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Or how a series with an Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist steeped in sarcasm and absurdity still manages to have an impressive number of Moments of Awesome.

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    The Black Adder 
  • "Born to be King":
    • Edmund almost succeeding in making himself the Prince Regent by proving that his brother Harry is illegitimate. It's only ruined because he accidentally read the date on the letters and realized that HE was the bastard, not Harry. Harry had already agreed to give up his claim to the throne and go into exile — if Edmund hadn't kept reading, the show would have been two episodes long.
    • Edmund tricking his violent cousin Dougal MacAngus, Duke of Argyll, into sticking his own head in front of a lit cannon: thereby getting back the lands of Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles that he'd previously promised to hand over to him in a bid to avoid being killed. It's made even better by it being a Call-Back to an earlier — and seemingly rejected — assassination plot, and the fact the normally-idiotic Edmund successfully gets away with it by making his crime look like a tragic accident.
    • An Offscreen Moment of Awesome that still counts — Richard IV, trapped inside the gates of Constantinople, manages to dispatch a small army of Turkish warriors armed with scimitars, only with the aid of his trusty fruit-knife.
    • Dougal MacAngus. A Violent Glaswegian if there ever was one. You wouldn't expect this man to be more than that. He turns out to have pulled a very successful scheme of making a fool out of Edmund with Affair Letters, Exact Words, his own father's dark past, and a Hoist by His Own Petard moment where Edmund got called out as a potential bastard - All just to be a Troll. You have to see it to believe it.
  • "The Archbishop": Edmund, as the Archbishop of Canterbury, tricks a dying nobleman into signing over his lands to the crown instead of the church, by telling him that Hell is for people who like depravities like the nobleman had indulged in in life (incest, adultery, murder etc...) and he would be incredibly bored in Heaven. This is one of the few times Edmund is as scheming and intelligent as his descendants, and is also one of the few times Richard IV shows him genuine respect.
  • Imminent death by burning at the stake, courtesy of the Witchsmeller Pursuivant. There's no way out! Or is there? One dropped voodoo doll from an unexpected source later, and the Witchsmeller expires spectacularly in a ball of flames, while Edmund, Baldrick and Percy are free! And where did he get the voodoo doll? His normally-apathetic mother the Queen made it for him!
  • From "The Black Seal":
    • Edmund's rant-inducing slight, in which our slimy, pathetic protagonist is finally pushed too far and decides Let's Get Dangerous! after being stripped of all his titles except Lord of the Privvies —
    • Baldrick and Percy managing to stop the Black Seal from murdering the Royal Court and taking over the kingdom. Slightly negated when Percy's stupidity manages to get the court killed anyway, but at least they saved England!

    Blackadder II 
  • Lord Flashheart's entrance at the end of "Bells".
    • Flashheart himself is pretty much a walking, talking (and shagging) Moment of Awesome.
  • From "Money" — "Bloody cheek! I'll show them!" Blackadder pulls himself out of a Heroic BSoD, saving his own life and extorting a notoriously violent and corrupt priest for everything he's worth.
  • The Great Booze-Up monologue from "Beer", mentioned in the Funny page, is also this.
  • From "Chains":
    • Edmund and Melchett's double Groin Attack on their guards.
      Edmund: Trust me to get the hard one!
    • When captured, Edmund spends the entire time snarking at his captors.
    • During the end credits Edmund finally catches the balladeer and dunks him in the fountain.

    Blackadder the Third 
  • Pitt the Younger unleashes a major comeback insult at Prince George in "Dish and Dishonesty".
    Blackadder: Mr. Pitt is the Prime Minister, sir.
    Prince George: Oh go on! Is he? What, young snotty here?
    Pitt the Younger: I'd rather have a runny nose than a runny brain.
    • Sadly, it flies right over George's head.
  • Baldrick finally gets to fire back at Edmund's insults, when it appears he has left for good in "Sense and Senility":
    Blackadder: Baldrick, I would like to say how much I will miss your honest, friendly companionship... but as we both know, it would be an utter lie. I will therefore content myself with saying "Sod off, and if I ever meet you again, it'll be 20 billion years too soon"! (he leaves)
    Baldrick: (completely nonchalant) Goodbye, you lazy, big-nosed, rubber-faced bastard.
    • In the same episode; Blackadder taking advantage of Prince George's inability to discern fiction from reality to get revenge on the jerkass actors, by "confirming" the belief of both George and Baldrick that they're violent anarchists out to kill them as opposed to simply rehearsing a play. Even though it's probably not meant to be awesome, it's immensely satisfying to see Edmund give the two smug snakes their comeuppance — especially when he yells "MACBETH!" after them as they're being taken away to be tortured and executed on charges of treason. It also gets him a massive pay rise and the opportunity to convince the Prince to take the lead role in a play Blackadder himself has penned... "Thick Jack Clot Sits in the Stocks and Gets Pelted With Rancid Tomatoes".
  • From "Ink and Incapability"
    • Doctor Johnson corners Blackadder to demand his dictionary back and goes through the litany of sacrifices he made while backing a terrified Blackadder against the fireplace:
      Dr Johnson: The one that has taken eighteen hours of every day for the last ten years. My mother died, I hardly noticed. My father cut off his head and fried it in garlic in the hope of attracting my attention, I scarcely looked up from my work. My wife brought armies of lovers to the house, who worked in droves so that she might bring up a huge family of bastards! I cared not!
  • From "Duel and Duality":
    • Edmund Blackadder, Esq. ends up alive, and fully set up to take over the prince's identity. And unlike the one of Back & Forth mentioned below, he doesn't have the help of a time machine; he's just that good. (Unless that actually was how his descendant influenced history.)
    • Similarly, him punching out Prince George in the same episode. It might have been to keep up appearances, but surely Blackadder enjoyed punching out the idiot who made his life such a hell.
      • He also gives him a "The Reason You Suck" Speech when he wants to back out and George tries to make him keep his word. George has to promise him everything just to get Blackadder to continue.

    Blackadder Goes Forth 
  • The opening credits, starting with Captain Edmund Blackadder leading a column of soldiers marching to "The British Grenadiers". Despite taking a step down the social ladder with each series, this is the first time we see Blackadder exercising a position of real authority, and one he likely had to earn through his own hard work, perseverance, and cleverness.
  • "Private Plane":
    • Flashheart shooting the Red Baron during the middle of his monologue.
      Flashheart: WHAT A POOF!!
    • Also later in that episode, Flashheart chewing out Captain Darling for not bothering to go look for Blackadder after he was captured (his excuse being that it wasn't a "reasonable use of [their] time and resources").
      Flashheart: Well, this isn't a reasonable use of my time and resources, but I'm gonna do it anyway.
      Darling: What?
      Flashheart: This! (headbutts Darling right in the face, knocking him unconscious)
    • And just before that, the usually easy-going and subordinate Lieutenant George standing up to Darling for doing so, vowing to help Blackadder anyway regardless of what his superior wants.
      Darling: Don't take that tone with me, Lieutenant, or I'll have you on charge for insubordination!
      George: Well I'd rather be on a charge for insubordination than on a charge for deserting a friend!
    • An oft-overlooked one in that episode is Blackadder's first time flying a plane. Despite having had almost no professional training and the average life expectancy of their unit being twenty minutes, he manages to fly the plane reasonably well — even despite Baldrick messing around — and actually manages a successful crash-landing, going by them both being okay afterward despite being shot down.
  • "General Hospital":
    • Blackadder's entire Good Cop/Bad Cop interrogation of Captain Darling when he's trying to find the German spy in the hospital. While Edmund knows Darling isn't the spy, him taking the opportunity to make his Smug Snake nemesis suffer as much as he can by accusing and grilling him anyway — reducing Darling to a terrified, sobbing wreck in the process — is both awesome and hilarious.
      (Darling is tied to a chair, with a potty on his head)
      Darling: This is completely ridiculous, Blackadder! You can't suspect me, I've only just arrived.
      Edmund: The first rule of counterespionage, Darling, is to suspect everyone. Believe me, I shall be asking myself pretty searching questions later on. Now, tell me; what is the colour of the Queen of England's favourite hat?
      Darling: H-how the hell should I know?
      Edmund: I see. Well, let me ask you another question; what is the name of the German Head of State?
      Darling: Well, Kaiser Wilhelm, obviously.
      Edmund: (stands) So you're on first-name terms with the Kaiser, are you?
      Darling: (shouts) Well, what did you expect me to say?
      Edmund: Darling, Darling, shh... (offers) Cigarette?
      Darling: (Edmund puts the cigarette in his mouth and begins to light it) Thank you.
      Edmund: (Beat, before suddenly slapping the cigarette away) ALRIGHT, YOU STINKING PIECE OF CRAP!
      Darling: (taken aback) I beg your pardon?!
      Edmund: Shut your cakehole, sonny! I know you! Tell me, von Darling; what was it that finally won you over, eh? Was it the pumpernickel, or was it the thought of hanging around with big men in leather shorts?
      Darling: I'll have you court-martialled for this, Blackadder!
      Edmund: What, for obeying the general's orders? That may be what you do in Munich — or should I say Munchen? — but not here, Wernher! You're a filthy Hun spy, aren't you?! (calls) Baldrick, the cocker spaniel, please!
      Darling: (crying out in fear) Agh! No! No, no, wait! No, look, I'm engaged! I was born in Croydon; I was educated in Ebelthorpe primary school; I've got a girlfriend called Doris; I know the words to all three verses of God Save the King!
      Edmund: (clearly enjoying this) Four verses...
      Darling: FOUR VERSES, FOUR VERSES! I meant four verses! Look, I'm as British as Queen Victoria!
      Edmund: So your father's German, you're half German, and you married a German?!
      Darling: (weeping hysterically) No! NO! LOOK, FOR GOD'S SAKE, I'M NOT A GERMAN SPYYYYYYYYYYYY!
      Edmund: (instantly calms down) Good, thanks very much. Send in the next man, would you?
    • And then, topping it off, there's his parting shot at Darling as Nurse Mary enters and he gets to leave... which Blackadder does without bothering to untie him from the chair.
      Darling: You'll regret this, Blackadder. You'd better find the real spy, or I'll make it very hard for you.
      Blackadder: (nonchalantly) Please, Darling. There are ladies present.
  • "Goodbyeee":
    • Baldrick's rant about the pointlessness of war, especially the one they're in. For once, Blackadder has nothing to say in response.
    • Depending on how much of a spineless weasel Darling is, his Break the Haughty moment can count.
    • The last scene of Blackadder Goes Forth was a Dying Moment of Awesome for the entire cast (sans Melchett).

    Specials 
  • Blackadder's Christmas Carol:
    • The future if Ebenezer Blackadder became bad.
    • Although it backfires on him in the end, the fury of Ebenezer Blackadder unleashes at the end.
  • Blackadder Back & Forth:
    • Baldrick actually manages to build a working time machine.
    • The ending with a Blackadder finally becoming king, as his long-ago ancestor first wanted in series one.
    • Not only that, but he's got a beautiful wife, he's adored by the nation, and he rules alone having dissolved Parliament.
      • It actually gets to the point that Edmund's descendants will become rulers of the whole universe.
    • Blackadder punches out Shakespeare for all the schoolchildren who ever had to study his works.
    • The last ever shot of Blackadder: Baldrick giving a conspiratorial wink to the camera, and Blackadder arching his eyebrow.

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