* ContestedSequel: It wasn't one originally, but it has slowly become one for fans over time. Its detractors often cite its short length, RandomEventsPlot, unlikable protagonist, unbalanced post-game, and outdated graphics as reasons. Ironically, ''3'' is generally praised as having the [[LoveToHate strongest villain]] in the series.
* CrazyIsCool: Sapphire is completely off her nut, and we all love her for it.
* EnsembleDarkhorse: Salvatore and Big Star are both well-loved. More broadly, Raspberyl is far and away the most popular character, going on to receive hefty cameos in subsequent titles, and Aurum is considered by many to be the best ''Disgaea'' villain.
* FridgeBrilliance: Why does the middle finger of Mao's father have the evility OneManArmy (increases the unit's stats by 100% if all other allies are defeated)? He's [[FlippingTheBird giving you the bird when it's the only finger that remains]]!
* GameBreaker: [[GameBreaker/{{Disgaea}} Has its own page]].
* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: Sapphire has a much larger fan base in America than in Japan.
* GoodBadBugs: Two well-known bugs are commonly exploited to great effect by most players in the meta game.
** For some reason, the Guardian innocent gives its boost to all equipment under it rather than just the equip it's inside.
** Normally, it's impossible to steal items from clones, but the Puppy Paw Stick weapon has a special effect that has a 20% chance to steal an item from an enemy upon killing them. This even works on Class Dropouts, a special type of clone. Using this method, you can duplicate your strongest items with only a little bit of patience.
*** Furthermore, despite the popularity and widespread nature of these bugs, they have never been fixed during any of the many patches that have been made available since the game's release.
* HarsherInHindsight: The fandom’s jokes regarding Mao being a MemeticMolester become a lot less funny given allegations regarding Creator/VicMignogna.
* HePannedItNowHeSucks: To say there was a fire storm over IGN's 6.7 review is an understatement. The review mostly focused on graphics and wrongly claims that there are no gameplay improvements (an observant gamer will notice them in 15 minutes of play). IGN then went on to place this game in the "tears" section of strategy games which describes games that should be avoided at all costs. Once again, the article spends all its time bashing the game over its graphics. That's not to say that graphics, which are essentially the same as the ones used in the previous [=PS2=] installments, weren't bad or very much disappointing. But the specific way the review kept hammering on it constantly without going into detail on much else.
* HilariousInHindsight: The Prism Ranger stage's dialogue is much funnier in the US version once you realize that Creator/JohnnyYongBosch was once a [[Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers Power Ranger]].
** Almaz's comment about wanting to be the charming and dashing Prism Blue becomes even funnier in the Fuka Desco Show because Prism Blue is played by Creator/JohnnyYongBosch.
** Hey Rozalin, remember when Laharl said that the only reason you and Adell defeated him was because you were the [[VideoGame/Disgaea2CursedMemories main characters]] and you said that was a stupid reason? Not so stupid anymore, is it?
* HoYay: Between Mao and Almaz. It doesn't help that they have a master/slave relationship and Mao can't stop touching Almaz, if only [[ForScience in the name of science.]]
** Almaz' whole point of staying with Mao beside being forced into a slave is to open his heart. Now, anyone could have opened Mao's heart, but it's Almaz that has to open it to the point that he's considered [[spoiler:a threat to the main villain's plan.]] And [[spoiler:when Almaz dies, Mao's reaction is to yell at him for dying on him. While his true self is the one that returns Almaz' title and brings him back to life, given that his true self values Almaz more than anything, it goes to say what the real Mao thinks about him.]]
* JerkassWoobie: Stella shows herself to not be a nice person, [[spoiler:but it turns out she was determined to please her abusive father, working so hard even after he was killed by Aurum and couldn't accept he was dead]]. Then there's also how [[spoiler:Stella's sanity was of [[SanitySlippage questionable status]] during the events of the game]].
* LoveToHate: [[BrokenPedestal Aurum]] being such a bastard has made him the most popular villain in the series.
* MemeticMolester: [[ForScience In the name of science]], Mao will grope you. The fact that he actually does grope Almaz doesn't help his case. Neither does his heavy breathing and panting, which either sounds like he's masturbating (English) or having an orgasm (Japanese).
** When Creator/VicMignogna, Mao's voice actor, heard that Creator/JohnnyYongBosch would be doing Almaz, his response was "''YESSSSSSSSSSS! HE'S MY SLAVE!''", adding to his MemeticMolester status.
** ''VisualNovel/DisgaeaInfinite'' shows that he's even worse in this regard. Seems NIS is aware of Mao's memetic mutation and has decided to have some fun with it.
** And his list of targets keeps on growing with every appearance. Poor [[VideoGame/Disgaea4APromiseUnforgotten Desco]]...
*** And then NIS decided the joke's getting old in D2, when it's outright stated that Mao isn't a pervert in a way that's directed at the fans.
* MemeticMutation: Sapphire being just a weee bit AxeCrazy is getting a lot more focus in the fandom (including here) than in the series...
** [[DoABarrelRoll DO A]] [[PunnyName BERYL]] [[VideoGame/StarFox ROLL.]]
* MoralEventHorizon: The details of Super Hero Aurum's plot in episode 8 (including causing the death of his #1 fan) certainly qualifies. The cast agrees.
** Raspberyl points this trope out when she lectures Mao in episode 7.
** [[spoiler: Mao crosses it in the bad ending when he gives in to his SuperpoweredEvilSide and decides to destroy humanity.]]
* ScrappyMechanic: Like previous Disgaea games, the key to becoming truly powerful lies in reincarnations. Unlike previous games, the cost of reincarnating doubles each time you do, making the heights of power prohibitively expensive pretty quickly.
* {{Squick}}: Marjoly has an ability called [[KissOfDeath "Oh, Marjoly"]], where she delivers a long and deadly kiss to her opponent which for some reason deals massive damage. However, due to the size of Baal, whenever she uses this ability on him, her head ends up at crotch height. Unintentional, maybe, but [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--22P2AFang it's very hard to ignore.]]
* TheWoobie: About half the fandom treats Almaz as one. [[MostFanficWritersAreGirls Guess which half.]]
** He gains more woobie points in the Almaz ending as well as [[spoiler:the worst ending, in which he stays dead.]]
** [[spoiler: Played for laughs in another ending where he becomes overlord after defeating Mao in a duel. [[OutOfCharacterMoment Almost everyone in the cast wants to kill him, kick his ass or both, simply because he's bearing the overlord title(yes, even princess Sapphire, who earlier confessed her love to him).]] Also, Almaz tried to refuse the title, but he didn't have much of a choice in the matter. The ending basically says that Almaz is condemned to be a ButtMonkey for the rest of his life. ]]