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Wafer Thin Mint was renamed to The Last Straw per TRS
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** On the other hand, his alternate-universe counterpart, with just [[WaferThinMint one]] [[ForWantOfANail more]] [[ChekhovsGun humiliation]] during the TraumaCongaLine that was his childhood, was a genuine threat and not sympathetic at all.
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** On the other hand, his alternate-universe counterpart, with just [[WaferThinMint [[TheLastStraw one]] [[ForWantOfANail more]] [[ChekhovsGun humiliation]] during the TraumaCongaLine that was his childhood, was a genuine threat and not sympathetic at all.
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** In the [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987 original cartoon]], ArchEnemy Shredder was many times this, particularly in later crossover ''TurtlesForever''.
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** He also managed to defeat the five main characters ''by himself'' on one occasion after getting fed up with being treated like garbage. [[spoiler:Only not really. He beat the entire team of ''villains'' on his own, mistaking them for the kids.]]
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** Just drive, you moron! Your car is so fast that you can build elaborate booby traps in the time it takes the other racers to catch up! [[FridgeLogic If you'd just forget about them and keep driving, you'd win every race hands down!]]
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** Just drive, you moron! Your car is so fast that [[DickDastardlyStopsToCheat you can build elaborate booby traps in the time it takes the other racers to catch up! up!]] [[FridgeLogic If you'd just forget about them and keep driving, you'd win every race hands down!]]
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* Skeletor in ''WesternAnimation/{{He-Man and the Masters of the Universe}}'' was so ineffective that the writers felt sorry for him. One stated in an interview that part of the reason they wrote a few EnemyMine episodes was that it was the only way they were allowed to have Skeletor come out ahead for once.
** His 2002 incarnation, on the other hand, was every bit as powerful, terrifying, and evil as he claimed to be.
** His 2002 incarnation, on the other hand, was every bit as powerful, terrifying, and evil as he claimed to be.
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* Skeletor in ''WesternAnimation/{{He-Man and the Masters of the Universe}}'' ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse1983'' was so ineffective that the writers felt sorry for him. One stated in an interview that part of the reason they wrote a few EnemyMine episodes was that it was the only way they were allowed to have Skeletor come out ahead for once.
** [[WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse2002 His 2002incarnation, incarnation]], on the other hand, was every bit as powerful, terrifying, and evil as he claimed to be.
** [[WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse2002 His 2002
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* Plankton from ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants''. After a while, you just start to feel sorry for the guy. It's more prominent in the [[SeasonalRot post-movie episodes]], where he could easily be one of the Trix Rabbit's drinking buddies. Granted, he gets a NotSoHarmlessVillain moment in the movie, but still...
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* Plankton from ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants''. After a while, you just start to feel sorry for the guy.guy, especially when compared to how heinous Mr. Krabs' actions to get more money have become. It's more prominent in the [[SeasonalRot post-movie episodes]], where he could easily be one of the Trix Rabbit's drinking buddies. Granted, he gets a NotSoHarmlessVillain moment in the movie, but still...
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* ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012'': Baxter Stockman jumps between this and NotSoHarmless villain. In his first episode, Mikey asked the other Turtles if they should just go by him ice cream rather than beat him up.
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* ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012'': Baxter Stockman jumps between this and NotSoHarmless villain. In his first episode, Mikey asked the other Turtles if they should just go by buy him ice cream rather than beat him up.
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* [[DeathbringerTheAdorable Killgore]] from ''MyLifeAsATeenageRobot'' is an odd example, in that he's inneffectual BECAUSE he's so sympathetic. People are finding him too cute (being that he is a wind-up toy) to see him as a threat, including his self-declared nemesis Jenny.
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* [[DeathbringerTheAdorable Killgore]] from ''MyLifeAsATeenageRobot'' is an odd example, in that he's inneffectual BECAUSE he's so sympathetic. People are finding him too cute (being that he is a wind-up toy) to see him as a threat, including his self-declared nemesis Jenny. However, he also proves to be a NotSoHarmlessVillain, as he's quite capable of going to extreme lengths, such as somehow managing to rebuild the deadly Armageddroid, to prove he's dangerous.
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* Gargamel in The Smurfs (and pretty much most Smurf's villains except Balthazar.
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* Gargamel in The Smurfs (and pretty much most Smurf's villains except Balthazar.Balthazar).
* ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012'': Baxter Stockman jumps between this and NotSoHarmless villain. In his first episode, Mikey asked the other Turtles if they should just go by him ice cream rather than beat him up.
* ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012'': Baxter Stockman jumps between this and NotSoHarmless villain. In his first episode, Mikey asked the other Turtles if they should just go by him ice cream rather than beat him up.
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** The problem is that Jack is 'trying' to be a villain yet is fairly bad at it. When he turned to good for a while before returning to evil, it wasn't that he was planning to betray them from the start, he 'did' try to be good but was afraid he would fail at being good just like he failed at being evil.
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* Gargamel in The Smurfs (and pretty much most Smurf's villains except Balthazar.
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** ALL of the "villains" from ''Make em Laugh'', though they're only villains [[spoiler:because they were brainwashed by The Joker.]] They're all pretty ineffective, but most notably is the "Condiment King". Even '''Batman''' takes pity on the guy.
--> '''Police Radio:''' Suspect is a male costumed extremist armed with what appears to be a... ''ketchup'' gun.
--> '''Batman:''' It's gonna be one of those nights.
--> '''Police Radio:''' Suspect is a male costumed extremist armed with what appears to be a... ''ketchup'' gun.
--> '''Batman:''' It's gonna be one of those nights.
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** The Cute King and his subjects are trying ''so hard'' to be threatening in spite of their inability to charge down a hill without literally coming apart. Finn and Jake take pity on them, on the basis that they'll either win or die, and they're not going to win, and convince a bunch of people to let themselves be "killed", using ketchup to fake the wounds.
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** Of course this all gets flipped on it's head once we learn his BackstoryHorror. At that point the sympathetic part gets taken to whole new levels.
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** Of course this all gets flipped on it's head once we learn his BackstoryHorror. At that point point, not only is the sympathetic part gets taken to whole new levels.levels, but the protagonists start treating him better and he develops into the TokenEvilTeammate.
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** "The Man Who Killed Batman" was focused around Sidney Debris AKA "Sid the Squid", a nebbish and meek bumbling mob underling who dreams of being a bigshot. He gets his wish when Batman is apparently killed and his gang believes Sidney did it. Unfortunately, as Sid finds out, that reputation comes with a price...
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** "The Man Who Killed Batman" was focused around Sidney Debris AKA "Sid the Squid", a nebbish and meek bumbling mob underling who dreams of being a bigshot. He gets his wish when Batman is apparently killed and his gang believes Sidney did it. Unfortunately, as Sid finds out, that reputation comes with a price... [[spoiler:The episode has a happy ending for Sid, however. He still goes to jail, but Batman lets everyone keep believing that he almost killed Batman and made a fool out of the Joker, turning Sid into a celebrity in prison.]]
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* The ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode "Owl's Well That Ends Well" involves the usually-good dragon cub Spike [[TemporarilyAVillain temporarily becoming a villain]], but definitely of the "ineffectual sympathetic" variety, [[TheWoobie with the emphasis on "sympathetic".]] For context, when an owl named [[UnknownRival Owlowicious]] shows up to do some of the work Spike had been typically doing for the girls, Spike ends up getting less attention from them than before, and in turn, [[GreenEyedMonster resents the owl a fair bit]]. After being scolded by Twilight for lying about a book not being there, he thinks the owl set him up, and in turn, tries to do the same to the owl, by planting a fake dead mouse with [[ABloodyMess ketchup blood]] in Twilight Sparkle's room; he gets caught in the act. [[spoiler:After running away, ending up encountering a dragon while gone, and then being saved from the dragon by Twilight and the owl, he apologized for the way he was behaving and is back to being one of the good guys.]]
** Except in the episode "Secrets of My Excess", however this time, Spike is transformed into a gargantuan rampaging beast that almost completely demolishes Ponyville. ''Even then'' he may lean into this since it's all for the sake of [[PokeThePoodle hoarding "gifts"]].
** Most of the RoguesGallery for the show act as this or mere petty bullies. The foes used in the two part specials are the only notable exceptions, and even then their [[SmugSnake detrimental arrogance]] and the often humiliating manner they are taken out almost makes you pity them.
** Except in the episode "Secrets of My Excess", however this time, Spike is transformed into a gargantuan rampaging beast that almost completely demolishes Ponyville. ''Even then'' he may lean into this since it's all for the sake of [[PokeThePoodle hoarding "gifts"]].
** Most of the RoguesGallery for the show act as this or mere petty bullies. The foes used in the two part specials are the only notable exceptions, and even then their [[SmugSnake detrimental arrogance]] and the often humiliating manner they are taken out almost makes you pity them.
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* The ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode "Owl's Well That Ends Well" involves the usually-good dragon cub Spike [[TemporarilyAVillain temporarily becoming a villain]], but definitely of the "ineffectual sympathetic" variety, [[TheWoobie with the emphasis on "sympathetic".]] For context, when an owl named [[UnknownRival Owlowicious]] shows up to do some of the work Spike had been typically doing for the girls, Spike ends up getting less attention from them than before, and in turn, [[GreenEyedMonster resents the owl a fair bit]]. After being scolded by Twilight for lying about a book not being there, he thinks the owl set him up, and in turn, tries to do the same to the owl, by planting a fake dead mouse with [[ABloodyMess ketchup blood]] in Twilight Sparkle's room; he gets caught in the act. [[spoiler:After running away, ending up encountering a dragon while gone, and then being saved from the dragon by Twilight and the owl, he apologized for the way he was behaving and is back to being one of the good guys.]]
** Except in the episode "Secrets of My Excess", however this time, Spike is transformed into a gargantuan rampaging beast that almost completely demolishes Ponyville. ''Even then'' he may lean into this since it's all for the sake of [[PokeThePoodle hoarding "gifts"]].
** Most of the RoguesGallery for the show act as this or mere petty bullies. The foes used in the two part specials are the only notable exceptions, and even then their [[SmugSnake detrimental arrogance]] and the often humiliating manner they are taken out almost makes you pity them.
** Except in the episode "Secrets of My Excess", however this time, Spike is transformed into a gargantuan rampaging beast that almost completely demolishes Ponyville. ''Even then'' he may lean into this since it's all for the sake of [[PokeThePoodle hoarding "gifts"]].
** Most of the RoguesGallery for the show act as this or mere petty bullies. The foes used in the two part specials are the only notable exceptions, and even then their [[SmugSnake detrimental arrogance]] and the often humiliating manner they are taken out almost makes you pity them.
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misspelled trope
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** On the other hand, his alternate-universe counterpart, with just [[WaferThinMint one]] [[ForWantOfANail more]] [[ChekovsGun humiliation]] during the TraumaCongaLine that was his childhood, was a genuine threat and not sympathetic at all.
to:
** On the other hand, his alternate-universe counterpart, with just [[WaferThinMint one]] [[ForWantOfANail more]] [[ChekovsGun [[ChekhovsGun humiliation]] during the TraumaCongaLine that was his childhood, was a genuine threat and not sympathetic at all.
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** On the other hand, his alternate-universe counterpart, lacking constant opposition from Perry the Platypus, was a genuine threat and not sympathetic at all.
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** On the other hand, his alternate-universe counterpart, lacking constant opposition from Perry with just [[WaferThinMint one]] [[ForWantOfANail more]] [[ChekovsGun humiliation]] during the Platypus, TraumaCongaLine that was his childhood, was a genuine threat and not sympathetic at all.
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* [[DeathbringerTheAdorable Killgore]] from ''MyLifeAsATeenageRobot'' is an odd example, in that he's inneffectual BECAUSE he's so sympathetic. People are finding him too cute (being that he is a wind-up toy) to see him as a threat, including his self-declared nemesis Jenny.
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* The ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode "Owl's Well That Ends Well" involves the usually-good dragon cub Spike temporarily becoming a villain, but definitely of the "ineffectual sympathetic" variety, [[TheWoobie with the emphasis on "sympathetic".]] For context, when an owl named [[UnknownRival Owlowicious]] shows up to do some of the work Spike had been typically doing for the girls, Spike ends up getting less attention from them than before, and in turn, [[GreenEyedMonster resents the owl a fair bit]]. After being scolded by Twilight for lying about a book not being there, he thinks the owl set him up, and in turn, tries to do the same to the owl, by planting a fake dead mouse with [[ABloodyMess ketchup blood]] in Twilight Sparkle's room; he gets caught in the act. [[spoiler:After running away, ending up encountering a dragon while gone, and then being saved from the dragon by Twilight and the owl, he apologized for the way he was behaving and is back to being one of the good guys.]]
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* The ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode "Owl's Well That Ends Well" involves the usually-good dragon cub Spike [[TemporarilyAVillain temporarily becoming a villain, villain]], but definitely of the "ineffectual sympathetic" variety, [[TheWoobie with the emphasis on "sympathetic".]] For context, when an owl named [[UnknownRival Owlowicious]] shows up to do some of the work Spike had been typically doing for the girls, Spike ends up getting less attention from them than before, and in turn, [[GreenEyedMonster resents the owl a fair bit]]. After being scolded by Twilight for lying about a book not being there, he thinks the owl set him up, and in turn, tries to do the same to the owl, by planting a fake dead mouse with [[ABloodyMess ketchup blood]] in Twilight Sparkle's room; he gets caught in the act. [[spoiler:After running away, ending up encountering a dragon while gone, and then being saved from the dragon by Twilight and the owl, he apologized for the way he was behaving and is back to being one of the good guys.]]
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* [[WesternAnimation/YinYangYo Karl anyone]]. The commercials for the next episode suggest he'll join the heroes so he can keep up with everyone else.
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* [[WesternAnimation/YinYangYo Karl anyone]]. Carl anyone?]] The commercials for the next episode suggest he'll join the heroes so he can keep up with everyone else.
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* Bull Gator and Axl in ''WesternAnimation/TazMania''. In the very meta episode "Retakes Not Included", Bull even observes that they are what passes for villains on the show.
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** Of course this all gets flipped on it's head once we learn his BackstoryHorror. At that point the sympathetic part gets taken to whole new levels.
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** Sylvester the Cat was usually depicted as one of these.
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* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'''s [[AnIcePerson Ice King]] plays this as a {{Deconstruction}} / ZigZaggingTrope: he wants to force a EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses into [[AndNowYouMustMarryMe marrying him]], but he comes across as sincerely lonely and desperate for love. At some points, however, he'll wind up saying or doing something ''really'' messed up, [[DoubleSubversion cluing the viewer in that he's really just a sociopath]].
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* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'''s [[AnIcePerson Ice King]] plays this as a {{Deconstruction}} / ZigZaggingTrope: he wants to force a EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses [[EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses princess]] into [[AndNowYouMustMarryMe marrying him]], but he comes across as sincerely lonely and desperate for love. At some points, however, he'll wind up saying or doing something ''really'' messed up, [[DoubleSubversion cluing the viewer in that he's really just a sociopath]].
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** "The Man Who Killed Batman" was focused around Sidney Debris AKA "Sid the Squid", a nebbish and meek bumbling mob underling who dreams of being a bigshot. He gets his wish when Batman is apparently killed and his gang believes Sidney did it. Unfortunately, as Sid finds out, that reputation comes with a price...
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Misuse/Zero Context Example of renamed trope. Please do not readd without writing up a full example that complies both with the trope description and with How To Write An Example
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** On the other hand, his alternate-universe counterpart, lacking constant opposition from Perry the Platypus, was [[NotSoHarmless a genuine threat]] and not sympathetic at all.
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** On the other hand, his alternate-universe counterpart, lacking constant opposition from Perry the Platypus, was [[NotSoHarmless a genuine threat]] threat and not sympathetic at all.
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* With one exception (The Phantom Limb) and, [[NotSoHarmlessVillain in later episodes]], The Monarch, all the villains on ''TheVentureBrothers'' are of this nature.
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* With one exception (The Phantom Limb) and, [[NotSoHarmlessVillain in later episodes]], The Monarch, all the villains on ''TheVentureBrothers'' ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'' are of this nature.
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* ''InvaderZim'' qualifies for this trope most of the time; more often than not, his schemes are thwarted by the Ditz portion of his GeniusDitz personality, rather than by his arch-nemesis or his CloudCuckooLander robot. Of particular note is the episode where he survives a TrainingFromHell in order to receive some {{Humongous Mecha}}s from his leaders, only to be shot into a sun for his troubles.
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* ''InvaderZim'' ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'' qualifies for this trope most of the time; more often than not, his schemes are thwarted by the Ditz portion of his GeniusDitz personality, rather than by his arch-nemesis or his CloudCuckooLander robot. Of particular note is the episode where he survives a TrainingFromHell in order to receive some {{Humongous Mecha}}s from his leaders, only to be shot into a sun for his troubles.
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** Arguably, every villain in ''KimPossible'' is like this, aside from Shego, who's the only one with any amount of competence or fighting ability.
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** Arguably, every villain in ''KimPossible'' ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' is like this, aside from Shego, who's the only one with any amount of competence or fighting ability.
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* [[WackyRaces Dick Dastardly]].
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* [[WackyRaces [[WesternAnimation/WackyRaces Dick Dastardly]].
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* Lucius Heinous VII on ''JimmyTwoShoes''. Despite literally ruling Miseryville, the main characters either don't fear him or don't respect him. He despretely tries to be the BigBad, but fails horribly.
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* Lucius Heinous VII on ''JimmyTwoShoes''. Despite literally ruling Miseryville, the main characters either don't fear him or don't respect him. He despretely desperately tries to be the BigBad, but fails horribly.
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* ''WesternAnimation/Ben10AlienForce'': though he ''does'' becomes a treath on occasions (he was actually dangerous in his first two appearances), [[EvilTwin Albedo]] was this from the beginning and becomes more so as the story goes on. He is doomed to be trapped in a human body he despises, and all he wants is getting his original form back. As a matter of fact, when he finally gets his form back in one episode, he makes it clear he has no more reason to fight Ben, and prepares to leave Earth... [[YankTheDogsChain only to immediatly revert to human form]].
* Leonard [=McLeish=] from the Hub's ''WesternAnimation/PoundPuppies'' series. He's self-centered, short-tempered, and clearly more concerned with impressing people and getting promoted than actually doing his job as head dog-catcher, but he's not really a ''bad'' guy.
* Leonard [=McLeish=] from the Hub's ''WesternAnimation/PoundPuppies'' series. He's self-centered, short-tempered, and clearly more concerned with impressing people and getting promoted than actually doing his job as head dog-catcher, but he's not really a ''bad'' guy.
to:
* ''WesternAnimation/Ben10AlienForce'': though he ''does'' becomes a treath threat on occasions (he was actually dangerous in his first two appearances), [[EvilTwin Albedo]] was this from the beginning and becomes more so as the story goes on. He is doomed to be trapped in a human body he despises, and all he wants is getting his original form back. As a matter of fact, when he finally gets his form back in one episode, he makes it clear he has no more reason to fight Ben, and prepares to leave Earth... [[YankTheDogsChain only to immediatly immediately revert to human form]].
* Leonard [=McLeish=] fromthe The Hub's ''WesternAnimation/PoundPuppies'' ''[[WesternAnimation/PoundPuppies2010 Pound Puppies]]'' series. He's self-centered, short-tempered, and clearly more concerned with impressing people and getting promoted than actually doing his job as head dog-catcher, dog catcher, but he's not really a ''bad'' guy.
* Leonard [=McLeish=] from
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Renamed trope
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** He's NotSoHarmless though, as he's able of using his "toilet powers" to "flush" the entire Grand Canyon with milk.
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** He's NotSoHarmless a NotSoHarmlessVillain though, as he's able of using his "toilet powers" to "flush" the entire Grand Canyon with milk.
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* With one exception (The Phantom Limb) and, [[NotSoHarmless in later episodes]], The Monarch, all the villains on ''TheVentureBrothers'' are of this nature.
** Most of them are of the NotSoHarmless type. It's shown that the reason OSI and such tolerate the supervillains' stupid games is that it keeps them from committing real crimes or blowing up cities. (Those who don't play the game have to deal with SPHINX.) The Monarch, in particular, is a special case. When he was taken off of Dr. Venture, he was unhappy with the normal game and proceeded to kill 5 heroes in a short time.
** Most of them are of the NotSoHarmless type. It's shown that the reason OSI and such tolerate the supervillains' stupid games is that it keeps them from committing real crimes or blowing up cities. (Those who don't play the game have to deal with SPHINX.) The Monarch, in particular, is a special case. When he was taken off of Dr. Venture, he was unhappy with the normal game and proceeded to kill 5 heroes in a short time.
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* With one exception (The Phantom Limb) and, [[NotSoHarmless [[NotSoHarmlessVillain in later episodes]], The Monarch, all the villains on ''TheVentureBrothers'' are of this nature.
** Most of them are of theNotSoHarmless NotSoHarmlessVillain type. It's shown that the reason OSI and such tolerate the supervillains' stupid games is that it keeps them from committing real crimes or blowing up cities. (Those who don't play the game have to deal with SPHINX.) The Monarch, in particular, is a special case. When he was taken off of Dr. Venture, he was unhappy with the normal game and proceeded to kill 5 heroes in a short time.
** Most of them are of the
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** Doctor Killinger's entire reason to exist seems to be to ''snap out'' villains from this trope and into NotSoHarmless instead.
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** Doctor Killinger's entire reason to exist seems to be to ''snap out'' villains from this trope and into NotSoHarmless NotSoHarmlessVillain instead.
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* Plankton from ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants''. After a while, you just start to feel sorry for the guy. It's more prominent in the [[SeasonalRot post-movie episodes]], where he could easily be one of the Trix Rabbit's drinking buddies. Granted, he gets a NotSoHarmless moment in the movie, but still...
to:
* Plankton from ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants''. After a while, you just start to feel sorry for the guy. It's more prominent in the [[SeasonalRot post-movie episodes]], where he could easily be one of the Trix Rabbit's drinking buddies. Granted, he gets a NotSoHarmless NotSoHarmlessVillain moment in the movie, but still...
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* Snively from ''WesternAnimation/SonicSatAM''. He is a reedy and sneering little man who is always consumed by his Uncle Robotnik's quite massive shadow. [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking Also, he's a baldy.]] [[spoiler: However, he turns out to be NotSoHarmless when he manages to slip out before his uncle is killed, and return as a TheEndOrIsIt cliffhanger for a season that we will never receive.]]
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* Snively from ''WesternAnimation/SonicSatAM''. He is a reedy and sneering little man who is always consumed by his Uncle Robotnik's quite massive shadow. [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking Also, he's a baldy.]] [[spoiler: However, he turns out to be NotSoHarmless a NotSoHarmlessVillain when he manages to slip out before his uncle is killed, and return as a TheEndOrIsIt cliffhanger for a season that we will never receive.]]
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** In later seasons, Dr. Light is similarly ineffectual. Though he does get one major NotSoHarmless moment.
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** In later seasons, Dr. Light is similarly ineffectual. Though he does get one major NotSoHarmless NotSoHarmlessVillain moment.
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* The ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode "Owl's Well That Ends Well" involves the usually-good dragon cub Spike temporarily becoming a villain, but definitely of the "ineffectual sympathetic" variety, [[TheWoobie with the emphasis on "sympathetic".]] For context, when an owl named [[UnknownRival Owlowicious]] shows up to do some of the work Spike had been typically doing for the girls, Spike ends up getting less attention from them than before, and in turn, [[GreenEyedMonster resents the owl a fair bit]]. After being scolded by Twilight for lying about a book not being there, he thinks the owl set him up, and in turn, tries to do the same to the owl, by planting a fake dead mouse with [[ABloodyMess ketchup blood]] in Twilight Sparkle's room; he gets caught in the act. [[spoiler:After running away, ending up encountering a dragon while gone, and then being saved from the dragon by Twilight and the owl, he apologized for the way he was behaving and is back to being one of the good guys.]]
** Except in the episode "Secrets of My Excess", however this time, Spike is transformed into a gargantuan rampaging beast that almost completely demolishes Ponyville. ''Even then'' he may lean into this since it's all for the sake of [[PokeThePoodle hoarding "gifts"]].
** Most of the RoguesGallery for the show act as this or mere petty bullies. The foes used in the two part specials are the only notable exceptions, and even then their [[SmugSnake detrimental arrogance]] and the often humiliating manner they are taken out almost makes you pity them.
* Harley Quinn of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' tended to fall into this trope, especially when she caught on as a popular character:
** Harley was often treated as genuinely misguided, so the audience sometimes forgave her for her more violent behavior depending on how softening a particular episode was.
** In the comic-turned-episode "Mad Love", Harley did manage to succeed in trapping Batman. Batman's only hope was to have her inform The Joker, who he knew would free Batman because ''[[TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou it wasn't HIM that defeated Batman!]]'' Batman even admitted that Harley came closer to killing him than the Joker ever did. Harley also suggested [[WhyDontYouJustShootHim just shooting Batman]], instead of elaborate death traps. Ironically, at the end of the episode, [[spoiler:Harley almost succeeded in killing Bats with an elaborate death trap, while the ''Joker'', who previously slapped Harley for even suggesting such a thing, tried simply shooting him...and failed.]]
* The Amoeba Boys in ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls''. While the Powerpuff Girls are out beating up real criminals, the poor Amoeba Boys can't get the girls' attention, despite committing [[SarcasmMode heinous]] acts such as [[PokeThePoodle littering, jaywalking, and disobeying a "Keep off the grass" sign.]]
** In one of the early World Premiere Toon shorts, the Girls actually commit a bank robbery solely to show the Boys how it's done. When the Girls are brought in for the crime, the boys turn themselves in, in an attempt to appear "big time".
** In another, during the actual series, the Boys stumble upon Mojo Jojo's {{Deathtrap}} plans, and they, along with the Girls, mistake it for a "scavenger hunt" -- so they find all the things it calls for and put it together, and once it's assembled, the Girls think it's a theme-park ride, so they willingly submit to the plan intended to destroy them.
** In another episode, the Boys catch a cold while loitering on the grass in yet another attempt at crime. Even though they end up unwittingly mutating the cold into a deadly strain of virus and even more unwittingly starting an epidemic in Townsville, the viewers '''still''' can't help but feel sorry for them.
** And in another episode, they manage to actually ''succeed'' at stealing an orange, for once, and when it splits apart, are reminded that, as amoebae, they are capable of multiplying. There is quickly an army of them, and the only thing they can think to do is to steal '''all''' the oranges in Townsville (although this does cause the citizens to contract scurvy).
* The Toilenator from ''CodenameKidsNextDoor'' badly wants to be a villain, but is far too wimpy and incompetent to pull it off. He's a minor inconvenience to the KND, and most of the bad guys try not to be seen with him because of his clingy BumblingSidekick personality.
** He's NotSoHarmless though, as he's able of using his "toilet powers" to "flush" the entire Grand Canyon with milk.
* Odlaw in the animated series ''[[Literature/WheresWally Where's Waldo?]]'' (''Where's Wally''?). As so many bad things keep happening to him in the name of comedy, and all he ever wants is to commit a single act of theft, you have to feel for the guy. Also, his determination is admirable!
* In ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown,'' Jack Spicer, despite being the main villain in some cases, is usually an IneffectualSympatheticVillain, especially in the later episodes.
** This is reinforced by Jack being probably the only fictional character, let alone villain, to have a breakdown failing to interrogate a parrot that simply repeated everything he said.
* With one exception (The Phantom Limb) and, [[NotSoHarmless in later episodes]], The Monarch, all the villains on ''TheVentureBrothers'' are of this nature.
** Most of them are of the NotSoHarmless type. It's shown that the reason OSI and such tolerate the supervillains' stupid games is that it keeps them from committing real crimes or blowing up cities. (Those who don't play the game have to deal with SPHINX.) The Monarch, in particular, is a special case. When he was taken off of Dr. Venture, he was unhappy with the normal game and proceeded to kill 5 heroes in a short time.
** Doctor Mrs. The Monarch is the most competent villain and, quite possibly, the most competent character on the entire show. Even the Sovereign of the Guild respects her.
** Doctor Killinger's entire reason to exist seems to be to ''snap out'' villains from this trope and into NotSoHarmless instead.
*** Doctor Killinger's fourth episode, ''The Doctor is Sin'', makes a pretty persuasive argument that Rusty Venture himself is this. Killinger spends much of the episode giving Venture Industries "efficiency" training, with the true aim of turning Doctor Venture into a real, Guild-bonded supervilain.
* Many ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' villains:
** Wile E. Coyote. In fact, one of the laws of the Road Runner cartoons is "The audience's sympathy must remain with the Coyote."
** It's very difficult to hate the likes of Marvin the Martian and Elmer Fudd.
** Yosemite Sam was actually a deliberate subversion of the trope, because audiences were starting to favor Elmer too much. The idea was to feel sorry for the guy, but it was getting to the point where Bugs was starting to look like a relentless bully instead of a wiseacre outwitting the buffoon who was trying to victimize him. Sam was both smarter and more belligerent than Elmer, meaning that Bugs was free to lead him on all he wanted. But even Yosemite Sam, while pretty dark for a Looney Tunes villain, was still fairly ineffectual compared to the average non-Looney-Tunes villain.
** DaffyDuck, initially just a ScrewySquirrel or AntiHero, eventually evolved into one for BugsBunny and SpeedyGonzales.
** Nasty Canasta and Rocky the gangster, initially more fearsome subversions of this trope, eventually devolved into hopeless foils for Bugs as well.
* [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Sideshow Bob]] also frequently veers into this territory. The poor guy can't even win against a rake.
* Waspinator from ''{{Transformers}}: WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' is one of these, being a ChewToy on the side of the bad guys.
** Ditto for Sky-Byte and his TeamRocket in ''Anime/TransformersRobotsInDisguise''. Except that Sky-Byte would actually be leadership material if only a few things were different. It's just that he lacked the only two qualities that really mattered for a leader: ''aptitude'' and ''intelligence''.
* [[OverlordJr Prince]] [[ButtMonkey Zuko]] in the first season of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender''. The second season puts him in AntiVillain status, with him and his Uncle spending more time being fugitives from [[TheEmpire the Fire Nation]] than trying to capture Aang, along with having CharacterDevelopment and EnemyMine "moments" as sprinkles. And then, about halfway in the final season, said "moments" are what causes Zuko to [[spoiler:[[HeelFaceTurn become Aang's ally]].]] Then, in the series' ending, [[spoiler:he becomes the new Fire Lord]], with things getting better and better for him, effectively ''inverting'' this trope at that point.
** His ButtMonkey status comes up for actual discussion in the second season, as "[[BigBad My father]] says [[DaddysLittleVillain Azula]] was born lucky. He said I was lucky to be ''born''." Plus Zuko's RageAgainstTheHeavens when attempting to be struck by lightning, but he can't even get that to go right. (ItMakesSenseInContext.)
** He has a few positive experiences even in the first season, and [[VillainsOutShopping got so much screen time not directly related]] to suffering or fighting the Gaang that he was practically a main character all along. He was even allowed to win against the other villain and get his first CMOA.
* ''FriskyDingo'''s Killface is a pseudo-cultured, incompetent supervillain whose plans are often derailed by trivial matters and lacks knowledge of common subjects (it's a revelation to him that P.C. stands for "personal computer"). He's still more likable than "hero" Xander Crews, though.
** Killface is so sympathetic, especially when compared to JerkAss DesignatedHero Xander Crews, that it's easy to forget that he brutally killed two people in the pilot and has added to his body count throughout the series. It helps that some of the other members of the cast have committed similar misdeeds and/or are {{Asshole Victim}}s.
* ''InvaderZim'' qualifies for this trope most of the time; more often than not, his schemes are thwarted by the Ditz portion of his GeniusDitz personality, rather than by his arch-nemesis or his CloudCuckooLander robot. Of particular note is the episode where he survives a TrainingFromHell in order to receive some {{Humongous Mecha}}s from his leaders, only to be shot into a sun for his troubles.
* [[WesternAnimation/YinYangYo Karl anyone]]. The commercials for the next episode suggest he'll join the heroes so he can keep up with everyone else.
* [[WesternAnimation/SouthPark Professor Chaos/Butters]] is so inept that [[TheWoobie it's cute.]]
* Dr. Drakken from ''KimPossible'' never gets the respect he thinks he should have; he always fails his capers, sometimes even without the help of Team Possible. He often gets mistaken for the more respected Dementor and, at the end of the series, he is outright told how much of a failure of a villain he has been (despite having come closer to [[TakeOverTheWorld taking over the world]] than any of his peers, and ending up with [[spoiler: much of the credit for saving the world from the AlienInvasion)]]. If it wasn't for his [[TheDragon Dragon]], Shego, he wouldn't be a villain at all.
** Arguably, every villain in ''KimPossible'' is like this, aside from Shego, who's the only one with any amount of competence or fighting ability.
*** Keeping Shego on HIS payroll should be considered extremely competent, especially when there are villains like Senor Senior Senior, who has [[{{Fiction500}} Scrooge McDuck levels of moolah]].
** Senor Senior Senior and his son, Senor Senior Junior probably count as this as well. After all, they only got into villainy because [[NiceJobBreakingItHero Ron told them their island home would make a great lair,]] Senior insists on doing things a certain way merely for the sake of villain tradition, and it is said devotion to tradition that keeps [[WhyDontYouJustShootHim leading to their defeat.]]
* [[GIJoe Cobra Commander]], who was constantly mocked, ignored, or pushed aside not only by other would-be world conquerors, but by his ''own minions''.
** Of course, he was never anything but effective and unsympathetic in the comics, where, among other things, he ''killed his own son''. Oh, and he used to be a ''[[HonestJohnsDealership used car salesman]]'', [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking the]] ''[[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking fiend]]''!
*** He does get the ineffectual part still - sometimes as part of a {{plan}}, sometimes because it's an imposter performing poorly. And sometimes, Destro just plain doesn't like him, and is willing to take the loss just to make him look bad, mostly because of his 'thing' for the Baroness.
** The miniseries ''GIJoeResolute'' is also a subversion. Cobra Commander actually has a speech where he claims his previous incompetence was just an attempt to force his minions to think outside the box. [[spoiler:He wipes Moscow from the face of the Earth just to prove that he could, and by the end of the series, [[AxCrazy he's so unhinged that he's hacking his own men apart with a sabre]]. His plan still failed, of course, but holy shit was he badass.]]
* While he started off as a BadAss and a walking CrowningMomentOfAwesome, by the end of ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'', [[BigBad Tai Lung]] had become this due to a combination of FreudianExcuse, SympathyForTheDevil, revealing his StartOfDarkness and WellDoneSonGuy status, and an EtTuBrute from his past. This may have something to do with the HumiliationConga and KickThemWhileTheyAreDown which some viewers see in the final battle--it certainly can't be denied that what had once been a chillingly effective villain seemed rather pathetic and easily defeated, Po's [[BeYourself understanding of the Dragon Scroll]] notwithstanding.
** Of course, after his ArrogantKungFuGuy resume is firmly established and he has shamelessly brutalized the entire rest of the cast, others see this as simple Kharmic retribution. Pride goeth before the fall, after all, and a HumiliationConga was really no less than Tai Lung deserved at that point.
* The battle droids in ''StarWarsTheCloneWars'', an entire ''army'' of Ineffectual Sympathetic Villains.
** Until they start gunning down unarmed pacifist, cracking open escape pods so the helpless people on board will die in space, and {{Zerg Rush}}ing that is.
* Plankton from ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants''. After a while, you just start to feel sorry for the guy. It's more prominent in the [[SeasonalRot post-movie episodes]], where he could easily be one of the Trix Rabbit's drinking buddies. Granted, he gets a NotSoHarmless moment in the movie, but still...
** Most of the time, it seems that he just wants some manner of success. In the cruel YankTheDogsChain episode "Plankton's Regular", after getting just ''one'' regular customer, he immediately stops trying to steal the Krabby Patty secret formula. Mr Krabs and Spongebob still found it neccessary to "thwart" him.
*** Plankton himself [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] this in one episode:
-->'''Plankton:''' Alright Krabs! Now hand over the secret formula!\\
'''Krabs:''' Or...What?\\
'''Plankton:''' I don't know. I never thought I'd get this far.
* Grizzle of ''[[CareBears Care Bears: Adventures in Care-a-Lot]]''.
** Of the primary villains of the earlier series, No-Heart and his niece Shreeky don't count. No-Heart was a legitimately powerful and evil sorcerer who had a habit of blasting Beastly with lightning bolts whenever he screwed up; and while Shreeky never actually did anything evil, she was a SpoiledBrat with a voice so loud that she made ''No-Heart'' wince. Mr. Beastly, No-Heart's primary lacky, definately fits somewhere between here and ButtMonkey. In the one episode that Beastly had, with him in the spotlight, him infuriates No-Heart by breaking No-Heart's crystal amulet (which is the source of his shapechanging spells), then breaks No-Heart's throne (something he ''knows'' No-Heart will be livid about), get turned into a horrific mishmash of animals while using No-Heart's broken amulet to catch some of the Care Bears, then be blackmailed into letting the Care Bears go after they tape-record him chanting a litany of "I care" to break the broken spell and be turned back to normal, and then, when No-Heart arrives, having calmed down due to finding an even more powerful crystal, he sits on his crudely repaired throne...and it breaks to pieces. Meaning more electroshocking for Beastly.
* The Box Ghost of ''DannyPhantom'' draws the line between this and HarmlessVillain. He has the potential to be a great baddie (if one episode and his [[spoiler: [[FutureBadass badass future self]]]] is any indications), but he just never makes it. Out of all the ghosts Danny has fought, Box Ghost is strictly in the "Who Cares" category, but he tries, he oh so tries.
** And his love of boxes is reminiscent of [[KidsPreferBoxes a small child who prefers the box to the toy that came in it.]]
* [[WackyRaces Dick Dastardly]].
** Just drive, you moron! Your car is so fast that you can build elaborate booby traps in the time it takes the other racers to catch up! [[FridgeLogic If you'd just forget about them and keep driving, you'd win every race hands down!]]
*** It wasn't for nothing that he had a whole trope [[DickDastardlyStopsToCheat named after him]].
* Voltar and the ''LeagueOfSuperEvil''. Guy is just so very motivated and happy about every plan or scheme he thinks up, no matter how trivial, that you just have to root for him. I mean, how many villains are ecstatic about throwing an 'EVIL' barbeque and not inviting their uncaring neighbors?
** One of the episodes involves a highly convoluted plot by the League...to make the pizza delivery boy late so that their food will be free!
* Snively from ''WesternAnimation/SonicSatAM''. He is a reedy and sneering little man who is always consumed by his Uncle Robotnik's quite massive shadow. [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking Also, he's a baldy.]] [[spoiler: However, he turns out to be NotSoHarmless when he manages to slip out before his uncle is killed, and return as a TheEndOrIsIt cliffhanger for a season that we will never receive.]]
** [[spoiler:Nope, he was still going to retain this role. [[WordOfGod In one interview with screen-writer Ben Hurst]] regarding the third season that never arrived, it was revealed that Snively was going to take a shot at becoming the new BigBad, only to be shortly upstaged by Ixis Naugus, and would later make a HeelFaceTurn and join the Freedom Fighters.]]
* Dr. Ivo Robotnik and his henchmen from ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog''. While Robotnik often tries to do something rrrroten, he ALWAYS fails horribly, and Sonic torments the doctor so sadistically, that it becomes hard to sympathize with the heroes.
** Even more so are his minions, Scratch and Grounder. While Robotnik could at least genuinely cook up a malicious plan every now and then, his duncebot's Wile E Coyote-esque traps hardly ever worked on anyone but themselves.
* Jack W. Tweeg and his sidekick L.B. from ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfTeddyRuxpin''.
* [[WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz]] is a self-proclaimed evil scientist whose endless string of [something]-inators are perpetual failures. He also had a ridiculously terrible childhood, never wins any of his battles, seldom [[ThrowTheDogABone gains any lasting happiness]], and once lost a fight with a ''potted plant''. The only thing saving him from complete [[TheWoobie Woobiefication]] is that he's always back the next episode, enthusiastically hatching yet another evil scheme.
** On the other hand, his alternate-universe counterpart, lacking constant opposition from Perry the Platypus, was [[NotSoHarmless a genuine threat]] and not sympathetic at all.
* Sandman in ''{{The Spectacular Spider-Man}}'' can never quite get his big score. Before his superpowers, Spider-man jokes about how many times he's been caught. After, he can actually fight Spidey, but then proceeds to forget or be unable to keep his take when he escapes down the drain. He also gets a couple of PetTheDog moments when it's revealed that while he cares a lot about the Big Score, he doesn't really want to hurt anybody (other than Spider-man, of course).
* The Lobe, archnemesis of the titular character in ''WesternAnimation/{{Freakazoid}}''. Despite being fiendishly brainy (quite literally - pretty much his entire head is made up of brain), he's extremely sensitive and insecure, and Freakazoid was once able to defeat him with nothing more than some harsh verbal criticism of his scheme.
* Dr. Reginald Bushroot of ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck''. He mutated himself in an attempt to impress a girl. When that went [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption about as well as expected]], most of schemes throughout the series involved trying to grow a companion or feed his plants. He certainly seemed like a nice enough guy most of the time, only turning violent when Darkwing tried to stop his plans.
* Hack and Slash, the bumbling minions of Megabyte, in ''ReBoot''. In fact, they are justified in being bad guys by the fact that the heroes always stop them before they could do anything really awful. When the heroes fail to arrive to stop them from killing a traitor to Megabyte, [[spoiler:they let him go off on their own and undergo a HeelFaceTurn.]]
* Skeletor in ''WesternAnimation/{{He-Man and the Masters of the Universe}}'' was so ineffective that the writers felt sorry for him. One stated in an interview that part of the reason they wrote a few EnemyMine episodes was that it was the only way they were allowed to have Skeletor come out ahead for once.
** His 2002 incarnation, on the other hand, was every bit as powerful, terrifying, and evil as he claimed to be.
* Control Freak from ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans''. Despite being able to animate the inanimate to do his bidding and inadvertantly altering television frequencies to literally rot people's brains, he STILL didn't get on the Titans' list of main villains.
--->'''Control Freak:''' ''The Puppet King?! They fought him ONCE!!''
** In later seasons, Dr. Light is similarly ineffectual. Though he does get one major NotSoHarmless moment.
* ''WordGirl'''s Chuck the Evil Sandwich Making Guy.
* Lucius Heinous VII on ''JimmyTwoShoes''. Despite literally ruling Miseryville, the main characters either don't fear him or don't respect him. He despretely tries to be the BigBad, but fails horribly.
* Tom, from WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry, was so ineffectual and sympathetic that, in many cartoons, one failed to see how Jerry was even a victim. Particularly {{egregious}} examples, in fact, would cite that he wanted nothing more than to leave Jerry in peace, and Jerry could not stop [[DesignatedHero antagonizing him and trying to ruin his life.]] Often, the shows started with Jerry trying to steal Tom's milk, break into a safe/refrigerator/ship that Tom was guarding or just being a [[JerkAss dick in general]]. Granted, sometimes Tom's methods can get [[DisproportionateRetribution a bit extreme]], he's just trying to protect his property or [[PunchClockVillain doing his job]].
** [[DependingOnTheWriter Though there were just as many examples were he was not sympathetic at all]].
* [[WesternAnimation/{{X-MenEvolution}} Toad and the rest of the Brotherhood]], at least by Season two. At first, they were at least even with the X-Men, and were able to over power them in one episode, [[ButtMonkey except for Toad]]. But slowly, each one got more and more Pathetic. Pietro became more cowardly, Blob became more dumb, and Avalanche went through massive character Derailment. In season 3, they were bested by only ''Two X''-Men, one being the weakest member. It was why the Acolytes were introduced, who were definately ''not'' this.
** Usual, given that this is the reason why they're so popular, with people playing up the ineffectual sympathetic part, and ignoring the vilain part.
* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'''s [[AnIcePerson Ice King]] plays this as a {{Deconstruction}} / ZigZaggingTrope: he wants to force a EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses into [[AndNowYouMustMarryMe marrying him]], but he comes across as sincerely lonely and desperate for love. At some points, however, he'll wind up saying or doing something ''really'' messed up, [[DoubleSubversion cluing the viewer in that he's really just a sociopath]].
* Zordrak's minions, the Urpneys (and sometimes even the former himself) of ''TheDreamstone'', are a mix of this alongside the MinionWithAnFInEvil category. The fact that their overall goal usually amounted to little more than [[PokeThePoodle giving people scary dreams]] didn't help much. Granted since Rufus and Amberley are often [[TheMeddlingKidsAreUseless Ineffectual Sympathetic Heroes]] they do at least briefly get the upper hand every now and then.
* ''WesternAnimation/Ben10AlienForce'': though he ''does'' becomes a treath on occasions (he was actually dangerous in his first two appearances), [[EvilTwin Albedo]] was this from the beginning and becomes more so as the story goes on. He is doomed to be trapped in a human body he despises, and all he wants is getting his original form back. As a matter of fact, when he finally gets his form back in one episode, he makes it clear he has no more reason to fight Ben, and prepares to leave Earth... [[YankTheDogsChain only to immediatly revert to human form]].
* Leonard [=McLeish=] from the Hub's ''WesternAnimation/PoundPuppies'' series. He's self-centered, short-tempered, and clearly more concerned with impressing people and getting promoted than actually doing his job as head dog-catcher, but he's not really a ''bad'' guy.
* Killer Moth from ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman'' is given this treatment when he joins "Team Penguin". All he's ever shown doing is using a cocoon gun that continuously backfires on him and make coffee for the Penguin. This changes however, when some chemicals [[TookALevelInBadass change him into a giant moth mutant.]]
----
** Except in the episode "Secrets of My Excess", however this time, Spike is transformed into a gargantuan rampaging beast that almost completely demolishes Ponyville. ''Even then'' he may lean into this since it's all for the sake of [[PokeThePoodle hoarding "gifts"]].
** Most of the RoguesGallery for the show act as this or mere petty bullies. The foes used in the two part specials are the only notable exceptions, and even then their [[SmugSnake detrimental arrogance]] and the often humiliating manner they are taken out almost makes you pity them.
* Harley Quinn of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' tended to fall into this trope, especially when she caught on as a popular character:
** Harley was often treated as genuinely misguided, so the audience sometimes forgave her for her more violent behavior depending on how softening a particular episode was.
** In the comic-turned-episode "Mad Love", Harley did manage to succeed in trapping Batman. Batman's only hope was to have her inform The Joker, who he knew would free Batman because ''[[TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou it wasn't HIM that defeated Batman!]]'' Batman even admitted that Harley came closer to killing him than the Joker ever did. Harley also suggested [[WhyDontYouJustShootHim just shooting Batman]], instead of elaborate death traps. Ironically, at the end of the episode, [[spoiler:Harley almost succeeded in killing Bats with an elaborate death trap, while the ''Joker'', who previously slapped Harley for even suggesting such a thing, tried simply shooting him...and failed.]]
* The Amoeba Boys in ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls''. While the Powerpuff Girls are out beating up real criminals, the poor Amoeba Boys can't get the girls' attention, despite committing [[SarcasmMode heinous]] acts such as [[PokeThePoodle littering, jaywalking, and disobeying a "Keep off the grass" sign.]]
** In one of the early World Premiere Toon shorts, the Girls actually commit a bank robbery solely to show the Boys how it's done. When the Girls are brought in for the crime, the boys turn themselves in, in an attempt to appear "big time".
** In another, during the actual series, the Boys stumble upon Mojo Jojo's {{Deathtrap}} plans, and they, along with the Girls, mistake it for a "scavenger hunt" -- so they find all the things it calls for and put it together, and once it's assembled, the Girls think it's a theme-park ride, so they willingly submit to the plan intended to destroy them.
** In another episode, the Boys catch a cold while loitering on the grass in yet another attempt at crime. Even though they end up unwittingly mutating the cold into a deadly strain of virus and even more unwittingly starting an epidemic in Townsville, the viewers '''still''' can't help but feel sorry for them.
** And in another episode, they manage to actually ''succeed'' at stealing an orange, for once, and when it splits apart, are reminded that, as amoebae, they are capable of multiplying. There is quickly an army of them, and the only thing they can think to do is to steal '''all''' the oranges in Townsville (although this does cause the citizens to contract scurvy).
* The Toilenator from ''CodenameKidsNextDoor'' badly wants to be a villain, but is far too wimpy and incompetent to pull it off. He's a minor inconvenience to the KND, and most of the bad guys try not to be seen with him because of his clingy BumblingSidekick personality.
** He's NotSoHarmless though, as he's able of using his "toilet powers" to "flush" the entire Grand Canyon with milk.
* Odlaw in the animated series ''[[Literature/WheresWally Where's Waldo?]]'' (''Where's Wally''?). As so many bad things keep happening to him in the name of comedy, and all he ever wants is to commit a single act of theft, you have to feel for the guy. Also, his determination is admirable!
* In ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown,'' Jack Spicer, despite being the main villain in some cases, is usually an IneffectualSympatheticVillain, especially in the later episodes.
** This is reinforced by Jack being probably the only fictional character, let alone villain, to have a breakdown failing to interrogate a parrot that simply repeated everything he said.
* With one exception (The Phantom Limb) and, [[NotSoHarmless in later episodes]], The Monarch, all the villains on ''TheVentureBrothers'' are of this nature.
** Most of them are of the NotSoHarmless type. It's shown that the reason OSI and such tolerate the supervillains' stupid games is that it keeps them from committing real crimes or blowing up cities. (Those who don't play the game have to deal with SPHINX.) The Monarch, in particular, is a special case. When he was taken off of Dr. Venture, he was unhappy with the normal game and proceeded to kill 5 heroes in a short time.
** Doctor Mrs. The Monarch is the most competent villain and, quite possibly, the most competent character on the entire show. Even the Sovereign of the Guild respects her.
** Doctor Killinger's entire reason to exist seems to be to ''snap out'' villains from this trope and into NotSoHarmless instead.
*** Doctor Killinger's fourth episode, ''The Doctor is Sin'', makes a pretty persuasive argument that Rusty Venture himself is this. Killinger spends much of the episode giving Venture Industries "efficiency" training, with the true aim of turning Doctor Venture into a real, Guild-bonded supervilain.
* Many ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' villains:
** Wile E. Coyote. In fact, one of the laws of the Road Runner cartoons is "The audience's sympathy must remain with the Coyote."
** It's very difficult to hate the likes of Marvin the Martian and Elmer Fudd.
** Yosemite Sam was actually a deliberate subversion of the trope, because audiences were starting to favor Elmer too much. The idea was to feel sorry for the guy, but it was getting to the point where Bugs was starting to look like a relentless bully instead of a wiseacre outwitting the buffoon who was trying to victimize him. Sam was both smarter and more belligerent than Elmer, meaning that Bugs was free to lead him on all he wanted. But even Yosemite Sam, while pretty dark for a Looney Tunes villain, was still fairly ineffectual compared to the average non-Looney-Tunes villain.
** DaffyDuck, initially just a ScrewySquirrel or AntiHero, eventually evolved into one for BugsBunny and SpeedyGonzales.
** Nasty Canasta and Rocky the gangster, initially more fearsome subversions of this trope, eventually devolved into hopeless foils for Bugs as well.
* [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Sideshow Bob]] also frequently veers into this territory. The poor guy can't even win against a rake.
* Waspinator from ''{{Transformers}}: WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' is one of these, being a ChewToy on the side of the bad guys.
** Ditto for Sky-Byte and his TeamRocket in ''Anime/TransformersRobotsInDisguise''. Except that Sky-Byte would actually be leadership material if only a few things were different. It's just that he lacked the only two qualities that really mattered for a leader: ''aptitude'' and ''intelligence''.
* [[OverlordJr Prince]] [[ButtMonkey Zuko]] in the first season of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender''. The second season puts him in AntiVillain status, with him and his Uncle spending more time being fugitives from [[TheEmpire the Fire Nation]] than trying to capture Aang, along with having CharacterDevelopment and EnemyMine "moments" as sprinkles. And then, about halfway in the final season, said "moments" are what causes Zuko to [[spoiler:[[HeelFaceTurn become Aang's ally]].]] Then, in the series' ending, [[spoiler:he becomes the new Fire Lord]], with things getting better and better for him, effectively ''inverting'' this trope at that point.
** His ButtMonkey status comes up for actual discussion in the second season, as "[[BigBad My father]] says [[DaddysLittleVillain Azula]] was born lucky. He said I was lucky to be ''born''." Plus Zuko's RageAgainstTheHeavens when attempting to be struck by lightning, but he can't even get that to go right. (ItMakesSenseInContext.)
** He has a few positive experiences even in the first season, and [[VillainsOutShopping got so much screen time not directly related]] to suffering or fighting the Gaang that he was practically a main character all along. He was even allowed to win against the other villain and get his first CMOA.
* ''FriskyDingo'''s Killface is a pseudo-cultured, incompetent supervillain whose plans are often derailed by trivial matters and lacks knowledge of common subjects (it's a revelation to him that P.C. stands for "personal computer"). He's still more likable than "hero" Xander Crews, though.
** Killface is so sympathetic, especially when compared to JerkAss DesignatedHero Xander Crews, that it's easy to forget that he brutally killed two people in the pilot and has added to his body count throughout the series. It helps that some of the other members of the cast have committed similar misdeeds and/or are {{Asshole Victim}}s.
* ''InvaderZim'' qualifies for this trope most of the time; more often than not, his schemes are thwarted by the Ditz portion of his GeniusDitz personality, rather than by his arch-nemesis or his CloudCuckooLander robot. Of particular note is the episode where he survives a TrainingFromHell in order to receive some {{Humongous Mecha}}s from his leaders, only to be shot into a sun for his troubles.
* [[WesternAnimation/YinYangYo Karl anyone]]. The commercials for the next episode suggest he'll join the heroes so he can keep up with everyone else.
* [[WesternAnimation/SouthPark Professor Chaos/Butters]] is so inept that [[TheWoobie it's cute.]]
* Dr. Drakken from ''KimPossible'' never gets the respect he thinks he should have; he always fails his capers, sometimes even without the help of Team Possible. He often gets mistaken for the more respected Dementor and, at the end of the series, he is outright told how much of a failure of a villain he has been (despite having come closer to [[TakeOverTheWorld taking over the world]] than any of his peers, and ending up with [[spoiler: much of the credit for saving the world from the AlienInvasion)]]. If it wasn't for his [[TheDragon Dragon]], Shego, he wouldn't be a villain at all.
** Arguably, every villain in ''KimPossible'' is like this, aside from Shego, who's the only one with any amount of competence or fighting ability.
*** Keeping Shego on HIS payroll should be considered extremely competent, especially when there are villains like Senor Senior Senior, who has [[{{Fiction500}} Scrooge McDuck levels of moolah]].
** Senor Senior Senior and his son, Senor Senior Junior probably count as this as well. After all, they only got into villainy because [[NiceJobBreakingItHero Ron told them their island home would make a great lair,]] Senior insists on doing things a certain way merely for the sake of villain tradition, and it is said devotion to tradition that keeps [[WhyDontYouJustShootHim leading to their defeat.]]
* [[GIJoe Cobra Commander]], who was constantly mocked, ignored, or pushed aside not only by other would-be world conquerors, but by his ''own minions''.
** Of course, he was never anything but effective and unsympathetic in the comics, where, among other things, he ''killed his own son''. Oh, and he used to be a ''[[HonestJohnsDealership used car salesman]]'', [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking the]] ''[[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking fiend]]''!
*** He does get the ineffectual part still - sometimes as part of a {{plan}}, sometimes because it's an imposter performing poorly. And sometimes, Destro just plain doesn't like him, and is willing to take the loss just to make him look bad, mostly because of his 'thing' for the Baroness.
** The miniseries ''GIJoeResolute'' is also a subversion. Cobra Commander actually has a speech where he claims his previous incompetence was just an attempt to force his minions to think outside the box. [[spoiler:He wipes Moscow from the face of the Earth just to prove that he could, and by the end of the series, [[AxCrazy he's so unhinged that he's hacking his own men apart with a sabre]]. His plan still failed, of course, but holy shit was he badass.]]
* While he started off as a BadAss and a walking CrowningMomentOfAwesome, by the end of ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'', [[BigBad Tai Lung]] had become this due to a combination of FreudianExcuse, SympathyForTheDevil, revealing his StartOfDarkness and WellDoneSonGuy status, and an EtTuBrute from his past. This may have something to do with the HumiliationConga and KickThemWhileTheyAreDown which some viewers see in the final battle--it certainly can't be denied that what had once been a chillingly effective villain seemed rather pathetic and easily defeated, Po's [[BeYourself understanding of the Dragon Scroll]] notwithstanding.
** Of course, after his ArrogantKungFuGuy resume is firmly established and he has shamelessly brutalized the entire rest of the cast, others see this as simple Kharmic retribution. Pride goeth before the fall, after all, and a HumiliationConga was really no less than Tai Lung deserved at that point.
* The battle droids in ''StarWarsTheCloneWars'', an entire ''army'' of Ineffectual Sympathetic Villains.
** Until they start gunning down unarmed pacifist, cracking open escape pods so the helpless people on board will die in space, and {{Zerg Rush}}ing that is.
* Plankton from ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants''. After a while, you just start to feel sorry for the guy. It's more prominent in the [[SeasonalRot post-movie episodes]], where he could easily be one of the Trix Rabbit's drinking buddies. Granted, he gets a NotSoHarmless moment in the movie, but still...
** Most of the time, it seems that he just wants some manner of success. In the cruel YankTheDogsChain episode "Plankton's Regular", after getting just ''one'' regular customer, he immediately stops trying to steal the Krabby Patty secret formula. Mr Krabs and Spongebob still found it neccessary to "thwart" him.
*** Plankton himself [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] this in one episode:
-->'''Plankton:''' Alright Krabs! Now hand over the secret formula!\\
'''Krabs:''' Or...What?\\
'''Plankton:''' I don't know. I never thought I'd get this far.
* Grizzle of ''[[CareBears Care Bears: Adventures in Care-a-Lot]]''.
** Of the primary villains of the earlier series, No-Heart and his niece Shreeky don't count. No-Heart was a legitimately powerful and evil sorcerer who had a habit of blasting Beastly with lightning bolts whenever he screwed up; and while Shreeky never actually did anything evil, she was a SpoiledBrat with a voice so loud that she made ''No-Heart'' wince. Mr. Beastly, No-Heart's primary lacky, definately fits somewhere between here and ButtMonkey. In the one episode that Beastly had, with him in the spotlight, him infuriates No-Heart by breaking No-Heart's crystal amulet (which is the source of his shapechanging spells), then breaks No-Heart's throne (something he ''knows'' No-Heart will be livid about), get turned into a horrific mishmash of animals while using No-Heart's broken amulet to catch some of the Care Bears, then be blackmailed into letting the Care Bears go after they tape-record him chanting a litany of "I care" to break the broken spell and be turned back to normal, and then, when No-Heart arrives, having calmed down due to finding an even more powerful crystal, he sits on his crudely repaired throne...and it breaks to pieces. Meaning more electroshocking for Beastly.
* The Box Ghost of ''DannyPhantom'' draws the line between this and HarmlessVillain. He has the potential to be a great baddie (if one episode and his [[spoiler: [[FutureBadass badass future self]]]] is any indications), but he just never makes it. Out of all the ghosts Danny has fought, Box Ghost is strictly in the "Who Cares" category, but he tries, he oh so tries.
** And his love of boxes is reminiscent of [[KidsPreferBoxes a small child who prefers the box to the toy that came in it.]]
* [[WackyRaces Dick Dastardly]].
** Just drive, you moron! Your car is so fast that you can build elaborate booby traps in the time it takes the other racers to catch up! [[FridgeLogic If you'd just forget about them and keep driving, you'd win every race hands down!]]
*** It wasn't for nothing that he had a whole trope [[DickDastardlyStopsToCheat named after him]].
* Voltar and the ''LeagueOfSuperEvil''. Guy is just so very motivated and happy about every plan or scheme he thinks up, no matter how trivial, that you just have to root for him. I mean, how many villains are ecstatic about throwing an 'EVIL' barbeque and not inviting their uncaring neighbors?
** One of the episodes involves a highly convoluted plot by the League...to make the pizza delivery boy late so that their food will be free!
* Snively from ''WesternAnimation/SonicSatAM''. He is a reedy and sneering little man who is always consumed by his Uncle Robotnik's quite massive shadow. [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking Also, he's a baldy.]] [[spoiler: However, he turns out to be NotSoHarmless when he manages to slip out before his uncle is killed, and return as a TheEndOrIsIt cliffhanger for a season that we will never receive.]]
** [[spoiler:Nope, he was still going to retain this role. [[WordOfGod In one interview with screen-writer Ben Hurst]] regarding the third season that never arrived, it was revealed that Snively was going to take a shot at becoming the new BigBad, only to be shortly upstaged by Ixis Naugus, and would later make a HeelFaceTurn and join the Freedom Fighters.]]
* Dr. Ivo Robotnik and his henchmen from ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog''. While Robotnik often tries to do something rrrroten, he ALWAYS fails horribly, and Sonic torments the doctor so sadistically, that it becomes hard to sympathize with the heroes.
** Even more so are his minions, Scratch and Grounder. While Robotnik could at least genuinely cook up a malicious plan every now and then, his duncebot's Wile E Coyote-esque traps hardly ever worked on anyone but themselves.
* Jack W. Tweeg and his sidekick L.B. from ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfTeddyRuxpin''.
* [[WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz]] is a self-proclaimed evil scientist whose endless string of [something]-inators are perpetual failures. He also had a ridiculously terrible childhood, never wins any of his battles, seldom [[ThrowTheDogABone gains any lasting happiness]], and once lost a fight with a ''potted plant''. The only thing saving him from complete [[TheWoobie Woobiefication]] is that he's always back the next episode, enthusiastically hatching yet another evil scheme.
** On the other hand, his alternate-universe counterpart, lacking constant opposition from Perry the Platypus, was [[NotSoHarmless a genuine threat]] and not sympathetic at all.
* Sandman in ''{{The Spectacular Spider-Man}}'' can never quite get his big score. Before his superpowers, Spider-man jokes about how many times he's been caught. After, he can actually fight Spidey, but then proceeds to forget or be unable to keep his take when he escapes down the drain. He also gets a couple of PetTheDog moments when it's revealed that while he cares a lot about the Big Score, he doesn't really want to hurt anybody (other than Spider-man, of course).
* The Lobe, archnemesis of the titular character in ''WesternAnimation/{{Freakazoid}}''. Despite being fiendishly brainy (quite literally - pretty much his entire head is made up of brain), he's extremely sensitive and insecure, and Freakazoid was once able to defeat him with nothing more than some harsh verbal criticism of his scheme.
* Dr. Reginald Bushroot of ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck''. He mutated himself in an attempt to impress a girl. When that went [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption about as well as expected]], most of schemes throughout the series involved trying to grow a companion or feed his plants. He certainly seemed like a nice enough guy most of the time, only turning violent when Darkwing tried to stop his plans.
* Hack and Slash, the bumbling minions of Megabyte, in ''ReBoot''. In fact, they are justified in being bad guys by the fact that the heroes always stop them before they could do anything really awful. When the heroes fail to arrive to stop them from killing a traitor to Megabyte, [[spoiler:they let him go off on their own and undergo a HeelFaceTurn.]]
* Skeletor in ''WesternAnimation/{{He-Man and the Masters of the Universe}}'' was so ineffective that the writers felt sorry for him. One stated in an interview that part of the reason they wrote a few EnemyMine episodes was that it was the only way they were allowed to have Skeletor come out ahead for once.
** His 2002 incarnation, on the other hand, was every bit as powerful, terrifying, and evil as he claimed to be.
* Control Freak from ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans''. Despite being able to animate the inanimate to do his bidding and inadvertantly altering television frequencies to literally rot people's brains, he STILL didn't get on the Titans' list of main villains.
--->'''Control Freak:''' ''The Puppet King?! They fought him ONCE!!''
** In later seasons, Dr. Light is similarly ineffectual. Though he does get one major NotSoHarmless moment.
* ''WordGirl'''s Chuck the Evil Sandwich Making Guy.
* Lucius Heinous VII on ''JimmyTwoShoes''. Despite literally ruling Miseryville, the main characters either don't fear him or don't respect him. He despretely tries to be the BigBad, but fails horribly.
* Tom, from WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry, was so ineffectual and sympathetic that, in many cartoons, one failed to see how Jerry was even a victim. Particularly {{egregious}} examples, in fact, would cite that he wanted nothing more than to leave Jerry in peace, and Jerry could not stop [[DesignatedHero antagonizing him and trying to ruin his life.]] Often, the shows started with Jerry trying to steal Tom's milk, break into a safe/refrigerator/ship that Tom was guarding or just being a [[JerkAss dick in general]]. Granted, sometimes Tom's methods can get [[DisproportionateRetribution a bit extreme]], he's just trying to protect his property or [[PunchClockVillain doing his job]].
** [[DependingOnTheWriter Though there were just as many examples were he was not sympathetic at all]].
* [[WesternAnimation/{{X-MenEvolution}} Toad and the rest of the Brotherhood]], at least by Season two. At first, they were at least even with the X-Men, and were able to over power them in one episode, [[ButtMonkey except for Toad]]. But slowly, each one got more and more Pathetic. Pietro became more cowardly, Blob became more dumb, and Avalanche went through massive character Derailment. In season 3, they were bested by only ''Two X''-Men, one being the weakest member. It was why the Acolytes were introduced, who were definately ''not'' this.
** Usual, given that this is the reason why they're so popular, with people playing up the ineffectual sympathetic part, and ignoring the vilain part.
* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'''s [[AnIcePerson Ice King]] plays this as a {{Deconstruction}} / ZigZaggingTrope: he wants to force a EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses into [[AndNowYouMustMarryMe marrying him]], but he comes across as sincerely lonely and desperate for love. At some points, however, he'll wind up saying or doing something ''really'' messed up, [[DoubleSubversion cluing the viewer in that he's really just a sociopath]].
* Zordrak's minions, the Urpneys (and sometimes even the former himself) of ''TheDreamstone'', are a mix of this alongside the MinionWithAnFInEvil category. The fact that their overall goal usually amounted to little more than [[PokeThePoodle giving people scary dreams]] didn't help much. Granted since Rufus and Amberley are often [[TheMeddlingKidsAreUseless Ineffectual Sympathetic Heroes]] they do at least briefly get the upper hand every now and then.
* ''WesternAnimation/Ben10AlienForce'': though he ''does'' becomes a treath on occasions (he was actually dangerous in his first two appearances), [[EvilTwin Albedo]] was this from the beginning and becomes more so as the story goes on. He is doomed to be trapped in a human body he despises, and all he wants is getting his original form back. As a matter of fact, when he finally gets his form back in one episode, he makes it clear he has no more reason to fight Ben, and prepares to leave Earth... [[YankTheDogsChain only to immediatly revert to human form]].
* Leonard [=McLeish=] from the Hub's ''WesternAnimation/PoundPuppies'' series. He's self-centered, short-tempered, and clearly more concerned with impressing people and getting promoted than actually doing his job as head dog-catcher, but he's not really a ''bad'' guy.
* Killer Moth from ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman'' is given this treatment when he joins "Team Penguin". All he's ever shown doing is using a cocoon gun that continuously backfires on him and make coffee for the Penguin. This changes however, when some chemicals [[TookALevelInBadass change him into a giant moth mutant.]]
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