History Characters / DannyPhantomTeamPhantom

The main hero of the series. Upon obtaining his [[ArtificialHybrid ghost powers]] through a FreakLabAccident, 14-year old Danny uses it to combat the various ghosts that inhabit his [[CityOfAdventure hometown]]. He starts off shy, naive, BookDumb, and emotional, constantly trying to find a place in the world, whether it be gaining popularity or through his ghost powers. By the end of the series, Danny [[CharacterDevelopment gains confidence, courage, and matures]] considerably and finds his path as a hero.

* AllGuysWantCheerleaders: Danny constantly moons over the [[AlphaBitch egotistical and vain]] Paulina, [[spoiler:although he eventually realizes that she's not worth his time]].

* NerdsArePervs: Tucker is a CasanovaWannabe, PatheticallyWeak technogeek who uses his knowledge to spy on girls.

* ButtMonkey: While [[DownplayedTrope not on the same level as Danny or Tucker]], Jazz has received her fair share of inadvertent mishaps. During "Mystery Meat", she was subject to inadvertently ending up caught in her parents' traps and how she had little success in changing her parents' belief in ghosts. She's also subject to a few {{slapstick}} moments, notably sprayed with goop by accident after Danny pushed a button in the Fenton Ghost Assault Vehicle in "Bitter Reunions" and gets pelted with garbage by spectators due to her atrocious singing in "Girls' Night Out".

* AllGuysWantCheerleaders: Danny constantly moons over the [[AlphaBitch egotistical and vain]] Paulina, [[spoiler:although he eventually realizes about how she's not worth his time]].

** To Danielle. In "Kindred Spirits" he's rather distrustful of her at first (for good reason) but when he learns what she is and she defects from Vlad he starts to become this. By "D-Stablized" he fits this to a T; her safety becomes his top priority, even ignoring the possibility Valerie saw him transform to save Danielle.

* CovertPervert: He's a genuinely nice, awkward kid. And "Memory Blank" showed he used his ghost powers to secretly go into the girls' locker room.
** Although it's implied he got over his crush on Paulina following "Memory Blank", in the later episode "Pirate Radio" he, as Phantom, tells Paulina she should kiss Danny Fenton. And in "Frightmare" his dream world includes both Paulina AND Star fawning over him while he's apparently dating Sam. [[NotSoAboveItAll Showing that at the very least he is still greatly attracted to her on a physical level even if he no longer considers her girlfriend material]].

** He is Responsible for Danielle's Foolish. Justified, she's not even a year old and is more naive than him.

* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: Downplayed. Unlike other [[VanHelsingHateCrimes ghost hunters, like his parents, the Guys in White and Valerie Gray]], Danny has no interest in destroying his enemies as there are some he at least tries to befriend and is capable of knowing [[NotAlwaysEvil not ''all'' ghosts are evil]]. As for his clones, it's played straight with the more non-sentient ones, but averted with Danielle, as by the time he found out what she is, he had already started to grow fond of her and accepted her as family.

* {{Cool Loser}}: Danny Fenton is portrayed as a {{Bully Magnet}} and social pariah and he’s even said to be the {{jerk jock}}’s “favourite”. Why? Largely unclear. (Though it’s eventually implied that it’s since his parents are “ghost hunting freaks” so this is more of a {{downplayed}} example.

* ImprobableAge: [[spoiler: The series ends with Tucker being appointed as the new mayor of Amity Park, while still in high school]].

** That said he doesn't seem to have a preference for either and is comfortable wearing both.

*** [[spoiler:After the events of the graphic novel ''A Glitch in Time'', Butch Hartman's idea is rendered moot as Danny's identity becomes secret once more and he'll have a chance of a private life as Fenton.]]

* AccidentalHero: Danny never goes out of his way to help ghosts or save the Ghost Zone. If he ends up doing so, it’s only because he’s helping his human friends or has to save the Earth. It’s never Danny’s aim to SaveBothWorlds, only [[{{Protectorate}} his family, friends, town and the Earth]].
** Danny stops the Guys in White from blowing up the Ghost Zone because [[ApocalypseHow the Earth will be destroyed too]].
** Danny defeats Prince Aragon, thereby liberating his kingdom and his sister from his abuse. Danny only showed up to save Sam.
** The Far Frozen people idolize Danny, but Danny only fought to save Earth from Pariah Dark.
** Danny’s fight in Sidney Poindexter’s body improves Sidney’s standings with his classmates.
** Danny just wants Kitty to leave Paulina’s body, so he goes along with Kitty’s plan, which temporarily fixes her and Johnny’s relationship.
** By stopping Dark Phantom, Danny saves many ghosts from their [[FateWorseThanDeath terrible fates]] in the BadFuture. [[NoSympathy It’s unclear and unlikely that Danny even had sympathy for them]].

* CreateYourOwnVillain: Desiree didn’t seem villainous until after Danny blasts her first. Danny never apologizes for instigating the fight.
** Danny’s inconsiderate attitude turns Ghost Writer vengeful when Danny destroys his Christmas poem and then celebrates instead of apologizing.

* FantasticRacism: While Danny is not as awful as [[VanHelsingHateCrimes his parents, Valerie Grey and the Guys in White]], Danny usually shoots first and never openly acknowledges that [[NotAlwaysEvil not all ghosts are evil]], he never tries to talk his parents out of their [[FantasticRacism narrow-minded hatred]], nor does he ever defend a ghost from more hostile ghost hunters.

* InformedWrongness: Danny gets rid of his powers and the others are visibly upset by this, with Sam eventually calling him selfish for doing it. Danny questions why what he did was selfish, and many viewers took Danny's side of the argument: he wanted to be normal again in order to protect his family from the ghost hunters searching for him, and the presence of said ghost hunters meant that he was no longer needed as Amity's protector (plus he wouldn't be able to do much with his ghost powers with them around anyways).

* MisplacedRetribution: Danny gleefully, brutally beats up on ghosts in order release stress, when school or his relationships become too much.
--> '''Danny:''' [[LampshadeHanging Hello misplaced aggression]]. ''[smiles deviously]''

* StrangledByTheRedString: Danny Fenton/Phantom and Sam Manson were obviously planned to be the Official Couple from the beginning, with almost everyone remarking on it, if not being an outright Shipper on Deck, and innumerable moments of denying any interest. The problem is that the writers were so busy making the couple inevitable they never bothered to actually show why they should be together. There was nothing more romantic to their relationship other than them being friends of opposite gender, and the whole thing came off more a combination of awkward teenage hormones and defensiveness in the face of relentless teasing. Adding to that is that Sam is the most divisive character in the series, many episodes unintentionally depicting her as a selfish hypocrite who demands conformity to her views despite voicing free will and the implication that she's more in love with Phantom then Fenton.

** Danny doesn’t appreciate when his enemies go out of their way to help him (escaping from Walker’s jail or saving Christmas or saving the Earth), and treats them as if [[AlwaysChaoticEvil they’re irredeemable]].
** Wulf sacrifices himself to drag Walker back into the Ghost Zone. Danny never bothers to check if Wulf is okay.

* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: Downplayed. Unlike other [[VanHelsingHateCrimes ghost hunters, like his parents, the Guys in White and Valerie Gray]], Danny has no interest in destroying his enemies as there are some he at least tries to befriend and is capable of knowing [[NotAlwaysEvil not ''all'' ghosts are evil]]. Although, Danny never openly acknowledges that [[NotAlwaysEvil not all ghosts are evil]] nor does he ever try to talk his parents out of their [[FantasticRacism narrow-minded hatred]]. As for his clones, it's played straight with the more non-sentient ones, but averted with Danielle, as by the time he found out what she is, he had already started to grow fond of her and accepted her as family.
** However, in a conversation with Valerie, Danny makes it clear that he doesn’t condemn other ghost hunters for their casual cruelty and murderous intentions.

--->'''Danny:''' She's not just a ghost, she's also a ''girl''. And if Vlad [[NeverSayDie destroys]] the ghost half, the human half is destroyed along with it.\\
'''Valerie:''' No, that's not my problem. She ''is'' a ghost, and I destroy ghosts!\\
'''Danny:''' Fine! Destroy ghosts! But can you really take part in destroying a ''human''?
** Danny doesn’t even flinch or show the slightest hint of remorse as he watches his perfect clone die.
** Notably, [[RefuseToRescueTheDisliked Danny never ever saves a ghost]] being chased down by other [[VanHelsingHateCrimes ghost hunters]], despite knowing that [[TheyWouldCutYouUp they will be painfully experimented on and then destroyed]] if caught. This is played straight, Danielle only gets [[BigBrotherInstinct saved]] because she’s [[HalfHumanHybrid half human]] and Danny’s [[ArtificialFamilyMember cousin]].
** Wulf drags Walker back into the Ghost Zone for Danny’s sake. Danny never checks to make sure Wulf is okay.

* CreatorsPet: Despite Sam never overcoming her character flaws: hypocrisy and selfishness, Butch Hartman still allows her to win Danny’s heart.
** Sam Manson of Danny Phantom is Danny’s best friend and supposed true love and is favored by the creator, Butch Hartman. However, she’s a Hypocrite and worse than Danny’s other love interest, Valerie. Throughout the show, Sam had a tendency to impose her will on other characters, from forcing the entire school to join her vegetarian lifestyle, to blackmailing her friends into releasing zoo animals, to scolding Danny for purposely getting rid of his powers without considering the stress and trouble he had been going through because of them (especially since she was the one who convinced him to do the deed that resulted in the Freak Lab Accident that gave him his powers to begin with).
** Danny Fenton/Phantom and Sam Manson were obviously planned to be the Official Couple from the beginning, with almost everyone remarking on it, if not being an outright Shipper on Deck, and innumerable moments of denying any interest. The problem is that the writers were so busy making the couple inevitable they never bothered to actually show why they should be together. There was nothing more romantic to their relationship other than them being friends of opposite gender, and the whole thing came off more a combination of awkward teenage hormones and defensiveness in the face of relentless teasing. Adding to that is that Sam is the most divisive character in the series, many episodes unintentionally depicting her as a selfish hypocrite who demands conformity to her views despite voicing free will and the implication that she's more in love with Phantom then Fenton.
** Mystery Meat has her changing the school menu for herself (not for her fellow students and without their consent). This angers the ghost of the Lunch Lady, who attacks them. Even after she is kidnapped and Danny passes out from his first fight with the Lunch Lady, she doesn't admit changing the menu was a bad idea and still chooses to keep it changed.
** She scolds Danny for using his ghost powers against powerless school bullies yet she tries to get Danny to use his ghost powers to cause millions of dollars in property damage to a dealership because they were selling eco-unfriendly trucks.
** Sam is the reason Danny got mind controlled by Freakshow as she was the one who wanted and made him skip school, she never apologizes for this.
** When Danny gets rid of his powers, Sam calls him selfish, but he wanted to be normal again in order to protect his family from the ghost hunters searching for him, and in keeping with the perception that he was no longer needed as Amity's protector (plus he wouldn’t be able to do much with his ghost powers with them around anyways). Not to mention Sam seems only to care for Danny Phantom, not Danny Fenton.
** Sam Manson always brought up how she's looked down on for being an individual and wanting to make a statement, yet continuously proves herself to be a vindictive individual who demands conformity for her views, such as the first episode where she changed the entire menu for her sake and not anyone else's, or when she entered a beauty pageant to declare how stupid they are in spite of how the other members genuinely wanted to win and weren't being mean to her.
** Her relationship with Danny is meant to be a cute WillTheyOrWontThey? scenario, but her relationship instead comes off more as [[EntitledToHaveYou possessive]], since [[ClingyJealousGirl she's known to act hostile to any girl who shows an interest in Danny]] and defies IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy when Danny and Valerie were getting close, since she didn't comfort Danny when his heart was broken: Sam spies on Danny and Valerie, and when they break up, she doesn’t comfort Danny when he’s obviously heartbroken. Then there is her most infamous moment, from “Double Cross My Heart”. Sam is extremely angry at Danny for spying on her during her date with Gregor, threatening to end their friendship, despite the fact that she did the same thing to Danny during his time with Valerie. Unlike Sam, Danny had legitimate reasons since they knew nothing about Sam’s new crush and had reasons to be suspicious of this conspicuous, foreign transfer student dressed in white and black who just happened to start at Casper High the same time the Guys in White become much more active in town. Furthermore, the exact same thing had happened before (Johnny 13 had taken an interest in Jazz, and her life was in danger as a result). Not to mention Sam is never called out for her own actions. Instead, it’s Danny who apologizes while Sam laments that lying is the only way she can get a boyfriend.

* DesignatedHero: Sam Manson is Danny’s best friend and [[StrangledByTheRedString supposed true love]] and is [[CreatorsPet clearly favored by the creator, Butch Hartman]]. However, Sam is a {{Hypocrite}} who [[KarmaHoudini always gets away with her selfishness]]. Throughout the show, [[WithFriendsLikeThese Sam had a tendency to impose her will on other characters, from forcing the entire school to join her vegetarian lifestyle, to blackmailing her friends into releasing zoo animals, to scolding Danny for purposely getting rid of his powers without considering the stress and trouble he had been going through because of them (especially since she was the one who convinced him to do the deed that resulted in the Freak Lab Accident that gave him his powers to begin with)]].
* DesignatedLoveInterest: Butch Hartman is single-mindedly obsessed with Danny and Sam ending up together, perpetuating the lie that friends of opposite gender have to end up together. There was nothing more romantic to their relationship other than them being friends of opposite gender, and the whole thing came off more a combination of awkward teenage hormones and defensiveness in the face of relentless teasing.

* GoodIsNotNice: Sam is hypocritical, bossy and pretentious, but she is indeed loyal to Tucker and Danny.

* {{Hypocrite}}: She despises forcing beliefs and opinions on to others yet forced the entire school to eat her "recyclable organic matter" because "we don't need meat". She scolds Danny for using his ghost powers against powerless school bullies yet she's okay with asking Danny to scare away customers from a dealership because they were selling eco-unfriendly trucks. She spied on Danny during his date with Valerie in "Flirting with Disaster", yet when he spied on her during a date with a new student in "Double Cross My Heart", she gets angry and threatens to end their friendship. Though, in that case, Valerie was someone who had previously tried to kill Danny’s ghost identity (a few times). It doesn't change that she reacted with hostility and never directly apologized when Danny had legitimate concerns over her date, which she admits he was right about.

* MoralMyopia: Sam is extremely angry at Danny for spying on her during her date with Gregor, threatening to end their friendship, despite the fact that she did the same thing to Danny during his time with Valerie. Unlike Sam, Danny had legitimate reasons since they knew nothing about Sam’s new crush and had reasons to be suspicious of this conspicuous, foreign transfer student dressed in white and black who just happened to start at Casper High the same time the Guys in White become much more active in town. Furthermore, the exact same thing had happened before (Johnny 13 had taken an interest in Jazz, and her life was in danger as a result). Not to mention Sam is never called out for her own actions. Instead, it’s Danny who apologizes while Sam laments that lying is the only way she can get a boyfriend.

* NoSympathy: When Danny gets rid of his powers, Sam calls him selfish, but he wanted to be normal again in order to protect his family from the ghost hunters searching for him, and in keeping with the perception that he was no longer needed as Amity's protector (plus he wouldn’t be able to do much with his ghost powers with them around anyways). Not to mention Sam seems only to care for Danny Phantom, not Danny Fenton.
** Danny is heartbroken by his break up with Valerie, Sam, happy that her competition is gone, doesn’t bother to comfort him.

* UngratefulBitch: Sam is extremely angry at Danny for spying on her during her date with Gregor, threatening to end their friendship, despite the fact that she did the same thing to Danny during his time with Valerie. Unlike Sam, Danny had legitimate reasons since they knew nothing about Sam’s new crush and had reasons to be suspicious of this conspicuous, foreign transfer student dressed in white and black who just happened to start at Casper High the same time the Guys in White become much more active in town. Furthermore, the exact same thing had happened before (Johnny 13 had taken an interest in Jazz, and her life was in danger as a result). Not to mention Sam is never called out for her own actions. Instead, it’s Danny who apologizes while Sam laments that lying is the only way she can get a boyfriend.

* ActOfTrueLove: Despite how [[UngratefulBastard poorly Danny responds to her help]], Jazz unconditionally loves her brother and will [[BigSisterInstinct fight tooth and nail to protect him]].
** Jazz accidentally finds out that Danny is a [[HalfHumanHybrid half-ghost]] and not only does she not judge him negatively, she saves him from Spectra, and was fully prepared to [[SecretSecretKeeper keep his secret indefinitely]].

* FantasticRacism: While Danny is not as awful as [[VanHelsingHateCrimes his parents, Valerie Grey and the Guys in White]], Danny usually shoots first and never openly acknowledges that [[NotAlwaysEvil not all ghosts are evil]], nor does he ever defend a ghost from more hostile ghost hunters.

* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: Downplayed. Unlike other [[VanHelsingHateCrimes ghost hunters, like his parents, the Guys in White and Valerie Gray]], Danny has no interest in destroying his enemies as there are some he at least tries to befriend and is capable of knowing [[NotAlwaysEvil not ''all'' ghosts are evil]]. Although, Danny never ever openly acknowledges that [[NotAlwaysEvil not all ghosts are evil]]. As for his clones, it's played straight with the more non-sentient ones, but averted with Danielle, as by the time he found out what she is, he had already started to grow fond of her and accepted her as family.

** By stopping Dark Phantom, Danny saves many ghosts from their [[FateWorseThanDeath terrible fates in the BadFuture]]. [[NoSympathy It’s unclear and unlikely that Danny even had sympathy for them]].

* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: Downplayed. Unlike other [[VanHelsingHateCrimes ghost hunters, like his parents, the Guys in White and Valerie Gray]], Danny has no interest in destroying his enemies as there are some he at least tries to befriend and is capable of knowing [[NotAlwaysEvil not ''all'' ghosts are evil]]. As for his clones, it's played straight with the more non-sentient ones, but averted with Danielle, as by the time he found out what she is, he had already started to grow fond of her and accepted her as family.

FantasticRacism: While Danny is not as awful as [[VanHelsingHateCrimes his parents, Valerie Grey and the Guys in White]], Danny usually shoots first and never openly acknowledges that [[NotAlwaysEvil not all ghosts are evil]], nor does he ever defend a ghost from more hostile ghost hunters.

** Danny doesn’t appreciate when his enemies go out of their way to help him, and treats them as if [[AlwaysChaoticEvil they’re irredeemable]].

* DesignatedLoveInterest: Butch Hartman is single-mindedly obsessed with Danny and Sam ending up together, perpetuating the lie that friends of opposite gender have to end up together.

'''Danny:''' Hello misplaced aggression. ''Danny smiles deviously before flying off in a hurry.''

* BoyMeetsGhoul: Danny, a [[ArtificialHuman human-ghost hybrid]] has a huge amount of {{UST}} with his {{childhood friend|Romance}}, Sam Manson, a living human.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: As hypocritical and bossy as Sam is, her heart is always in the right place. She's level-headed, caring, and loyal to her friends.

'''Danny:''' Hello misplaced aggression. Smiling deviously

’’’Danny:’’’Hello misplaced aggression. Smiling deviously

‘’’Danny:’’’Hello misplaced aggression.[smiling deviously]

** Danny defeats Prince Aragon, thereby liberating his freedom and his sister from his abuse. Danny only showed up to save Sam.