History Characters / EarthwormJim

* PoweredArmor: The Super Suit, natch. In the games, it runs on atomic power; in the cartoon, it runs off a "Battery of the Gods". Unusually for the trope, it doesn't posses built-in flight systems- rather, Jim utilizes his Pocket Rocket.

* SmallNameBigEgo: The cartoon zigzags on this. Jim is crazy, egotistical and full of himself, but, more often than not, when the chips are down, he proves himself to be genuinely competent.

* ZeroEffortBoss: In both games. In Down the Tubes, you just need to tip over his fishbowl. In Anything but Tangerines, Jim simply plucks him out of his fishbowl and eats him. Justified in that, despite his intelligence, he’s just a goldfish- would you expect him to do anything in a fight against Jim?

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: In the cartoon, the Professor admits the monkey is in fact a chimpanzee who glued the tail on because he feels like he's a monkey trapped in a ape's body.

* MultipleChoicePast: The reason for his, um, "condition" varies based on the medium. The games don't offer any kind of origin outside the (arguably canon) N64 game, which implies it's hereditary (as seen by his late great aunt Baroness Beaver-For-A-Head). The cartoon doesn't offer any origin either, although its apparently such a common occurrence that there are self-help groups for it. As for the comic, this is done on purpose; [=TenNapel=] has stated that he has no idea why the Professor is the way he is and has no intention of ever deciding on it any time soon.

'''Cartoon:''' A nefarious space villain, Psycrow roams the galaxy in search of plunder and excitement. Conquest, destruction, thievery, these are all part of a day's work for a Scourge of the Spaceways. He's not above hiring himself out as a mercenary or assassin, but he's quite comfortable working for himself. Voiced by Creator/JimCummings.

'''Cartoon:''' Fundamentally identical to the games, Bob in the cartoon series is depicted with a bombastic, evangelical personality. The planet is also given the name La Planeta de Agua (''[[RunningGag ¡arriba!]]''). Voiced by Creator/JimCummings.

* WhipItGood: In the games, Jim uses himself as a whip to hit enemies as well as jump rope being grabbed by his own suit. Also seen in ''VideoGame/ClayFighter'' games as he uses it as the strong punch and in one throw saying "I'm a Cowboy!"

* AppropriatedAppellation: 2019 Comic only. The first person he meets upon creation is a farmer who introduces himself as "Jim. Farmer Jim." So our hero borrows the idea and decides to be "Jim! Earthworm Jim!".

* {{Catchphrase}}: "A minor setback."

* BerserkButton: In the cartoon, the Professor hates fruit carts because one (somehow) killed his father. The manual for the first game mentions that calling him "Monkey Professor-For-A-Head" is a good way to make him angry. (That's apparently not the case in the cartoon.)

* {{Catchphrase}}: "OW! Thank you."

* CanonForeigner: Only introduced in the cartoon series.
** CanonImmigrant: He later appeared with Evil in ''Menace 2 The Galaxy''.

* CanonForeigner: Created for the cartoon series.
** CanonImmigrant: He appeared in the tie in game ''Menace 2 The Galaxy'' however and was planned to appear in ''3D''.

'''2020 Comic:''' Like the game, Jim is created when a Super Suit lands in Texas and a normal earthworm crawls inside. This time around, he is also affected by the magic of a mysterious space fairy. This version is easily the most naive and inexperienced, but still has a good heart, sees the beauty in the world, and is willing to attempt to be a hero despite the risks.

* AppropriatedAppellation: 2020s Comic only. The first person he meets upon creation is a farmer who introduces himself as "Jim. Farmer Jim." So our hero borrows the idea and decides to be "Jim! Earthworm Jim!".

'''2020 Comic:''' Here, Peter is actually 'Proto Pooch', an organism sent (and presumably created) by Slug-For-A-Butt to Earth to act as an advanced scout and spy. Jim's friendship convinces him to switch sides.

* AdaptationalSpeciesChange: From an alien in the games and 1995 comic, to a magically cursed Earth dog in the cartoon, to some kind of alien being that happens to look like a dog (specifically, a Jack Russel/Beagle mix) in the 2020 comic.

'''2020 Comic:''' This incarnation is actually an Earth woman who was kidnapped by Slug-For-A-Butt at some point and raised as her daughter. She disagrees with her mother's methods of planetary destruction and steals the Super Suit, allowing it to eventually make its way to Earth. She is far more level headed than Jim, and although not as much of a warrior as in the cartoon, is still the driving force of the group in their quest to defeat her adopted mother.

'''Comics:''' About the same as the games, although he apparently possesses the ability to convene with the spirits of dead Earth crows in the 2020 comics, and he ate Jim's friends and family in the 1995 comics.

'''2020 Comic''': Not as independent this time, and apparently an explicit minion of the Queen. Still says "A minor setback" though, and now touts Communist ideals.

'''2020 Comic:''' Same as the games, more or less--a minion of the Queen who makes the super suit for her. No mention has been made of why the current suit is the only one that works, however. Also, the monkey throws its own poo this time around.

* GirlyBruiser: Her 1995 comic incarnation is largely a sweet, fashion-loving girly-girl... but she's also a super-strong warrior who eagerly leaps into the fray when violence is imminent.

* [[OnlySaneMan Only Sane Woman]]: In the cartoons, she shares this role with Peter Puppy.
* {{Slapstick Knows No Gender}}: The very first game ends with What's-Her-Name getting flattened by a cow and falling into a lake of slime (with said cow still on top of her when she falls in). Despite establishing her as far more competent than Jim, the cartoon's version also follows this with multiple examples of her suffering {{Amusing Injuries}} or otherwise suffering mishaps (one notable example being a flying duel against her villainous counterpart in Evil Jim's team having What's-Her-Name seemingly victorious only for her to end it getting sucked into an airliner's engine then sent falling way down until literally crashing right on her head).

* SlapstickKnowsNoGender: Gets mauled by Evil Peter Puppy and later in a flying duel with her good counterpart gets flung into a rock wall by a volleyball net.

* BerserkButton: In the cartoon, the Professor hates fruit carts because one (somehow) killed his father. The manual for the first game mentions that calling him "Monkey Professor-For-A-Head" is a good way to make him angry.

* FromNobodyToNightmare: In the cartoon, it's claimed he was once nothing more than a simple dairy farmer. Now, he's such a space villain he has even been featured on Lifestyles Of the Rich & Villainous, with such creations as the Sparktronic Protobluntifier, the Atomic Banana, the Pay Toilet, and, of course, the creation of the Super Suit.

* MultipleHeadcase: Technically inverted, the Professor and the Monkey are more like two bodies sharing a head. But the two have separate brains, so there can still be dissension between them - such as the monkey eating the Prof's super suit plans.

The Horrific, tyranical and incredibly beautiful[[note]] by her species standards[[/note]] ruler of the planet Insectica, the Queen reigns over all with a set of iron fists and she yearns to expand her dominion to the entire universe. Commissioning the creation of an ultra-powerful doomsday weapon from Professor Monkey-for-a-Head, the Queen was infuriated to learn the weapon had been lost. She seeks to destroy Earthworm Jim whenever possible as she hopes to reclaim the Super Suit, but she does not focus maniacally on that goal and will try to rule the universe in other ways. Voiced in the cartoon by Andrea Martin.

* ArchEnemy: Queen Slug-For-A-Butt may be the BigBad, but Psycrow is Jim's primary foe in the games and often the cartoon, and with good reason. Not only is he a crow (and crows eat worms), but his WeaponOfChoice is [[HooksAndCrooks something many earthworms meet gruesome ends impaled on.]] He is like an amalgamation of earthworm nightmares.

* TheVietnamVet: The Great Worm Spirit saved his life in the 'Nam, man.

* LIsForDyslexia: One of the questions in "The Villi People" asks if Jim is dyslexic. The correct answer is [[Main/SdrawkcabSpeech "Sey".]]

* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Jim's favorite food is apparently chip butties [[note]]a British sandwich that uses fries or chips and vinegar between the bread[[/note]], as they appear as mega-healing powerups in the second game.

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

* MagicWand: Her scepter.
* MeaningfulName: Almost to the point of ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin.
* NameThatUnfoldsLikeLotusBlossom: Overly long and accurately gross.

* TheVietnamVet: In the cartoon, he served in 'Nam along with the Great Worm Spirit.

* SignatureLaugh: An odd "Heh! Heh!" cackle.

** SkippableBoss: The player only has to fight him if they lose the "Andy Asteroids" race.

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: In the cartoon, the Professor admits the monkey is in fact a chimpanzee who glued the tail on because he feels like he's a monkey trapped in a apes body.

* MultipleChoicePast: The reason for his, um, "condition" varies based on the medium. The games don't offer any kind of origin outside the (arguably canon) N64 game, which implies it's hereditary (as seen by his late great aunt Baroness Beaver-For-A-Head). The cartoon doesn't offer any origin either, although its apparently such a common occurrence that there are self-help groups for it. As for the comic, this is done on purpose; TenNapel has stated that he has no idea why the Professor is the way he is and has no intention of ever deciding on it any time soon.

* [[OnlySaneMan Only Sane Pup]]: Shares this role with Princess What's-Her-Name in the cartoon.

* AntiClimaxBoss: In both games. In Down the Tubes, you just need to tip over his fishbowl. In Anything but Tangerines, Jim simply plucks him out of his fishbowl and eats him. Justified in that, despite his intelligence, he’s just a goldfish- would you expect him to do anything in a fight against Jim?
* BrainsEvilBrawnGood: [[ExaggeratedTrope Exaggerated]] and played for laughs. His relationship with Jim is a classic example of a powerful hero facing off against a physically weak villainous mastermind. His level is [[ThatOneLevel among the hardest in the whole game]], yet Bob himself is so physically weak that Jim can defeat him just by walking into him and toppling his bowl over.

** In the first game his level is grueling and his minions are formidable fighters, but Bob himself is the poster child for the AnticlimaxBoss. In the second game he gets a downgrade to being the master of the first and easiest level, where he once again is a pushover, this time being killed in a cutscene this time. He puts up more of a fight in 3D, but keeping in line with his ineffectiveness he is the easiest boss in the game.

* NonMammalianHair / RapunzelHair: She sports a red ponytail that reaches her ankles, and she's an Insectian.

%%* NonMammalianHair[=/=]RapunzelHair