This troper suspects the reason this trope is so popular is because it gives the lead a flaw while still leaving them made of pure "goodness".
The problem really comes in with the fact that, just as every hero has varying levels of 'goodness', they have varying levels of 'stupidity' as well. Goku, to use the first example, is literally dumb as a brick... but a character like Natsu Dragonil, while technically an Idiot Hero, is actually smart in certain ways (for example, he is capable of strategics and discerning enemy weaknesses), but he simply prefers to let others do the heavy thinking. And another reason for this trope is to give the other characters a stronger position. If, for example, you have The Smart Guy, he needs to be in contrast to the lead's lack of intelligence, or there's no reason for him. I do agree that it is often taken too far, but moderate Idiot Heroes leave room for their co-stars to shine. I would like to see a shonen hero who is Weak, but Skilled, though.
Speaking of which, why is this trope so endemic to Shounen? Just once I'd like to see a character in a shounen fighting series who is not only intelligent, but Genre Savvy. The current situation leads to Unfortunate Implications since the target audience of shounen is young boys; it suggests that boys are incapable of understanding plots that aren't incredibly simplistic.
Let me sum this trope's presence in Shounen anime very quickly: This Loser Is You. Or at least thats what the writers think, doesn't really make it any better though. They think all people who watch Shounen programs have the IQ of a sack of bricks.
The people who still watch programs telling them that they're losers probably do.
I suspect this is the reason why idealistic characters tend to either get horribly maimed, horribly jaded, or both. They are equated automatically with idiot heroes, so are made to look as bad as possible by people who dislike this trope.
Is it just me or does there seem to be a directly proportional relationship between how smart the hero is, and how fast the plot goes? Idiot Hero shows tend to consist mostly of filler or just plain be Status Quo Is God, while ones with smart protagonists tend to get interesting fast.
It's not just you. It's the only sensible way to write a show. Simply put, if the hero is an idiot, you can expect/forgive them doing stupid things and not getting anywhere fast. But if the hero is both smart and dedicated, then there's no excuse for the plot to progress so slowly, because they should have figured out something' of what's going on relatively quickly.
Which is why this troper has shifted gears and is now watching shows with smart protagonists. Plus I'm just fed up with fillers and the Idiot Ball being handed out like halloween candy.
Maybe it's because shows with idiot heroes are usually shounen, which seem to be great as cash cows for those prepubescents they attract...
I thought the filler was a production problem...you know...because Anime has to be broadcast year-round or else people will basically assume it's canceled, whereas on a lot of other places, it'd just be put on a seasonal hold so it can more faithfully adapt to the manga. (Course then again though, there hasn't really been any direct adaptations of any American comics in TV format...)
I figure the best solution to this problem is a Deconstruction, but not just any deconstruction. I talking Neon Genesis Evangelion levels of visciousness. The kind that will make the Idiot Hero so painful to look at, that no one dares even touch that kind of character until they are willing to put a bit more thought into them, ala how Gaogaigar reconstructed the Super Robot. It would be brutal, but tearing down into bloody chunks might cause an upswing in intelligent heroes for a bit.
But then that would cause most people to basically just do the same thing?
Exactly.
Idiot Hero bugs me for the opposite reason as the first poster; it implies that heroic sentiments such as compassion, wisdom and empathy are an intellectual liability and the more heroic you are, the more stupid you are likely to be.
Well you could argue that doing the heroic thing (or what looks like the Heroic thing) can also be a stupid thing to do, but yeah, I kind of see your point.
But see, therein lies the problem. Writers can't seem to create intelligent characters without making them lean toward the dark side at least a little. There's nothing inherently evil about being smart, so there really isn't a reason this should be the case, but it is. It kinda smells of anti-intellectualism to me.
I know that people make fun of Yugioh 5 Ds, but the reason why this troper prefers to watch it instead of Yugioh GX is because of Yusei, so far he seems the most mature, calm, intelligent and self-reliable of all the yugioh protagonists, now compare that to Judai, he is your typical idiot here, loudmouthed, goes for the power of friendship, while the more intelligent antagonist lose against him an idiot, ive got so sick of him that yugioh 5dīs was a refereshing new series that averts this trope if it means cardgames on motorcycles
The show also solved some Fridge Logic I've been having. Wouldn't it make more sense for a show about what is essentially a strategy game to have a smart protagonist? If the protagonist of such a series is smart the success of the hero makes more sense and is more relatable since we probably do similar things. Also I've heard a theory or saying that a hero dictates how his villian performs, a smart and competent hero = an even smarter and more effective villian which in turn gives a more interesting story. When you have a hero who is inept and dim you don't have to go far to make someone who can antagonize him.
This Troper speculates that it would be quite a task for a non-smart villain to gain significance, explaining why we so seldomly get to see a Badass Bookworm pitted against an idiot vilain.
This trope is the reason I'm working on a series where the protagonist is pretty much a Villain Protagonist who ends up being forced into working for a good cause. He's The Hero of the team, but also the Token Evil Teammate, and while not outright stupid, he's not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. The Heart of the team is actually a Science Hero (despite the fact that she hates most scientists due to her Dark and Troubled Past), and probably one of the most moral people too. The problem with making the main villain stupid though? Brain kicks brawn in the ass nine out of ten times. At least, this is what I find. And in order to drive the plot, a good story needs a good conflict. A better villain makes it much harder for the hero to work things over, so often you end up needing an Evil Genius or Magnificent Bastard for someone of "average" intelligence orlower to try to outwit. I still think that an effective hero should at least have some brain cells though; how come we can't have nerdy bookworm with glasses saving the day?
