Original air date: 10/7/2003 (DVD) ; 12/12/2003 (TV)
Production code: PPG-503
Princess Morbucks goes to the North Pole and switches the nice list with the naughty list (which only had her name on it), thereby making every other kid in Townsville seem naughty, while she looked nice, thereby allowing her to get what she wants: to be a Powerpuff Girl. The Powerpuff Girls must head to the north pole to tell Santa that he didn't check his list twice & save Christmas.
Twas the Fight Before Christmas provides examples of:
- An Ass-Kicking Christmas: It's a Christmas Special for the Powerpuff Girls, so this shouldn't be a surprise—in order to get to Santa and tell him the truth, the Girls first have to defeat the now-superpowered Princess.
- And Then I Said:Elf: And I said, "If you want a wooden duck whittled, there is your man!"
- Argument of Contradictions: Princess and the girls have an argument of “nuh-uh!”s and “yeah-huh!”s about whether or not Princess is on Santa’s naughty list.
- Ash Face: The Girls end up covered in ash when they exit their house through the chimney. However, they happily laugh about it.
- Badass Santa: Santa easily puts the still-superpowered Princess in her place after seeing firsthand what a rotten brat she truly is and that she has taken the nerve to tamper with his Nice and Naughty Lists to satisfy her ego.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Santa is a Nice Guy who wants everyone to be good and is devastated when Princess fools him into thinking everyone in the world besides her was naughty. When he realizes the list was switched, he is pissed and takes away the superpowers he gave her.
- Beyond Redemption: Those who are put on the Permanent Naughty Plaque. Santa adds Princess for tricking him into thinking she was the only nice child in the world and revealing how spoiled and naughty she really is.
- Big "NO!": Bubbles does this after she gets coal.Bubbles: Oh, no, no, no, no, no! NOOOOOO!
- Blatant Lies: Yeah, limo guy, the "going through a tunnel" trick doesn't really work if the person on the line is in the car with you.
- Brick Joke: Early on in the episode, Mitch is highly tempted to throw a snowball at another student, but he relents when Miss Keane claims, "And remember, Santa is watching you." Later, when Princess is looking for her name on the Nice List, she's in disbelief to see even Mitch earned a place on the Nice List.
- Break the Cutie: When Bubbles finds coal in her stocking, she breaks down on the floor, crying.
- Bullying a Dragon: As if deceiving Santa by tampering with his lists wasn’t bad enough, Princess actually has the gall to flat out insult him to his face and demand that he follows her orders, pissing Santa off so much that he puts her on the Permanent Naughty Plaque.
- Call-Back: The titular Girls list all the bad things Princess did to merit a spot on the Naughty List, and said deeds are from previous episodes of the show:Blossom: You bought the city and legalized crime.
Buttercup: You hired Mojo to try and destroy us.
Bubbles: You gave us a bomb for our birthday!
Buttercup: You teamed up with 3 felons and went on a crime spree.
Bubbles: You tricked our friend Robin into stealing, and then you tattled on her.
Blossom: You're a Spoiled Brat who's greedy and jealous, and you don't care who you step on to get what you want!
[Beat]
Princess: And your point is?
[The Girls sigh] - Ceiling Cling: Done by Princess when breaking into Santa’s workshop.
- Christmas Episode: As if the title wasn't enough of a giveaway.
- Christmas Light Chaos: When it's time to light up the tree, the lights initially turn on then start turning off and on again. By the time the Girls go to bed, the Professor is still trying to get them to work properly.Professor Utonium: Every year it's the same darn thing! I can make three little kids out of seasoning, but I can't get these lights to work!
- Classy Cat-Burglar: Princess becomes one when breaking into Santa’s workshop.
- Clothes for Christmas Cringe: While the girls were Subbing for Santa, the narrator listed off some of the gifts they were delivering. While his narration was joyous when talking about "Dollies and race cars, horseys, choo-choos, and blocks! Teddy bears! Puppy dogs!", his narration lost a noticeable amount of enthusiasm as he mentioned "Underwear and socks."
- Comically Missing the Point:
- When the girls tells Princess she’s naughty and she tells them to prove it, they list many of her past crimes and Blossom says that she’s a spoiled brat who’s greedy, jealous, and steps on people to get what she wants. Princess only looks bored and replies “And your point is?”.
- When Bubbles is trying to explain that everybody got coal for Christmas, Blossom and Buttercup are both still hung up on the fact that she had been using her x-ray vision to peak into everybody's stockings. They continue to hang up on this even after she explains she only looked because she had coal in her stocking.
- Cool and Unusual Punishment: Princess' punishment for tricking Santa is being put on the Permanent Naughty Plaque.
- Cool Plane: Princess’ private jet.
- *Cough* Snark *Cough*: When Princess asks her driver if he can believe the Powerpuff Girls called her naughty, he fake coughs while quietly saying “yes”. He then breaks out in an Overly-Nervous Flop Sweat when she asks him if he agrees.
- Creator Cameo: When the camera pans up to the Permanent Naughty Plaque, three of the surnames listed are of the series creators (albeit with different given names): McCracken, Faust and Fonti.
- Crazy-Prepared: Bubbles sent her letter to Santa on December 26th of the previous year.
- Department of Redundancy Department: During Princess' rant to Santa, she calls him a "fatheaded fathead".
- De-power: Upon realizing what a brat Princess is, Santa promptly takes away the superpowers he gave her.
- Dramatically Missing the Point: When the Girls list all the horrible things Princess did that will surely guarantee her a place on Santa's Naughty List, Princess just responds with "And your point is?" This is also an example of Evil Cannot Comprehend Good and Lack of Empathy.
- Ear Ache: Santa drags Princess off by her ear when he’s finally had enough of her attitude.
- Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette: A minor goth character named Kathleen briefly appears, and she fits the trope.
- Entitled Bastard: Princess has always been this, but her self entitlement peaks in this episode as despite being reminded of her MANY acts of villainy, she still feels she deserves to get superpowers for Christmas.
- Exploding Closet: When Princess opens a closet to get another pillow before bed, an avalanche of coal from past Christmases comes exploding out at her.
- Exposed to the Elements: Zig-zagged. When leaving Pokey Oaks Kindergarten, the girls are shown wearing their own winter gear color-coded to each respective one, but they don't wear them when outside for the rest of the special (such as while Bubbles is checking if the other kids got coal, and the flight to the North Pole), and are able to stand the chilly snow.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Mojo Jojo makes a cameo preparing for Christmas, giving the hint that he has a rule of not doing anything evil on the holiday.
- Everyone Has Standards: As a way to establish just how naughty Princess is, Mitch is shown to forgo an attempt to throw a snowball at an unsuspecting student when Miss Keane reminds the children "Santa is watching you". In contrast, Princess makes it her business to be her mean old self as usual despite the holidays, starting with callously stepping on Miss Keane's foot on her way out the door.
- Failed a Spot Check: When Princess switches the titles on the Nice List and Naughty List, Santa is convinced that every kid in the world was naughty except her, briefly forgetting that three of those “naughty” kids are superheroes who regularly save the world. He later realizes his mistake.
- Fake Static: Princess' limo driver tries to do this when she asks him if she really is naughty.Limo Driver: (faking static) Can't... hear you... going... through a... tunnel...
Princess: (sticks her head through the window to look at him) No, we're not! I'm in the car, you twit! - Frame-Up: Princess switches the titles on the Nice List and Naughty List so every other kid in the world will get coal even though they were nice. Later, when the girls tell her they’re going to the North Pole to tell Santa what she did, she tries to get there first so she can lie to Santa that the girls are coming to destroy his workshop as revenge for giving them coal instead of presents.
- Freeze-Frame Bonus:
- Buttercup’s letter to Santa says “GIMME” at the top.
- The names on the "Permanent Naughty List" include Adolf Hitler.
- Godzilla Threshold: In addition to his naughty and nice list, Santa has his Permanent Naughty Plaque, which is reserved for people who do something extremely abhorrent. Only four names are on it prior to Princess being added.
- Hate Sink: Princess Morbucks was always a Spoiled Brat of the highest order and has done some awful things in the past, but this episode, without question, shows her at her absolute worst. She outright changes the Nice and Naughty Lists, making it look like every other kid in the world (who earned their place on the Nice List and didn’t do anything to Princess) are naughty and she (the only one on the Naughty List) was nice this year. This means these good boys and girls will be condemned to a Christmas of finding cold hard coal in their stockings, all so she can have what she wants for Christmas (superpowers). Needless to say, when she and the Powerpuff Girls are racing to the North Pole to reach Santa first, everyone in the audience is cheering for the girls all the while.
- Horrible Judge of Character: Subverted. On paper, Santa makes a serious miscalculation in Princess's character if he thinks she's not only changed her stripes, but coincidentally became the only good child in a suddenly rotten world. However, upon recognizing the Powerpuff Girls, he immediately knows that they’d have to be on the Nice List, and when he sees first-hand that Princess’ spoiled attitude is just as terrible as ever, he demonstrates rather sound judgment of her character when he decides he should be his own judge of who's naughty or nice rather than rely on the lists to arbitrarily say so. And as such, he doesn't need any convincing to put Princess on the Permanent Naughty Plaque.
- Human Snowball: Princess becomes one when a snowball thrown by Buttercup sends her crashing into a snow-covered mountain. The Girls also end up in it when the ball rolls over them.
- I Need to Go Iron My Dog: Princess’ driver and servants use these kinds of excuses to avoid having to answer her question whether or not they think she is naughty.
- I Reject Your Reality: Even when Princess goes to Santa’s workshop and sees her name on his Naughty List, she still believes that she’s nice, even claiming that she’s the only nice kid in the whole world. She also says that the Powerpuff Girls are naughty, even though she saw their names on the Nice List.
- Insane Troll Logic: Princess claims that she’s nice (despite being a selfish brat and committing many crimes) and that the Powerpuff Girls (who fight crime and save lives on a daily basis) are naughty for not giving her what she wants.
- Ironic Echo: The first time Princess states her wish ("To be a Powerpuff Girl"), the Powerpuff Girls, who know Santa would never let someone like her on the Nice List in a million years, tell her it’s not going to happen. After Princess gets her wish due to her machinations, she says it again, only this time more ominously... right before zapping them with her heat vision just to spite them.
- It's All About Me: During her Villainous Breakdown, Princess says that she should always get what she wants, and if that means that every other kid in the world doesn’t get anything for Christmas, then that’s just the way it’s going to have to be.
- Jaw Drop: Santa (and the Girls) have this after Princess' Villainous Breakdown listed below.
- Kindness Ball: Mitch cleans up his act in time for Christmas and earns his place on the Nice List as a result.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Princess receives her punishment for tricking Santa and tampering his nice and naughty lists: she gets placed into the Permanent Naughty Plaque so that she'll never receive any gifts from Santa for the rest of her life, gets her superpowers removed when she tries to escape, and placed in jail by the Powerpuff Girls for the remainder of the holiday.Princess: (screams in terror upon seeing her name being put in the Permanent Naughty Plaque) You can't do that! I'M TELLING MY DADDY!! (flies off, but Santa touches his nose again, taking away all of Princess's powers for good, leaving her to fall screaming onto the snow) NO FAIR!!!!
- Long List:
- Buttercup’s wish list for Santa is spread over a stack of A4 format papers.
- And, of course, Santa's Nice List applies, since it lists the names of every kid in the whole world except Princess.
- Money Is Not Power: After Santa puts Princess on the Permanent Naughty Plaque, she flies off to tell her father in hopes of getting revenge. Santa takes away the powers he gave her and causes her to drop into the snow.
- Mooning: Mitch can be seen doing this in a class picture.
- My Little Phony: The “Ponypuffs My Little Mare” that the Mayor wants for Christmas.
- Mundane Utility: The Girls use their superpowers to prepare for Christmas, like getting a tree, putting up decorations, and making cookies.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: As the Girls are racing Princess to the North Pole, Princess keeps slapping Buttercup until she gets so frustrated, she kicks her in retaliation... launching Princess even further ahead.Princess: Thanks, Einstein!
Blossom: ''Good job'', Buttercup.
Bubbles: Yeah, nice one.
Buttercup: Oh, shut up!- And again, when Princess keeps trying to blast Buttercup with her heat vision, Buttercup easily evades her blasts, but when Bubbles tries to zap Princess, she accidentally hits Buttercup, prompting Princess to once again say "Thanks, Einstein!"
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Princess lets slip to Santa that the girls who are supposedly lying about her being naughty are the Powerpuff Girls, who are well-known for being selfless, good-hearted heroes, thus giving him incentive to hear them out. Additionally, Princess throws a massive tantrum right in front of Santa and insults him to his face, easily proving that the Girls were right about her being naughty.
- Oh, No... Not Again!: Like every year, the Professor just can’t get the Christmas lights to work.
- Pop-Culture Pun Episode Title: A reference to 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.
- Reality Warper: Santa can warp reality by pressing his finger to his nose. He can give people superpowers, take the powers away, and he makes Princess’ name magically appear on the Permanent Naughty Plaque.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech:
- After the girls list all the crimes Princess has commited which will assure her a spot on the Naughty List, Blossom tops it off by telling her "You're a Spoiled Brat who's greedy and jealous, and you don't care who you step on to get what you want." Even after Princess refuses to understand what the girls try to tell her, Blossom still argued that Princess needed to change her ways or else she will forever keep on getting coal for Christmas.
- After Santa realized the deception, he furiously (but rightfully) gives one to Princess by saying that he doesn't need a list telling him who's naughty or nice because he's Santa Claus and he knows best.
Santa: LIST SCHMIST!! [grabs Princess' paper and shreds it to pieces] I don't need no stinking list telling me who's naughty and who's nice! You know why? Because I'M SANTA CLAUS!!! Check it! Princess... (furiously pulls Princess by the ear) ...you have gone and worked my LAST NERVE!! (lets go of Princess' ear while walking to a big plaque) I have no other choice: you are so rotten... so despicable... so naughty... I'm putting you on the... (points to the big plaque) ...PERMANENT. NAUGHTY. PLAQUE!!!! BUM-BUM-BUMMMM!!! (touches his nose to put Princess's name on the plaque as promised) - Restored My Faith in Humanity: Santa has sunken into a deep depression when he’s fooled into thinking that only one kid in the whole world was nice the past year. The Girls restore his faith when they make him realize he had been tricked.
- Rhymes on a Dime: The narrator.
- Saving Christmas: The "Everyone’s Naughty" variety, with Princess changing the Naughty and Nice lists' headlines, with a bit of Subbing for Santa (as mentioned down below) thrown in near the end when the girls help Santa deliver all the presents on time.
- Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: Princess incorrectly believes that Santa is bound to follow the Naughty and Nice lists, even if she admits to switching them. However, realizing that the girls were right about Princess' heartless, selfish nature during her Villainous Breakdown, Santa quickly rebuffs this belief, as he relies on his good judgment (not the lists) to determine who's truly naughty or nice.
- Shout-Out:
- Buttercup comments on how she wants an air rifle for Christmas. Princess tells her that she’ll shoot her eye out.
- Santa: “Powerpuff Girls, with your streaks so bright, won’t you deliver the Christmas gifts tonight?”
- Sleepless Alarm Clock: A variation. After spending the night dealing with Princess and then Subbing for Santa, no sooner have the Powerpuff Girls gotten home and into bed that the Professor eagerly comes in saying it's Christmas morning and time to open presents. They initially tell him it's too early and he sadly leaves them be, but then they change their tune and fly down to open presents with him anyway.
- Snowed-In: A downplayed example—once school's done for the day, it turns out that it snowed enough to keep Miss Keane and the students from leaving the building. But Blossom quickly makes a path through the snow with her heat vision.
- Stealth Clothes: Princess puts on black clothes, puts a black stocking cap on her head, and paints black lines on her face with coal when going to the North Pole.
- Stunned Silence: After Princess' Villainous Breakdown and how she reached a point where she called Santa "Santa Clod", Santa and the Powerpuff Girls stood there, shocked beyond words by Princess' tantrum.
- Subbing for Santa: Once Princess's deception has been ousted, Santa is ready to pull a rush job and deliver the presents. However, the girl's attempts to stop Princess have caused so much chaos in Santa's workshop that he can't get his sleigh ready in time. The sisters use their Super-Speed to deliver all the presents on time while Santa takes care of things at the North Pole.
- Super-Empowering: After Princess tricks Santa into thinking she was nice, he rewards her by giving her superpowers. He is also able to De-power her.
- Super-Scream: Bubbles uses this power to try to slow Princess down.
- Superpowers For A Day: Princess gets superpowers from Santa, but they don’t last long after Santa realizes she tricked him during her Villainous Breakdown.
- Teacher's Pet: With Christmas approaching, ALL students at Pokey Oaks become this to Miss Keane in an attempt to get on Santa’s good side—on the last day of school before Christmas break, all of Miss Keane's students give her red apples wrapped in green ribbons.
- This Means War Paint: During her Lock-and-Load Montage, Princess draws some on her cheeks with coal.
- Tornado Move: Buttercup uses one against Princess.
- Tree Buchet: Used twice. The first time, Princess flies far ahead of Blossom and tricks her into smacking face-first into a tree. The second time is Blossom returning the favor.
- Word, Schmord!: Sants shouting "LIST SCHMIST!!!!!" out of anger over Princess' naughtiness.
- Vanity License Plate: Princess’s limo has a license plate that reads “Morbuks”.
- [Verb] This!: Buttercup’s comeback after she throws a snowball at Princess when the Powerpuff wannabe asks her how she liked her stocking stuffers.Buttercup: Stuff that!
- Villainous Breakdown: When Princess learns she's on the Naughty list, she goes into an angry fit before switching the labels on the Naughty and Nice Lists. She then lets out a maniacal laugh. She goes through a second one when she sees Santa praising the Powerpuff Girls for their constant heroism, so they couldn't be on the Naughty list. This sets off Princess' jealousy once again, and she throws a tantrum in front of Santa and the girls. This shows just how much of a Spoiled Brat she is and leads Santa to realize that the girls were right about claiming Princess changing the Naughty and Nice lists' headlines. He furiously places her on the Permanent Naughty Plaque and takes away the superpowers he gave her for Christmas.Princess: But I SHOULD BE A POWERPUFF GIRL!! ME!! Not them, me!! My daddy says that I'm better, my daddy says I'm the best! And if you're too much of a fatheaded fathead to see that, I'll tell my daddy, and he'll come and build a parking lot over this cheap little arts-and-crafts popsicle stand of yours! GOT IT?! So, you better give me whatever I want for Christmas, because my daddy says I get whatever I want whenever I want it! And if that means all of those lousy, worthless, second-rate bargain-basement brats in the world don't get anything for Christmas, then that's just the way it's gonna have to be, 'cause I am BETTER THAN THEM! And it says so RIGHT HERE!! So put that in your pipe and SMOKE IT, SANTA CLOD!!!
- You Didn't Ask: When Buttercup tells Santa that she and her sisters didn't know that he could give people superpowers, Santa shrugs and says that no one's ever asked for them before.
- You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!: This is the reaction that Princess has when she discovers that even Mitch, of all people, is on Santa’s nice list, probably due to his Kindness Ball act.
