History Main / WitchDoctor

* The Dave Seville (Ross Bagdasarian) song "Witch Doctor" would be re-recorded with the Chipmunks in 1961 and reused on ''WesternAnimation/TheAlvinShow.'' where it would garner a wider audience. Ooh ee ohh ah ah, ting tang wallawalla bing bang.... Though today the most well known version is probably by the band called "The Cartoons" from 1998.

* Opal of ''Webcomic/HarpyGee'' is a ratheer [[CuteWitch cute version of this]].

* WesternAnimation/TheBeatles are on a photographic safari in Africa in "You've Really Got a Hold On Me." They encounter Jack, a witch doctor in their safari truck (mix-up of an automobile jack). Jack turns a worm into a boa constrictor who takes a shining to Ringo.

* In the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' of Creator/AAPessimal, [[DarkestAfrica Howondaland]] has its Witch Finders. Based on unexaggerated accounts in Real Life, but ramped up, the College of Witch Finders of the Zulu Empire ticks all the boxes for a local equivalent of Unseen University, teaching magic to an exclusively male brotherhood. They act as an intelligence and spy service, and are effectively a [[StateSec clandestine power]] and a SecretPolice for the Paramount King. [[note]]As they were for Zulu Kings on our world[[/note]] They also control were-power, and native Weres are recruited as were-leopards, were-vultures and night-flying vampire birds. They also believe magic is the sole prerogative of men and, as the name implies, are resident witch-hunters. Various charaacters in the Pessimal Discworld run up against them. With their misogynist bent about magic, it is a serious shock when they encounter Lancre-trained witches for the first time - who also have definitive ideas about a woman's place in magic.

* Found in two episodes of ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooWhereAreYou'' ([[Recap/ScoobyDooWhereAreYouS1E5DecoyForADognapper "Decoy for a Dognapper"]] and #[[Recap/ScoobyDooWhereAreYouS2E6ATikiScareIsNoFair "A Tiki Scare Is No Fair"]]). Both witch doctors in question are, of course, fake.

* Found in two episodes of ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooWhereAreYou'' ("Decoy for a Dognapper" and "A Tiki Scare Is No Fair"). Both witch doctors in question are, of course, fake.

* Found in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooWhereAreYou'' ("A Tiki Scare Is No Fair"). The witch doctor in question is, of course, fake.

* The Voodoo Lady from ''VideoGame/MonkeyIsland''.
* Big Bad Bill from ''VideoGame/MoshiMonsters'', whose entire species (Woolly Hoodoos) seems to be of Witch Doctors.
* The [[AllTrollsAreDifferent Trolls]] of the ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}}'' games have plenty of Voodoo Witch Doctors, complete with Jamaican accent, mon. They run the gamut from DarkIsNotEvil good guy types like Sen'jin, and monsters like Zalazane. Trolls also have the Shadow Hunter, the MagicKnight version of this.
%%* Houngan, from the ''Clayfighter'' series.%%ZCE
* One of the new classes in ''VideoGame/DiabloIII'' is the Witch Doctor, which appears to be quite similar to the Necromancer in ''VideoGame/DiabloII'', who also have many similarities to witch doctors. He is deeply spiritual and one of the few priests to ignore the power struggles that have corrupted his religion.

* ''VideoGame/JaggedAlliance'': Sangoma in ''3'' has the aesthetic down pat, and talks about the spirits a fair amount, but also has a great deal of respect for Western medicine and the results it gets, and generally comes across more as a priest with some medical training than this trope.
* One of the bosses in ''VideoGame/MaximoGhostsToGlory'' is a Witch Doctor who shrinks the hero down to a few inches and then tries to step on him!
* Momma Aimee, in ''VideoGame/MysteryCaseFiles: The 13th Skull'', is quite willing to help the player character (in exchange for the completion of a fairly easy FetchQuest). Among other things, she provides a sleeping potion that comes in handy, and teaches the difference between voodoo and hoodoo.

* In ''VideoGame/GemsOfWar'', the minotaurs are noted for their shamanistic beliefs, and the Soothsayer unit can use SoulPower magic.
* Witch Doctors appear as enemies in ''VideoGame/Borderlands2'''s ''Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt'' DLC. They come in elemental (shock, incendiary, and slag) as well as vampiric and paralyzing variations. They also have the ability to heal themselves, power up other savages, and turn into a tornado to reduce damage taken.
* In ''VideoGame/ShopHeroes'', Azula is a spirit-guided shaman who has healing among her skills.

* The [[UpdatedRerelease Enhanced Edition]] of ''VideoGame/BaldursGate'' has shamans as a new playable class, and in the ''[[VideoGame/BaldursGateSiegeOfDragonSpear Siege of Dragonspear]]'' expansion you can get the goblin shaman M'Khiin Grubdoubler as a new party member.

* In its 2nd edition, ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' introduced a Kit[[note]]variant class traits bundle[[/note]] called the Witch Doctor in its "Complete Book of Humanoids" sourcebook. This was a priestly kit which shared some traits with the shaman (introduced in the same book), but had the unique ability to cast wizard spells, albeit from only a single school and at half the potency of their priestly spells. The kit vanished with the release of the 3rd edition, perhaps because of D&D's long-standing issue with FantasticRacism often overlapping into ValuesDissonance, but the concept survived as the Adept; a "primitive" magic-user NPC class with traits of both cleric and sorcerer.
* Ngangas in ''TabletopGame/SpearsOfTheDawn'' is this trope to a T. They're spellcasters whose magic deals heavily with the placing and removal of curses, and their ritual gear frequently includes masks. They're widely feared and distrusted, but having a nganga around is also acknowledged as necessary to protect a community from hostile magic.

* The Dave Seville (Ross Bagdasarian) song "Witch Doctor" would be re-recorded with the Chipmunks in 1961 and reused on ''WesternAnimation/TheAlvinShow.'' where it would garner a wider audience. Ooh ee ohh ah ah, ting tang wallawalla bing bang....

A Witch Doctor is a type of sorcerer whose magic style is shamanic rather than arcane, and is often some sort of spiritual leader or teacher. Like many European wizards, he's mysterious and downright creepy even by the standards of his environment. That's why he lives well away from everyone else and doesn't wash much. His hut is filled with dried and pickled remains of unpleasant and unidentifiable critters. If he doesn't have explicitly magical powers, then he may be a wetware version of the MadScientist.

This trope has an obvious and inescapable ethnic derivation, established during the age of exploration and imperialism. Don't look for a Witch Doctor in the familiar meadows of {{Arcadia}} -- you will instead find him in an [[JungleOpera exotic jungle]] near a tribe of HollywoodNatives. There he will practice spooky HollywoodVoodoo, eager to add yours to his grim collection of {{Shrunken Head}}s. In stories (especially [[ValuesDissonance older ones]]) where TheMissionary or GentlemanAdventurer is the hero, this figure neatly fits the villain role: a sinister pagan EvilSorcerer who intends to stop the MightyWhitey and wants to keep the poor natives trapped in ignorance and superstition. This type of portrayal is mostly a DeadHorseTrope.

The Witch Doctor is a wise figure who can fill many subtle roles. He may be a pagan PreacherMan whose duty is to minister to a community and lead its religious activity. He may serve as a mediator between humans and the [[{{Druid}} natural world]] or the SpiritWorld, and maybe his home is [[MageTower distant and secluded]] so he can stay closer to them. If ReligionIsMagic, then he wields FunctionalMagic. As the "doctor" part of his title suggests, he mostly uses his power for healing by working WhiteMagic and brewing {{Healing Potion}}s. But everyone knows better than to aggravate him, because he can probably manage BlackMagic or a {{Curse}} just as well. As the "witch" part of his title suggests, he has a lot in common with the WitchClassic. Unlike a witch, this character is not AlwaysFemale, but can be.

* In the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' of Creator/AAPessimal, [[DarkestAfrica Howondaland]] has its Witch Finders. Based on unexaggerated accounts in Real Life, but ramped UpToEleven, the College of Witch Finders of the Zulu Empire ticks all the boxes for a local equivalent of Unseen University, teaching magic to an exclusively male brotherhood. They act as an intelligence and spy service, and are effectively a [[StateSec clandestine power]] and a SecretPolice for the Paramount King. [[note]]As they were for Zulu Kings on our world[[/note]] They also control were-power, and native Weres are recruited as were-leopards, were-vultures and night-flying vampire birds. They also believe magic is the sole prerogative of men and, as the name implies, are resident witch-hunters. Various charaacters in the Pessimal Discworld run up against them. With their misogynist bent about magic, it is a serious shock when they encounter Lancre-trained witches for the first time - who also have definitive ideas about a woman's place in magic.

* ComicBook/TheEyeOfMongombo: Jumballah, the one who turned Adventurer [[BalefulPolymorph Cliff Carlson into]] [[QuackingUp a duck]], is one.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmjrTcYMqBM Ting-Tang-Walla-Walla-Bing-Bang]]]]

A Witch Doctor is a type of sorcerer whose magic style is shamanic rather than arcane, and is often some sort of spiritual leader or teacher. Like many European wizards, he's mysterious and downright creepy even by the standards of his environment. That's why he lives well away from everyone else and doesn't wash much. His hut is filled with dried and pickled remains of unpleasant and unidentifiable critters. If he doesn't have explicitly magical powers, then he may be a wetware version of the MadScientist.

You go to him because he might have a better plan or advice than other rubes, but no one wants to actually talk to him. If he's smart, he knows it and will remind you frequently. Unlike the [[{{Mentors}} Mentor]], he's concerned with your quest and possibly be a little fond of you, but perhaps not your particular survival. He is usually completely frank and your success is all he really seems to be rooting for.

Even in recent times, most Witch Doctors have a semi-obvious [[EthnicMagician ethnic derivation]]; the most tolerated currently is Jamaican/Caribbean (normally Haitian) and most will have a Vodoun slant. The Witch Doctor can also be a villainous character, what with voodoo getting the [[HollywoodVoodoo treatment it usually gets in Hollywood]]. If that's the case, expect his general griminess to be played for creeps rather than laughs. Other times, they may be an example that DarkIsNotEvil. Traditionally, Witch Doctors healed supernatural ailments and broke curses. [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Doctors for witch problems]], in other words.

* ComicBook/TheEyeOfMongombo: Jumballah, the one who turned Adventurer [[BalefulPolymorph Cliff Carlson into a]] [[QuackingUp a duck]], is one.

* ComicBook/TheEyeOfMongombo: Jumballah, the one who turned Adventurer [[BalefulPolymorph Cliff Carlson into a duck]], is one.

* In ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}'', [[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=3106 one stunt tried to bring Fuchsia back to evil.]]

* ''Black Magic Woman'', first performed by music/fleetwoodMac and more famous in the version by Music/{{Santana}}, deals with the perils of falling in love with a woman who can do the darker sorts of magic.

[[folder:Puppet Shows]]
* On one episode of ''Series/TheMuppetShow'', Marvin Suggs preforms the Dave Seville song and has the Muppaphones say the magic words every time he hits them. The song is stopped by an actual Muppet witch doctor, who, angered at Suggs telling the audience the magic words, turns his head into a Muppaphone.