History Main / TheTrickster

* ''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.

* [[Characters/GravityFallsBillCipher 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...]]

* If there is one professional wrestler who qualifies, it's "[[CatchPhrase 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]].

* Harry Dresden of ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' believes himself to be this, but Murphy points out that he's actually very predictable, despite his occasional surpassing cleverness; he just has authority problems.

* Aang from ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', before he [[CharacterDevelopment developed as a character]].

* 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...]]

** 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.

* 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.

* Coober the Wizard in ''WebOriginal/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''.

%%* Blue (Green in the US) in ''Manga/PokemonAdventures''.
%%* Duplica the Ditto trainer, Zorua, and various Ghost Pokémon in the ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' anime.