History Main / AdaptationalComicRelief

Subtrope of AdaptationPersonalityChange. Contrast AdaptationalAngstUpgrade. Compare DemotedToComicRelief.

* ''WebVideo/GoblinSlayerAbriged'' turns the eponymous character from a normally [[TheStoic stoic]] man of [[TheQuietOne few words]] into a [[AxCrazy borderline psychotic]] and [[NoIndoorVoice obnoxious]] MotorMouth. The most canon!Slayer got in the form of comedy was being TheComicallySerious. Abriged!Slayer is a HeroicComedicSociopath to boot and acts like ComicBook/{{Deadpool}} [[UpToEleven on crack]] without the MediumAwareness. His obsession with killing goblins is PlayedForLaughs a hundred percent of the time.

* ''LightNovel/GoblinSlayer [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5i2qquegdB4 Abriged]]'' by the Schmuck Squad turns the eponymous character from a normally [[TheStoic stoic]] man of [[TheQuietOne few words]] into a [[AxCrazy borderline psychotic]] and [[NoIndoorVoice obnoxious]] MotorMouth. The most canon!Slayer got in the form of comedy was being TheComicallySerious. Abriged!Slayer is a HeroicComedicSociopath to boot and acts like ComicBook/{{Deadpool}} [[UpToEleven on crack]]. His obsession with killing goblins is PlayedForLaughs a hundred percent of the time.

* ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheNewAnimatedSeries'': Peter Parker in this series is one of the least jokey incarnations of Spider-Man, though he's still pretty quippy and snarky (it ''is'' Spider-Man, after all).

* ''WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan'':

* InUniverse example in ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'', where the ''Heterodyne Boys'' books portray Punch as TheKlutz and DumbMuscle and Klaus Wulfenbach as a CowardlySidekick and TheComicallySerious. ("Klaus keeps his dignity, or tries to. ''That's'' what makes him funny!") The real GeniusBruiser Punch doesn't like the stories much; the real AntiVillain Baron Wulfenbach sometimes seems to feel the same way, although he's also been known to say they're ActuallyPrettyFunny. (The general public don't really seem to make much of a connection between the comedy character they laugh at in the stories and the Baron who rules the continent with an iron fist.)

** While he's the main character in most of the movies he appears in, the film version of ''Film/IronMan'' is much funnier than the comic version who tended to be a little more grim (although after the movies, writers have been giving him a little snark lately).

[[caption-width-right:250:Fred in the comic and in [[WesternAnimation/BigHero6 the movie]].]]

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

[[folder:Theater]]

** In the manga, while Chibiusa/Sailor Chibimoon 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 first anime, especially the third season, 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 this was the anime deliberately sticking to a certain episode structure, so Chibimoon's antics quickly became a regular occurrence. (This led to her ongoing CharacterDevelopment from the manga barely happening in that version, so when the next season abruptly promoted her to protagonist status due to her being a KidAppealCharacter, the results were ''[[{{Understatement}} not pretty]]'').

* While he's the main character in most of the movies he appears in, the film version of ''Film/IronMan'' is much funnier than the comic version who tended to be a little more grim (although after the movies, writers have been giving him a little snark lately).
** In the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]] is presented a lot more comedically than he usually is in the comics, especially after ''Film/ThorRagnarok''.

Subtrope of AdaptationPersonalityChange. Contrast AdaptationalAngstUpgrade.

** Merry and Pippin are given funnier moments than the books, particularly in Pippin's case, such as getting into Gandalf's fireworks. After the Fellowship splits up, one character breaks out into comic relief for each group. For instance, Gimli provides physical comedy and gruff one-liners in contrast to [[StraightMan Straight Man and Elf]] Aragorn and Legolas. Some of his funny moments in the films did come from the books, such as his Orc-slaying competition with Legolas. WordOfGod confirms that they heightened this role for Gimli, a Dwarf (stereotyped as being crude), to accommodate Merry and Pippin's ComingOfAge.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' cartoon, Mr. Barkin is an almost drill sergeant-like SternTeacher. In the ''Film/KimPossible'' film, his first scene has him cooing over his cute pet Persian. He's a much softer and more comedic character than his cartoon counterpart.

* Both [[Film/BladeTrinity Hannibal King]] and [[Film/GreenLantern Hal Jordan]] in their respective film appearances end up like this, thanks to the writers of both trying to take advantage of Creator/RyanReynolds's comedic talents. Despite Reynolds proving himself a capable serious actor and action star, both instead rewrote the characters to be goofy DeadpanSnarker types, with King almost resembling Deadpool, a character that Reynolds was, at the time, working with the developers of the Blade franchise to bring to film with him playing the role.

* Creator/FourKidsEntertainment (and to a lesser extent, other early dubbing companies) did this to so many characters in so many different anime dubs that it's a likely contributing factor to the Western anime fandom's unshakable belief that MaturityIsSeriousBusiness. Most of it was just exaggerating ButtMonkey tendencies that were already there, though.

** The film puts [[CharacterExaggeration more emphasis]] on Mr. Mistoffelees being an {{adorkable}} ShrinkingViolet.

* While the Victor Zsasz of the comics is a case of AdaptationalBadass, he's also this as unlike the fairly humorless character of the comics, this Zsasz is prone to being sassy and making quips.

* Both [[Film/BladeTrinity Hannibal King]] and [[Film/GreenLantern Hal Jordan]] in their respective film appearances end up like this, thanks to the writers of both trying to take advantage of Creator/RyanReynolds comedic talents. Despite Reynolds proving himself a capable serious actor and action star, both instead rewrote the characters to be goofy DeadpanSnarker types, with King almost resembling Deadpool, a character that Reynolds was, at the time, working with the developers of the Blade franchise to bring to film with him playing the role.

* Both Captain Hook and the Crocodile that chases him in ''Disney/PeterPan'', with Mr. Smee also made into an even more comedic character than he already was in the original play and book.

* In the ''Manga/FruitsBasket'' manga and 2019 anime, although Shigure is often a comic relief character in the beginning, he has a dark side that's evident even in the first volume, and eventually he becomes pretty menacing. In the 2001 anime, the darker aspects of his personality are left out and he's pure comic relief.

* While Knuckles the Echidna often tends to drift into comedic territory in the ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'' series, he is often first and foremost the powerful guardian of the Master Emerald and a competent ally of Sonic. ''WesternAnimation/SonicBoom'' turns Knuckles into a completely buffoonish DumbMuscle as pivotal to the show's humour than it's action scenes.

** Of all the characters, ''Gollum'' becomes quite funny compared to his book counterpart (only Smeagol, however). See his over-the-top misery and occasional moments of UglyCute.