History Main / BadOlBadger

* In the ''WesternAnimation/TaleSpin'' episode "The Balooest of the Bluebloods" one of the antagonists is Hans, a badger who teams up with an opossum Helga to ''murder'' the Von Bruinwalds so they could claim their inheritance.

* ''VideoGame/FarCry4'' has a mission that requires you to kill and skin a unique [[MemeticBadass honey badger.]] The mission repeatedly asks you to confirm that you are insane enough to attempt it. When you get to the mission site you'll see a man fleeing in terror and numerous dead animals that were presumably killed by the honey badger, including a rhino. In ''[[VideoGame/FarCryPrimal Far Cry Primal]]'', a tamed badger will scare off all other animals (except snakes). Badgers are also the only animal that will bite Takkar if he attempts to pet one.

In regards to mustelids being portrayed in pop culture, [[WickedWeasel weasels are normally crafty and sneaky]] and [[SmellySkunk skunks (which, along with stink badgers, are actually mephitids) are smelly]]. When it comes to vicious and downright aggressive, that's where badgers come in. While badgers have had both positive and negative portrayals, the negatives tend to be a lot more harsh than with weasels and skunks. This could be due to farmers' view of them since badgers can be a predator to small livestock. Not to mention their appearance can somewhat be intimidating to a lot of people.

* Hector [=McBadger=] from ''WesternAnimation/JakersTheAdventuresOfPiggleyWinks'' who is TheBully of the show, even appearing as an antagonist in some episodes. Though he is shown to be a JerkWithAHeartOfGold, like the episode where he returned a lamb to its mother.

* ''WesternAnimation/Mandrake'' has an evil witch who is an anthropomorphic badger.

* Averted in ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia'': In ''Prince Caspian'', one of the first Old Narnians that Caspian encounters is Trufflehunter the Badger, a gruff but good-natured Talking Beast who is fiercely loyal to to the (by then centuries-old) memory of Aslan and quickly becomes one of Caspian's followers. He's still a badger at heart, though.

* There is a third-party TabletopGames/{{Starfinder}} species called the ruanoch, who are basically irascible, [[MoreDakka gun-toting]], {{CigarChomp|er}}ing [[BeastMan anthropomorphic badgers]] with UnstoppableRage and a talent for [[TheGadfly pissing people off]].

* As part of it's focus on avoiding animal stereotypes, ''WesternAnimation/{{Zootopia}}'' has an aversion with a honey badger scientist who is most certainly not violent or bloodthirsty.

* As part of it's focus on avoiding animal stereotypes, ''Film/{{Zootopia}}'' has an aversion with a honey badger scientist who is most certainly not violent or bloodthirsty.

In regards to mustelids being portrayed in pop culture, [[WickedWeasel weasels are normally crafty and sneaky]] and [[SmellySkunk skunks (which, along with stink badgers, are actually mephitids) are smelly]]. When it comes to vicious and downright aggressive, that's where badgers come in. While badgers have had both positive and negative portrayals, the negatives tend to be a lot more harsher than with weasels and skunks. This could be due to farmers' view of them since badgers can be a predator to small livestock. Not to mention their appearance can somewhat be intimidating to a lot of people.

Most of the time (but not always) villainous badgers tend to be elderly, though badgers of all ages can still be vilified. At best they are a GrumpyBear or a JerkWithAHeartOfGold and at worst they are straight-up savage and dangerous. A GrumpyBear badger is usually territorial and will only attack if one trespasses its environment whereas a savage badger will ''intentionally'' try to harm others, [[PredatorsAreMean usually animals it preys on or smaller than itself]]. Usually the most common adversary for a badger villain to go up against are [[CunningLikeAFox foxes]] and sometimes [[RighteousRabbit rabbits]] (though some forms of fiction have them getting along just fine, see ''[[WesternAnimation/TheAnimalsOfFarthingWood The Animals Of Farthing Wood]]'').

* Mr. Digger, the badger from ''WesternAnimation/TheFoxAndTheHound'', who is shown to be a cantankerous GrumpyBear (well, badger) and isn't very friendly, especially towards Tod.

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* The verb "to badger" means to annoy or harass someone by repeatedly asking the same question, which also adds to the negative perception of badgers. Though the term actually comes from ''badger-hunting'' rather than from badgers themselves. Specifically, in the way that dachshunds would grab and hold onto badgers in their dens so that the dogs' owners could pull both the dog and the badger out.
* In French, the word for badger ("blaireau") also means "stupid asshole".
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* Friar Tuck is depicted as a badger in the Disney version of ''WesternAnimation/RobinHood''. Mostly an aversion of usual portrayals of the species, yet he has a BewareTheNiceOnes moment [[spoiler: when he fights the Sheriff of Nottingham for taking from the church's poor box]].

* Gupta from ''WesternAnimation/IceAge4ContinentalDrift'', one of Captain Gutt's minions. He is pretty vicious fighter and he even has the traditional pirate "skull and bones" flag on his back.

[[folder:Film -- Live Action]]

* In ''Film/{{PeterRabbit}}'' has a notable aversion in Tommy Brock, who is a NiceGuy, due to the AdaptationalHeroism that Tommy Brock has in the film. He is on good terms with Peter and his family of him.

Compare with WickedWeasel and BearsAreBadNews.

* Hitomi the Ratel from ''Manga/KillingBites''. Her animal power is that of the Honey Badger. She's also a vicious lunatic, extremely fight-happy, and damn near impossible to kill.

* Gupta from ''WesternAnimation/IceAge4ContinentalDrift'', one of Captain Gutt's minions. He is pretty vicious fighter and he even has the traditional pirate "skull and bones" flag on his back.

* Tommy Brock from ''Literature/TheTaleOfMrTod'', who is the arch-enemy of the protagonist and kidnaps rabbit children to eat them.

* Badger from ''Literature/TheWindInTheWillows'' is a JerkWithAHeartOfGold, gruff in manner but noble and loyal to his friends. He is, however, vilified ''in-universe'', with the WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue revealing that woodland mothers threatened their children with him, quite unjustly.
* ''Literature/WarriorCats'':
** Cats are the top predators of the forest. Aside from kits being taken by foxes and eagles or humans invading their territory, the only real threats they have are other cats or natural things beyond their control. Badgers are an exception to the rule. They rarely appear but are dangerous to even the most skilled warriors.
** One of the climactic events of ''Warrior Cats: The New Prophecy'' is the badgers who were displaced [[spoiler: when the eponymous cats moved to 'their' lake]] forming into an army and attacking them.
** Subverted with one badger named Midnight. She has learned to speak the language of cats and is generally a neutral character.

* ''Franchise/HarryPotter'': Double subverted with HufflepuffHouse. Hufflepuff's AnimalMotif is a badger and the house itself values [[{{Determinator}} hard work]] and [[UndyingLoyalty strong bonds]] (although there was a time when it was demoted to [[AndTheRest "miscellaneous"]] but fortunately that didn't last), so you'd assume that badgers were chosen because they're [[RidiculouslyCuteCritter cute]]. But WordOfGod reveals that the real reason is that badgers, though genuinely cute and unassuming, will also get downright vicious when those they care about are placed in harm's way. It fits the house like a glove.

* The opera ''The Cunning Little Vixen'' by Leo Janáek had a badger who was rather snobby and did not allow the vixen to share his den with her during harsh winter weather forcing the vixen to drive him out and take the den for herself.

* The video game version of ''[[WesternAnimation/TheCurseOfTheWereRabbit Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit]]'' has enemies that include Were-Badgers, which are the strongest and toughest enemies in the game. Though they were simply normal badgers supposedly taken by Victor who turns them into Were-Badgers using Wallace's Mind-O-Matic along with other animals.
* ''VideoGame/FarCry4'' has a mission that requires you to kill and skin a unique [[MemeticBadass honey badger.]] The mission repeatedly asks you to confirm that you are insane enough to attempt it. When you get to the mission site you'll see a man fleeing in terror and numerous dead animals that were presumably killed by the honey badger, including a rhino. In ''[[VideoGame/FarCryPrimal Far Cry Primal]]'', a tamed badger will scare off all other animals (except snakes). Badgers are also the only animal that will bite Takkar if he attempts to pet one.

* Averted in ''WebComic/GrrlPower'' by Clover. She's a were-honey badger and TheStoic to the point that she doesn't even change expression when stabbed in the side with a poisoned blade (as it turns out, were-honey badgers are immune to poisons, including silver).

* In the ''WesternAnimation/TaleSpin'' episode "The Balooest of the Bluebloods" one of the antagonists is Hans, a badger who teams up with an opossum Helga to ''murder'' the Von Bruinwalds so they could claim their inheritance.
* The badger from ''[[WesternAnimation/WoodyWoodpecker The New Woody Woodpecker Show]]'' who is a recurring character. He is shown as very aggressive and vicious. His appearance should be enough to see that.
--> "Hiya buddy."

* Hector [=McBadger=] from ''WesternAnimation/JakersTheAdventuresOfPiggleyWinks'' who is TheBully of the show, even appearing as an antagonist in some episodes. Though he is shown to be a JerkWithAHeartOfGold, like the episode where he returned a lamb to its mother.
* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'', there's a weapon designed by Creator/BenjaminFranklin called a "Franklinator". It's a badger on a stick (except for Fry's; he has a chipmunk).

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLionGuard'' averts this Bunga the honey badger, who is one of the main heroes as well as one of the friendliest characters in the show. A rare example in which a honey badger is portrayed in a good light.

* Is relayed by VisualPun in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/BoJackHorseman''. Diane and Courtney Portnoy find themselves sexually harassed by a stereotypical JerkJock, who happens to be a badger. In other words, he is ''badgering'' them.
* Subverted in the {{WesternAnimation/Pixar Short|s}} ''WesternAnimation/{{Burrow}}'', where the badger initially appears as ''utterly terrifying'', but when the bunny nervously comes to him with a problem, turns out to be a ReasonableAuthorityFigure who rallies all the other animals.