. ''[drops coins on the table]'' Did you hear that?\ |
| 396 | '''Stand owner:''' Yes, your Honor.\ |
| 397 | '''Nasreddin:''' Excellent. Now you take the sound of those coins as payment for the smell of the meat. ''[returns coins to poor man]'' |
| 398 | ** In a set of Middle Eastern animal fables, Kalila and Dimna, two trickster jackals, serve [[KingOfBeasts the king lion]] and nearly always outsmart other animals. |
| 399 | * Myth/NorseMythology: |
| 400 | ** Loki, if the number of works above that have made use of him wasn't an indication, is probably one of the most famous examples in this regard. In the original tales, Loki was the go-to GuileHero of the Norse gods, and there's numerous tales of him helping to solve many problems through the use of trickery and manipulation, often because the other gods were threatening to beat him to death if he didn't (though, this was often because it was ''him'' who caused a lot of the problems). |
| 401 | ** Its notable that in the stories, Loki became something of a deconstruction of this; his trickery and pranks eventually soiled his relationship with the other gods, who didn't like him much in the first place, which in turn made Loki resent them and become crueler in his jokes. This eventually led to Loki being bound to a boulder by the entrails of his murdered son where he spent years tortured by a snake dripping venom into his eyes (in the earlier stories, this was because he [[SacredHospitality lashed out at them during a dinner]] after they snubbed him and made fun of him behind his back, in the later, post-[[HijackedByJesus Christianization]] versions of the myths (in order to make the Aesir look less like psychotic jerks), this is in response for killing Baldr), until he broke out and lead the armies of Asgard's enemies against the gods, eventually leading to [[{{Gotterdammerung}} Ragnarok]]. |
| 402 | ** Odin is also a trickster in Norse mythology, though more beloved than Loki. One of Odin's common actions is [[SecretTestOfCharacter to hide as a human among mortals and check their hospitality, honor, etc]]. It's even theorized that Odin and Loki originated as the same character, but the myths evolved to split them so that the negative aspects were all concentrated into Loki. |
| 403 | * Maui, the demigod from Myth/PacificMythology, most recently depicted in ''WesternAnimation/{{Moana}}''. Among his achievements were stealing fire from the Underworld [=/=] (the island goddess Te Fiti's heart in ''Moana''), fishing out New Zealand (and the Hawaiian Islands, and basically every island Polynesians live on) from the ocean, and lassoing the sun so it wouldn't streak across the sky so quickly. "Lassoing" isn't the full story; he also beat the living crap out of the Sun until it agreed to slow down. |
| 404 | * Puerto Rico's Myth/JuanBobo is often characterized as a boy who does tricks to get out of situations. |
| 405 | * Hanuman of the Literature/{{Ramayana}}. Many scholars consider him a predecessor or even inspiration to the aforementioned Sun Wukong. |
| 406 | %% * Weesagechak |
| 407 | %% * Nanabush / Nanabozho |
| 408 | %% * Spider Woman |
| 409 | %% * [[Myth/NativeAmericanMythology Kokopelli]] |
| 410 | %% * [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwydion Gwydion]] |
| 411 | %% * Legbara |
| 412 | %% * Myth/{{Merlin}} |
| 413 | %% * Afrekete |
| 414 | %% * [[Myth/CelticMythology Puck / Robin Goodfellow]] |
| 415 | %% ** Manannan [=MacLir=], Aengus Og, and the Morrigan. |
| 416 | %% * Hershel of Ostropol |
| 417 | %% * Badger |
| 418 | %% * {{Dracula}} |
| 419 | %% * Harlequin |
| 420 | %% * Mr. Punch |
| 421 | %% * [[Literature/TheBible Jacob]] |
| 422 | %% * [[Myth/EgyptianMythology Thoth]] |
| 423 | %% ** [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huehuecoyotl Huehuecoyotl]] "Very Old [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything Coyote]]." |
| 424 | %% * Athena, in ''Literature/TheOdyssey'', though you wouldn't know it from her more [[TheSmartGirl modern]] portrayals. |
| 425 | %% ** Odysseus himself too. |
| 426 | %% * [[Literature/PussInBoots Puss in Boots]] |
| 427 | %% * [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heyoka Heyoka]] |
| 428 | %% * Uzume |
| 429 | %% * Jacob, who tricks his brother Esau out of his inheritance in the Bible. |
| 430 | %% * [[Literature/ArsGoetia Asmodeus]]. |
| 431 | [[/folder]] |
| 432 | |
| 433 | [[folder:Pro Wrestling]] |
| 434 | * If there is one professional wrestler who qualifies, it's "[[CharacterCatchPhrase Lie, Cheat, & Steal]]" Wrestling/EddieGuerrero. And to a lesser extent, his nephew Chavo (at least after Eddie's death). Eddie's favorite trick was to take advantage of the [[GlassJawReferee Glass-Jaw]]/[[EasilyDistractedReferee Easily Distracted Referee]] and couple it with a WoundedGazelleGambit (in which he'd slam a chair on the mat and toss it to his unwitting opponent before lying down) or LetsYouAndHimFight, such as using Shaniqua's whip on the Ref's rump before tossing it to Danny Basham. He became [[https://youtu.be/KgxsZYnruTU a fan favorite]] ''because'' of his [[https://youtu.be/32tN4kkeUM8 unabashed cheating]]. |
| 435 | * The large majority of exoticos, going back at least to Gardenia Davis in the 1940s, given that their method of winning involves destroying the opponent's masculine pride, rather than his physical body. |
| 436 | * Luscious Latasha, the cheerful Zumba enthusiast, uses lots of unconventional tricks during her matches to throw off her bigger opponents (nearly all of them). |
| 437 | * Second City Saints Ace Steel and Wrestling/ColtCabana, especially the latter, are more inclined to goof off during matches than try and hurt their opponents too much. |
| 438 | [[/folder]] |
| 439 | |
| 440 | [[folder:Tabletop Games]] |
| 441 | * ''TabletopGame/ArsMagica'': House Tytalus play this role in MagicalSociety, testing themselves and others in the belief that only conflict can inspire growth. The House gained a bad reputation when they tried to outwit {{Satan}} himself, resulting in widespread diabolism. |
| 442 | * ''TabletopGame/ChuubosMarvelousWishGrantingEngine'': Rinley, the Troublemaker. Rinley's job is twofold: first, to be TheHeart and provide a social glue holding the group together; and two, to mess with them in the process. If you need someone to break into a building through a window it doesn't actually have, switch people's hearts, push a pompous character like Leonardo into a koi pond or tell a story so convincing it deceives even people who saw what actually happened, you should get Rinley to do it. |
| 443 | * Creator/GamesWorkshop games: |
| 444 | ** In ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'', ''TabletopGame/WarhammerAgeOfSigmar'' and ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'', when not actively advancing the plots of the Great Deceiver, the Changeling spends its time amusing itself by using its powers to spread general chaos and confusion amongst mortals and daemons alike. |
| 445 | ** ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' specific examples: |
| 446 | *** The Deceiver is a weaker EldritchAbomination who is one of the bigger players in the GambitPileup in the setting. |
| 447 | *** The Laughing God is one of the [[HaveYouSeenMyGod few surviving gods of the Eldar]], whose followers are the [[MonsterClown Harlequins]] ([[NinjaPirateZombieRobot space elf ninja clown acrobat librarians]]). |
| 448 | *** The Space Wolf character Lukas the Trickster, a [[AlmightyJanitor low-ranking]] SpaceMarine who replaced one of his hearts with a [[AndIMustScream stasis bomb]] that [[TakingYouWithMe goes off on his death]]. The whole archetype is also part of the Space Wolves' hat. The majority are {{Boisterous Bruiser}}s to varying degrees, and many of the younger ones have a real fondness for harmless (or sometimes, not-so-harmless) [[ThePrankster practical jokes]]. Lukas is a prime example on how extreme the Space Wolves' rebellious nature can be, since he doesn't even respect superiors within his own chapter as much as any other character. |
| 449 | * ''TabletopGame/KitsuneOfFoxesAndFools'': The player's characters are [[AsianFoxSpirit Kitsune]] playing tricks on mortals to gain the approval of the Kitsune Elders. |
| 450 | * ''TabletopGame/{{Scion}}'' features several trickster gods from mythology, and the Trickster is one of the Callings. |
| 451 | * ''Franchise/TheWorldofDarkness'': |
| 452 | ** The pooka from ''TabletopGame/ChangelingTheDreaming'' are an animalistic kith given to unearthing the best (or worst) of people through their antics. Their kith weakness is that they cannot tell the whole truth unless they make an effort at it. |
| 453 | ** A watchtower is devoted to this concept in ''TabletopGame/MageTheAwakening'', the Acanthus. A fifth of mages in existence, and all of them devoted to the trickster concept of the Fool Tarot. |
| 454 | ** ''TableTopGame/VampireTheMasquerade'': Vampires of Clan Ravnos have always been this, with 5th Edition emphasizing it more than others; in earlier editions, they were depicted as a clan of vampiric RoguishRomani, but ValuesDissonance had them re-written as a more multi-cultural group. Modern Ravnos view themselves as heirs to the various trickster gods of humanity, such as Loki, Anansi, Hermes, and Coyote. In all cases, Ravnos Vampires have access to unique [[MasterOfIllusion illusory]] powers. |
| 455 | ** ''TabletopGame/WerewolfTheApocalypse'': |
| 456 | *** The Ragabash Auspice are the trickster class of the [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent Garou]], although they more closely resemble rogues or thieves in other RPG settings. Their role in the Garou society is to question the ways of the pack, in order to make the others think differently about how they do things. Often accomplished through trickery. Various Trickster spirits from mythology also appear as Totems for werewolves to follow. |
| 457 | *** There's an additional {{Splat}} of were-coyotes called the Nuwisha who are the Ragabash cranked up, although their "intended role" in the world is as the Teachers of Gaia, using their wiles to teach others lessons. Their backstory claims that their progenitor Coyote played a trick on Luna so heinous that she turned her back on him forever. Their Coyote takes the form of every trickster deity in the world, allowing players to choose which aspect of Coyote they want their character to follow. To cement their trickster status, the Nuwisha character sheets featured an entry for "Pants?". |
| 458 | *** The Corax were-ravens are also Trickster archetypes, although to a lesser extent. |
| 459 | * Taken at face value with the Trickster Archetype in ''TabletopGame/UnknownArmies''. |
| 460 | %%* ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}}'' has the Trickster Disadvantage. |
| 461 | %%* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'': Lunar Exalted. Quoth Robert "The Demented One" Vance:%%ZCE. Quotes are not context, and this one doesn't explain anything anyway. |
| 462 | %%-->''[[TheFairFolk Raksha]] are the drunken sorority girls to the Lunar's fratboy, except the Lunar's fratboy is a world-walking trickster-god werewolf.'' |
| 463 | [[/folder]] |
| 464 | |
| 465 | [[folder:Theatre]] |
| 466 | * Early plays frequently featured StockCharacters of this type, usually underlings or servants--a trope solidified by the plays of Creator/{{Plautus}}. This was carried on into the ''CommediaDellArte'' and Elizabethan plays, such as the works of Creator/{{Shakespeare}}. |
| 467 | * Pseudolus from ''Theatre/AFunnyThingHappenedOnTheWayToTheForum'' is an [[CompositeCharacter amalgam]] of every character of this type in Plautus. [[MeaningfulName His name means]] "[[ConsummateLiar liar]]", by the way. |
| 468 | * The eponymous character in ''Theatre/TheBarberOfSeville'' and ''Theatre/TheMarriageOfFigaro'' (it's the same guy). At the time of publishing "Marriage" (the sequel in canon, but made into an opera long before the first story), this kind of character being the lead in an opera was unheard of. Combined with Figaro being a commoner, it caused quite a stir in the music world. Needless to say, now they're some of the most beloved and famous operas in the world. |
| 469 | * In ''Theatre/GianniSchicchi'', the title character is this trope amped to ridiculous levels. His GambitPileup he makes up on the fly, hinging on the other characters' greed both for him to prevail in the end and get off with impunity. |
| 470 | * Cirque du Soleil's ''KOOZA'' doesn't mess around -- its GentlemanSnarker trickster figure is ''named'' The Trickster. Other trickster figures in Cirque include: |
| 471 | ** The Queen of the Night and the King of Fools in ''Theatre/LeCirqueReinvente'' |
| 472 | ** Madame Corporation and the Great Chamberlain in ''Nouvelle Experience'' (GreatGazoo) |
| 473 | ** Le Baron and Eddie in ''Saltimbanco'' (separate characters but played by the same actor), as well as the Baroques (a BlitheSpirit ''species'') |
| 474 | ** Brian Le Petit in ''Mystere''. |
| 475 | * An incredibly dark version of this is [[FalseFriend Iago]] from ''Theatre/{{Othello}}'' (sometimes spelled Otello for the opera). |
| 476 | * In some of Tomson Highway's plays, Nanabush is a prominent character but can either not be seen or fully recognized by most characters in part symbolizing a loss and marginalization of (Canadian) native culture. |
| 477 | %%* Tranio from ''Theatre/TheTamingOfTheShrew''--named for a similar character in Plautus' play ''Mostellaria''. |
| 478 | [[/folder]] |
| 479 | |
| 480 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 481 | * In the cartoon shorts produced by ''VideoGame/BendyAndTheInkMachine'''s Joey Drew Studios, Bendy is known to pull pranks on Boris, whether because Boris has just done something to deserve it or just ForTheLulz. |
| 482 | * Lance Galahad sure is one in ''VideoGame/BrainDead13'', especially when he plays a few ones on Fritz from the very beginning. |
| 483 | * ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' |
| 484 | ** Lorkhan (aka [[IHaveManyNames Shor, Shezarr, Sep, Lorkhajj, etc.]]), the [[GodIsDead "dead" creator god]] of Mundus, the mortal plane, is said to be this even by those religions with a highly favorable view of him. Depending on the telling, he convinced/tricked some of the other pre-creation spirits (Anu et'Ada or Aedra) into sacrificing a large portion of their power in order to create the mortal world. Feeling betrayed by him, these other spirits "killed" him, cut out his heart (or "divine center"), and cast it down into the world he helped to create, where his spirit is forced to wander. The races of Mer (Elves), particularly the Altmer, typically despise him as they believe he robbed their ancestors of their pre-creation divinity and forced them to experience mortal loss and suffering. The races of Men (especially the Nords and Imperials) instead view him as a cosmic GreaterScopeParagon and champion of Mankind. |
| 485 | ** This is within the realm of Sheogorath, the [[OurGodsAreDifferent Daedric Prince]] of [[MadGod Madness]]. One of his favorite games is making mortals or even other Daedra look like idiots. The lesson is usually "don't underestimate/bargain with/upset/stand near/shirk worship of Sheogorath", but it can be kinder ("there's always room for creativity") or crueler ("there's madness within us all"), [[MoodSwinger depending on his whims]]... |
| 486 | ** The [[PhysicalGod Tribunal deity]] Vivec, most prominently seen in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'', has this as one of his "mythic roles." A cunning WarriorPoet, Vivec has been known to bedevil the universe's other divine beings, especially if they mess with his people (though he is known to [[UnreliableNarrator exaggerate his role]] in some of these events and tells a number of [[MetaphoricallyTrue Metaphorical Truths]] to make him seem [[DeityOfHumanOrigin more divine than he really is]]). He also implies (steeped in heavy metaphor) that his "godhood" essentially comes from [[spoiler:[[BreakingTheFourthWall realizing that he's in a video game]] and using that knowledge to "edit" the situation around him]]. When he disappeared in the 4th Era, so did his power keeping the Ministry of Truth (originally the "rogue moon" Baar Dau) floating over Vivec City. Even with people sacrificing souls to Clavicus Vile, the Daedric Prince of [[DealWithTheDevil Bargains]] and [[LiteralGenie Wishes]] to keep it afloat, it fell with the same momentum it had before Vivec stopped it and annihilated the island. In its wake Vivec City turning into the Scathing Bay, Red Mountian erupted, Vvardenfell became covered in choking ash, and the survivors were forced to evacuate. And then [[TheDogBitesBack the Argonians invaded]]... |
| 487 | * Kefka from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' falls squarely into the "evil trickster" mold, then becomes [[MonsterClown something even worse]]. |
| 488 | * Yuffie Kisaragi and Cait Sith from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII''. The former enjoys stealing the party's money if they prove unsuccesful in convincing her to come along, while Cait Sith likes giving out fortunes [[spoiler:while pretending to be an ally, being TheMole controlled by Reeve Tuesti within Shinra.]] |
| 489 | %%* Namine from ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' |
| 490 | %%* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime's'' Nabooru, ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess''' Midna, and hauntingly with ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask's'' Skull Kid. |
| 491 | * In ''VideoGame/NEOTheWorldEndsWithYou'', [[spoiler:Motoi Anezawa]] turns out be this, whose fame as [[spoiler:An0ther is all a huge con he created by stealing quotes from other people and taking all the credit from them to become a social sensation. He then uses this for his advantage in the Reapers' Game by controlling Rindo, who was a big fan of his until he found out that Motoi was using him in order to claim a spot as a Reaper. Needless to say, [[BrokenPedestal Rindo is disgusted]] and beats him so.]] |
| 492 | * ''VideoGame/Persona5'': Discussed, with the game outright asking you to take the role of a "Trickster" in the OpeningNarration. Your protagonist is unsurprisingly a seemingly quiet and docile high schooler who ends up embracing a SecretIdentity as a notorious GentlemanThief out to reform the world through covert activities like HeelFaceBrainwashing corrupt serial abusers in positions of power. |
| 493 | * ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'' introduces us to Zorua/Zoroark and Cottonee/Whimsicott. Cottonee has Prankster as one of its abilities, and Zorua can actually disguise itself as another Pokémon to trick its enemies. |
| 494 | * One of the most iconic tricksters in gaming is Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog, who has a reputation as a MascotWithAttitude, and ranges from being a SilentSnarker in the classic Sega Genesis games to a plain old DeadpanSnarker in the modern era (and anything where he's not a HeroicMime). He performs heroic feats and foils Dr. Eggman's plans while humiliating him in a manner reminiscent of characters like WesternAnimation/BugsBunny. |
| 495 | * In ''VideoGame/StrayGods'', Pan being god of mischief leads him to tell half-truths and play pranks, such as spreading the rumor about Cupid being a winged baby, to Eros's displeasure. |
| 496 | * Juppo and Meg from the ''VideoGame/{{Suikoden}}'' series are "tricksters" by occupation. |
| 497 | * Dimentio from ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'' manages to combine this with MonsterClown. |
| 498 | %%* ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' has Yukari Yakumo and Tewi Inaba. |
| 499 | * Illidan Stormrage from ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'': He managed to deceive demon lords and to gain their powers (The vision of Sargeras, for example). He had a cunning and inventive intellect- he was the first demon hunter, using the powers of the Burning Legion against itself. His "gift" for the night elves slightly reminds at the Titan Prometheus, too. The arcane is comparable to fire: It can lead both to high cultural advantages (the elves of the magical kingdom Quel'thalas were admired even by the mages of Dalaran for their perfection in the arcane arts) and immense destruction). Additionally, Illidan had traits of an Anti-Hero. |
| 500 | ** Actually, the Night Elves already had magic but abandoned it after nearly destroying Azeroth by overusing/abusing it. Prometheus did bring fire to the humans, while Illidan brought hellfire to the Night Elves. |
| 501 | [[/folder]] |
| 502 | |
| 503 | [[folder:Visual Novels]] |
| 504 | %%* {{Highly Visible|Ninja}} [[PhantomThief Thief]] Kay Faraday of ''VisualNovel/AceAttorneyInvestigations''. |
| 505 | * Kokichi Oma in ''VisualNovel/{{Danganronpa V3|Killing Harmony}}'' initially appears as an annoying prankster with a penchant for lying, and is likened to an attention-wanting child. In reality, he is a master of XanatosSpeedChess, coming up with schemes to beat the killing game, with his methods ranging from comical to outright cruel, and manipulating everyone to do his bidding. Kokichi intentionally makes himself out to be a villain who enjoys the killing game [[spoiler:before revealing he's the mastermind who started it all]]. Except [[spoiler:that's a lie, and he actually ''loathes'' the killing game, and all of his actions have been in an effort to end it. To that extent, he even comes up with a way to meddle in the class trials postmortem after arranging for his own murder]]. Kokichi also shows some shades of TricksterMentor to Shuichi during their Free Time Events, explaining in his own convoluted way that it's possible to win a game by not playing [[spoiler:which is ultimately how they beat Team Danganronpa]]. |
| 506 | * In ''VisualNovel/Remember11'', Yuni is (rightfully) called Trickster in the opening credits, to go with the game's Jungian tones. |
| 507 | [[/folder]] |
| 508 | |
| 509 | [[folder:Web Animation]] |
| 510 | * El Corretón from ''WebAnimation/CalicoElectronico'' isn't portrayed as outright evil, but more like someone who ''really'' likes pranking people... and happens to own a SuperSpeed machine. |
| 511 | * ''WebAnimation/{{Dreamscape}}'': Keedran likes getting under people's skin and making them question things. She also hates doing things 'by-the-book' of her fellow guardians like Kai, which sometimes annoys them. |
| 512 | * ''WebAnimation/DSBTInsaniT'': As Lisa tells Koden and the others in 'The Camping Episode', she doesn't have anything against them, she just likes to mess with them. Especially Asia. |
| 513 | [[/folder]] |
| 514 | |
| 515 | [[folder:Webcomics]] |
| 516 | * ''Webcomic/BronzeSkinInc'': The Saci that appears in one chapter is one. He takes after Looney Tunes characters both in his design and his Reality Warper abilities taking the form of Cartoon Physics. |
| 517 | * In ''Webcomic/EightBitTheater'' the totemic spirit Raven once tricked Thief into thinking that he had died and was now in his own personal hell where he owned everything (and there was nothing left to steal). Then, several comics after "reviving him" tried to collect on the debt Thief owed him, instead Thief [[INeverSaidItWasPoison tricked Raven]] into admitting that he was never dead. |
| 518 | * Sam "Some of my people have even survived after uttering the phrase 'Watch This!'" Starfall, of ''Webcomic/{{Freefall}}''. [[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff300/fv00288.htm Sam claims this is good for humanity.]] (Also, his species.) Many other characters have elements of this as well; heroine Florence Ambrose is even [[UpliftedAnimal a relative of Coyote's]]. |
| 519 | * AprilFoolsDay in the webcomic ''Webcomic/HolidayWars'' is a shapeshifting prankster. |
| 520 | * ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}:'' |
| 521 | ** John Egbert. You cannot hope to beat Egbert in a prank-off. He is simply the best there is. It also seems to run in the family. |
| 522 | ** A more supernatural example in the vein of Coyote is Godcat, who is just as likely to teleport you into a paddock across town in the middle of a heavy rainstorm for giggles as he is to save you from an explosion by summoning a convenient couch floating in midair. |
| 523 | * In ''Webcomic/KoanOfTheDay'', the tortoise is a Trickster, able to [[http://www.koanoftheday.com/4/ easily subvert another's beliefs]]. |
| 524 | * Chaos of ''Webcomic/LifeAndDeath''. Plays cross-dimensional golf, teaches people to hold their tempers in the most obnoxious way possible, and can be a show off. [[BewareTheNiceOnes DO NOT piss him off though.]] |
| 525 | * In ''Webcomic/AMagicalRoommate'', Mermaids are, as a culture, deliberately annoying. In an inversion of typical sirens, mermaid musicians can actually cause shipmen to suicide crash simply due to the utter cacophony. |
| 526 | -->"I know! To regain our surprise, let's perform [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Morning Screams!"]] |
| 527 | * Coyote and Reynardine (based somewhat on the above-mentioned ''Literature/ReynardTheFox'') from ''Webcomic/GunnerkriggCourt''. |
| 528 | * [[Film/{{Labyrinth}} Jareth]] is the resident one in the [[FanFic fan]][[{{Webcomic}} comic]] ''Webcomic/{{Roommates}}'' and its SpinOff s (''Webcomic/GirlsNextDoor'' and ''Webcomic/DownTheStreet''), but his [[TangledFamilyTree whole]] [[TheFairFolk family]] has shades of this. |
| 529 | %%* In ''Webcomic/{{Strays}}'', [[http://www.straysonline.com/comic/151.htm Holland]]. |
| 530 | %%* In ''Webcomic/ThistilMistilKistil'', [[http://tmkcomic.depleti.com/comic/ch02-pg22/ Loki, true to form.]] |
| 531 | * Nudge from ''Webcomic/WapsiSquare'' is [[http://wapsisquare.com/comic/trickster/ a classic trickster.]] She eventually discovers that she is the kind of trickster who makes people want to punch her. |
| 532 | * In ''Webcomic/TheWaterPhoenixKing'', the goddess Ailari, patron of travelers, messengers, merchants, inns, freedom, and fortune. Her various servants and champions all embody these aspects in different ways, starting with Anthem's protests that she's nobody's servant, thankyouverymuch, and Gilgam's shameless [[RulesLawyer Rules Lawyering]] and outright deceptions to see justice done without giving her away. (Vish even has Hermes' winged sandals, for all his Lawful inclinations.) |
| 533 | -->'''Vish:''' ...Lady Luck. My Goddess. Yours now. Sanctifier of Journeys, Lady of Crossroads, Gallows-Girl of Thieves and the Courts of Night. |
| 534 | * Rowan's speciality in ''Webcomic/WeakHero''. He makes up for his lack of strength by constantly exaggerating the feats of himself and his allies, escaping fights by intimidating his foes with tales that are a mix of fact and fiction. |
| 535 | -->Hopping between facts and lies, it was the exaggerating trickster Rowan Im's chaotic bullshit party! |
| 536 | [[/folder]] |
| 537 | |
| 538 | [[folder:Web Original]] |
| 539 | * This ends up being Shayma's class in Literature/BlueCore, a role she settles into well as the story progresses. |
| 540 | * Hermes shows up in the 7th ''Literature/ChronoHustle'' story. While it is his status as messenger of the Gods that is in play, his trickster tendencies show up as well. |
| 541 | * ''Roleplay/SurvivalOfTheFittest'': Liz Polanski. Oh Liz. This is a character who starts out her game ObfuscatingInsanity by slicing the head off a dead body and carrying it around, smearing her face with makeup, and overall trying to make herself look as AxCrazy as possible in front of other students so they'll leave her alone. She then one-ups herself by [[spoiler:pouring melted aluminum all over her collar to deactivate it]]. And it ''works''. |
| 542 | * Coober the Wizard in ''WebVideo/UnforgottenRealmsLive''. He tried to sell the main party a bunch of cursed artifacts in ''The Nuren Campaign'', and he disguised himself as a Kobold for unknown reasons in ''The Sunswords''. |
| 543 | * The [[WebVideo/HitlerRants YouTube parodies]] of ''[[Film/{{Downfall}} Der Untergang]]'' turn Hermann Fegelein into a Trickster ArchEnemy of Hitler. Everything that goes wrong in the Third Reich can be attributed to Fegelein and his antics. Himmler helps him out on it too on at least one occasion, and is pretty explicitly said in the parodies to also have been a major trickster. |
| 544 | * ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse:'' |
| 545 | ** While Beltane and Thorn both see themselves as tricksters among the students at [[SuperheroSchool Whateley Academy]], they are nothing compared to Sun Wu Kong, who has been plaguing Bladedancer ever since his first appearance. |
| 546 | ** Sun isn't the only TricksterGod to show up at the school, either. It is known that Tracer is the incarnation of [[Myth/GreekMythology Hermes]], for example, and while he has only shown up in-story occasionally, it's been mentioned that he's been playing pranks around school. In the Gen 2 stories, there are hints that [[Myth/JapaneseMythology Ame-no-Uzume]]'s Paladin may be showing up soon (it has also been mentioned that Benzaiten and Susano-o are also looking for Paladins, so things may get a bit crowded when it comes to PhysicalGods sometime in 2016 - again). |
| 547 | ** When [[Myth/NativeAmericanMythology Coyote]] shows up on [[MagicalNativeAmerican Pejuta's]] doorstep, things get DarkerAndEdgier very quickly, and for a character arc that involves rape, multiple murders, and an attempted frame-up, that's saying a lot. |
| 548 | [[/folder]] |
| 549 | |
| 550 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 551 | * The Magic Man from ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' lives solely to knock heroes down a peg. |
| 552 | * [[Characters/AvatarTheLastAirbenderAvatarAang Avatar Aang]] from ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', before he [[CharacterDevelopment developed as a character]]. |
| 553 | * WesternAnimation/BugsBunny, the former TropeNamer, is claimed to be a cross between Br'er Rabbit and [[Creator/TheMarxBrothers Groucho Marx]], himself an example. Likewise, many other characters from UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation can fit this archetype like WesternAnimation/WoodyWoodpecker, WesternAnimation/ScrewySquirrel, WesternAnimation/ChipAndDale, and pre-{{Flanderization}} WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck. |
| 554 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'': Cosmo and Wanda were this in the [[WesternAnimation/OhYeahCartoons Oh Yeah Cartoon]] shorts, but this was [[CharacterizationMarchesOn phased out]] in favor of Cosmo [[TookALevelInDumbAss taking several levels in dumbass]], and Wanda becoming [[WomenAreWiser the voice of reason]]. |
| 555 | * Bill Cipher from ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' can ''definitely'' be classed as one. One with RealityWarping powers and the disposition of a PsychopathicManchild... [[ThisIsGonnaSuck This can't end well...]] |
| 556 | -->'''Bill:''' It's funny how dumb you are. |
| 557 | * On the other end of the spectrum, Orko from ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse'' tended to rely on tricks and such for fighting, if only because his magic was severely nerfed while he was on Eternia. |
| 558 | * June from ''WesternAnimation/KaBlam'' is basically a female, human, eleven-year-old version of WesternAnimation/BugsBunny. |
| 559 | * Mr. Cat from ''WesternAnimation/{{Kaeloo}}'' usually tricks the others into giving him things he wants. It helps that [[SurroundedByIdiots he's the only actual smart character in the cast.]] |
| 560 | * ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': |
| 561 | ** [[Characters/FriendshipIsMagicDiscord Discord]] looks and acts like a Trickster, but beneath it there's a hidden side of malice. Also, when push comes to shove and trickery fails, he's not above just CuttingTheKnot to get what he wants. Becomes a straight example after his HeelFaceTurn. |
| 562 | * T.J. Detweiler from ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}''. King Bob was this as well before he became king of the playground. |
| 563 | * When she wasn't tossing around shadowbolts like party favors, Shadow Weaver of ''WesternAnimation/SheRaPrincessOfPower'' fame often used her magic to trick and befuddled the Rebellion with illusions. Imp also tended to take the Trickster archetype whenever he felt the need to directly interact with the good guys. |
| 564 | * [[Characters/TheSimpsonsBartSimpson Bart Simpson]] from ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' was often such in older episodes ("The Telltale Head" and "Radio Bart", for example). A number of books written about ''The Simpsons'' have compared it to African trickster tales, where the smaller, cunning creatures (hare, spider, tortoise) outwit the larger dumber animals (lion, elephant, hyena). He sometimes uses trickster methods with school bullies like Jimbo, Kearney and Dolph, and especially on certain authority figures like Principal Skinner, and Homer. Even when dealing with a cunning foe like Sideshow Bob, he relies on his wits to defeat him. |
| 565 | * WordOfGod describes ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan'' versions of Spidey himself and the Green Goblin this way. |
| 566 | * Digeri Dingo from ''WesternAnimation/TazMania''. He often tricks Taz into doing dangerous things for his own profit. To keep him from being TheScrappy, he's got some of the wittiest, most hilarious lines in the series and could possibly fall into EnsembleDarkHorse status because of this. |
| 567 | * Babs and Buster Bunny from ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures'' inherit this from their mentor ''WesternAnimation/BugsBunny'', but especially Babs. |
| 568 | * In ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown'', one of the first things Raimundo does is pants Omi and complain about the mat beds. |
| 569 | %%* WesternAnimation/MartinMystery |
| 570 | %%* Heather from ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama'' |
| 571 | %%* Norman from ''WesternAnimation/FiremanSam'' |
| 572 | %%* Norm the Genie from ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'' |
| 573 | %%* The Dingo family in ''WesternAnimation/BlinkyBill'', but mostly Danny and Daisy. |
| 574 | %%* Hexadecimal of ''WesternAnimation/ReBoot''. Off the wall, powerful and above all, an artist. |
| 575 | %%* Heloise of ''WesternAnimation/JimmyTwoShoes''. |
| 576 | %%** Princess Celestia from the same show is a good version of this trope. |
| 577 | %%** Varrick from the sequel ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra''. |
| 578 | [[/folder]] |
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