History Main / AdaptationalComicRelief

** The deadly, cold-blooded Hisoka is portayed as a hammier, more comical villain in the ''Anime/HunterXHunter'' stage musicals. He still acts as a threat, but in a more mischievous sense rather than a serious one.

* Inverted with Wind Whistler in ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyAndFriends''. The toys and UK ''ComicBook/MyLittlePony'' comics present her as TheDitz and her name comes from her insistent whistling. In the cartoon she is TheSpock while her friend Fizzy is the goofier, {{Cloudcuckoolander}}.

* Sailor Chibimoon from ''Anime/SailorMoon'', particularly in the third season. In the manga, while she does become a source of a few humorous moments, she is a legitimate semi-powerful Guardian, with an attack capable of destroying low-level enemies, which can also be combined with Sailor Moon's or Tuxedo Mask's powers for more damage. In the anime, she is turned into a borderline JokeCharacter, with powers that are only strong enough to annoy monsters and are prone to failing altogether. Part of the reason for that was the anime deliberately sticking to a certain episode structure, so Chibimoon's antics quickly became a regular occurence. (This led to her ongoing CharacterDevelopment from the manga barely happening in that version, so when the next season abruptly promoted her to the protagonist status due to her being a KidAppealCharacter, the results were ''not pretty''.)

** Peter Parker/Spider-Man is usually funny to begin with as a DeadpanSnarker, but the cartoon makes him a ''{{Deadpool}}'' style fourth wall breaker and foregoes some darker elements, like how he is usually constantly haunted by the death of his uncle, as well as his massive guilt complex/martyr syndrome, in favor of jokes.

* In the series ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooWhereAreYou'', there was nothing remotely interesting about [[TheGenericGuy Fred]] [[TheLeader Jones]]. Various derivative works remedy this in various ways, where he is generally less intelligent and more of a CloudCuckoolander. Some give him more specific quirks, such as ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooMysteryIncorporated'' in particular giving him an [[{{Otaku}} obsession over traps]], and ''WesternAnimation/APupNamedScoobyDoo'' having him always randomly blame [[TheBully Red]] [[RedHerring Herring]] for every mystery. Often zigzagged since these variations of Fred also tend to be more proactive to the story.

* Yuki and Taromaru in the ''Manga/SchoolLive'' anime are presented this way. Taromaru was a OneshotCharacter in the manga who didn't do much besides look [[PreciousPuppy cute]] for a few panels than [[spoiler:become a [[RaisingTheSteaks a zombie.]]]] In the anime he is the frequent source of comic relief. Some of Yuki's character development and [[SmarterThanYouLook inquisitive aspects]] were dialed down in the anime to focus on her humor.

* Batroc the Leaper's in ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'' lacked his comic book counterpart's humorously over-the-top Frenchness and amusing mustache.

* Yuki and Taromaru in the ''Manga/SchoolLive'' anime are presented this way. Taromaru was a OneshotCharacter in the manga who didn't do much besides look [[PreciousPuppy cute]] for a few panels than [[spoiler:become a [[RaisingTheSteaks a zombie.]]]] In the anime he is the frequent source of comic relief. Some of Yuki's character development and [[SmarterThanTheyLook inquisitive aspects]] were dialed down in the anime to focus on her humor.

* ''Disney/TheJungleBook'' was intended to be LighterAndSofter than the book it was based on. Baloo became a fun-loving character who has a {{scatting}} duel with an orangutan, rather than a serious law teacher.

* In the series ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooWhereAreYou'', there was nothing remotely interesting about [[TheGenericGuy Fred]] [[TheLeader Jones]]. Various derivative works remedy this in various ways, where he is generally less intelligent and more of a CloudCuckoolander. Some give him more specific quirks, such as ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooMysteryIncorporated'' in particular giving him an [[{{Otaku}} obsession over traps]], and ''WesternAnimation/APupNamedScoobyDoo'' having him always randomly blame [[TheBully Red]] [[RedHerring Herring]] for every mystery.

* Rhi'a becomes incredibly childish and silly in the manga adaptation of ''Manga/SandsOfDestrction''. In the game and anime, she was more serious. While she did show a sense of humor in the game at times, it wasn't a constant thing, and she never seemed particularly naive; the anime just made her TriggerHappy and dispensed with any joking aside from the occasional snide remark or quip.

* ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'':
** In the original series, ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooWhereAreYou'', there was nothing remotely interesting about [[TheGenericGuy Fred]] [[TheLeader Jones]]. Various derivative works remedy this in various ways, where he is generally less intelligent and more of a CloudCuckoolander. Some give him more specific quirks, such as ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooMysteryIncorporated'' in particular giving him an [[{{Otaku}} obsession over traps]], and ''WesternAnimation/APupNamedScoobyDoo'' having him always randomly blame [[TheBully Red]] [[RedHerring Herring]] for every mystery.

** Velma also becomes more of a DeadpanSnarker in recent incarnations, especially in ''Mystery Incorporated''.

* Parodied in a ShowWithinAShow on HomestarRunner when the band [[XtremeKoolLetterz Limozeen]] becomes the subject of a cartoon show featuring the musicians RecycledInSpace. Within the cartoon, [[GenderBlenderName Mary Palaroncini]] asks why he is drawn as a fat redhead when in real life he is neither of those things, only to be told, "You're the comic relief!"

** Baymax in the comics was built by Hiro to act as his bodyguard. Movie!Baymax is a gentle and naive {{acrofatic}} healthcare robot who was built as Hiro's CanonForeigner brother, Tadashi.

* An adaptation of HisDarkMaterials turned the [[LilliputianWarriors Gallivespian]] Lord Roke into this. In the books, Lord Roke (like all his kind,) was a completely serious character; his tiny size was played for drama in terms of the dangers to him, but also the danger his venomous stingers posed to humans, and was a proud, competent and courageous man afforded all the respect that would be given to a human of similar personality and skills. In the play he becomes a comedic buffoon who exhausts himself at an inconvenient time running across a room at a snail's pace and is implied to be something of a peeping tom.

* In Creator/KarlMay's novels ''Old Surhehand I'' and ''III'', Old Wabble is a tragic figure and one of May's most three-dimensional characters: a former ally of Old Shatterhand and ''Literature/{{Winnetou}}'' who became evil and eventually dies at age 90. In the movies ''Unter Geiern'', ''Der Ölprinz'' and ''Old Surehand'' he is given an AgeLift and is merely Old Surehand's BumblingSidekick.

* In Creator/KarlMay's novels ''Old Surhehand I'' and ''III'', Old Wabble is a tragic figure and one of May's most three-dimensional characters: a former ally of Old Shatterhand and ''Literature/{{Winnetou}} who became evil and eventually dies at age 90. In the movies ''Unter Geiern'', ''Der Ölprinz'' and ''Old Surehand'' he is given an AgeLift and is merely Old Surehand's BumblingSidekick.