History Main / StickyFingers

** Belphegor, in keeping with his codename[[note]]named for the Demon of Invention, Sloth, and Feces[[/note]], is both a capable [[InsufferableGenius (if arrogant)]] inventor and a [[BrilliantButLazy lazy slob]]; he's also a notorious thief of other inventors' equipment and ideas. While he isn't as compulsive about it as Hazard, he is widely despised for this and several other [[ScienceRelatedMemeticDisorder unpleasant aspects]] of his personality. His [[OppositeSexClone mental duplicate]], Belphoebe, has proven to be a lot less irritating over all, though she's still quick to rip off others when the opportunity arises.

* ''ComicBook/{{Tintin}}'': "The Secret of the Unicorn", a kleptomaniac named Aristides Silk steals Tintin's wallet which contains a PlotCoupon. It turns out that, similar to RealLife kleptomaniacs, he feels rather guilty about his actions; he sorts the stolen wallets by the owner's name. [[ThoseTwoGuys Thomson and Thompson]] [[CluelessDetective end up walking out with their arms full of their own stolen wallets]], and their countermeasures have varying degrees of success and slapstick.
* Franchise/WonderWoman:

* Azusa Shiratori from ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' has extreme kleptomania as her most notable quirk; she has an obsession with objects (and occasionally animals) she considers to be "cute" and will frequently try to take them for herself, giving the object in question a French name from ''Manga/TheRoseOfVersailles'' and proclaiming it to be hers. As far as she's concerned, anything she latches onto is rightfully hers and anyone who tries to take their things back from her is a bully.

%%* ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf''
%%** Genma Saotome.
%%** Also Asuza Shiratori, but only for things she sees as cute.

[[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant If this isn't what you thought it was when you clicked on the link]], you might want to try ADateWithRosiePalms instead.

* The thief units in ''Franchise/{{Disgaea}}'' are given this characterisation as the page quote shows.

[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kleptomania Kleptomania,]] from the Greek root words "kleptein" (to steal) and "mania" (obsession with, madness). In the real world, it's an obsession with collecting or hoarding things (which are typically small items like paperclips or pens, which the sufferer may or may not be even aware they stole) with no regard to any material gain. While it might seem quite mild, it can lead to compulsive shoplifting and is often comorbid with personality disorders, which can make things even worse.

In fiction, it's the trait of a LoveableRogue and is frequently played for laughs. "Sufferers" tend to outright enjoy the act of theft, steal anything that isn't nailed down (particularly if it's valuable, in contrast to RealLife sufferers), gleefully enjoy the material rewards, and may well be a KarmaHoudini for this (compared to actual sufferers of kleptomania, who feel an impulse to steal regardless of the value of the item and often feel guilty afterwards). They are distinguished from other thief-related tropes by the fact that they steal for the pleasure of stealing and frequently have trouble leaving something valuable be. They may or may not be outright described as suffering from kleptomania. Sympathetic characters are often MrViceGuy.

You know they've met their match when you hear the words "Oi - GiveMeBackMyWallet!"

Also not be confused with a certain [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureGoldenWind Stand]], or the Music/RollingStones [[Music/StickyFingers album]] it references either. See ThievingPet for the animal version of this trope.

* In ''Film/TheGettingOfWisdom'', one of Laura's few genuine friends, a half-Asian student known by the nickname [[DeliberateValuesDissonance Chinky]], has a habit of stealing items from the boarding school staff, particularly money and jewelry. Once they find out, she is immediately expelled.

* In the second ''Film/HomeAlone'' film, Marv engages in some petty theft with literal sticky fingers: covering one of his hands in tape and then sticking it into a Salvation Army bucket full of change as he walks by.

Also not be confused with a certain [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureGoldenWind Stand]], or [[Music/StickyFingers the music]] it references either. See ThievingPet for the animal version of this trope.

In the animal realm, this is a trait of the packrat and the [[ThievingMagpie magpie]].

* ''Film/AChristmasHorrorStory'': Clarice's boyfriend applauds her sticky fingers after she steals the keys to the school for Molly and the others. Later PlayedForDrama when she confesses that she constantly steals stuff without knowing why and wonders if that’s why Krampus is attacking her family.

* In Creator/{{Disney}}'s ''Film/{{Descendants}}'', this is a habit [[WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}} Jafar]] has raised his son Jay to have. At several points in the movie, we see him unloading various trinkets he's nicked, including phones, jewelry, wallets, even an entire laptop. At one point, he steals the hood ornament off of a limousine. When asked about it, he says: "it's like buying everything I want... except it's free."
* ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy:'' Rocket, being as he is a racoon, doesn't understand the notion that taking something that belongs to someone else is illegal, even if he wants it more. In ''Vol. 2'', he kicks off the plot by stealing the item the Guardians were hired to protect, trying to justify it when the owners come after the Guardians to kill them all for this on the grounds they were being "high and mighty", but Yondu later calls him on having done it just because he could.

* In ''Film/{{Penelope|1966}}'', the eponymous character (played by Creator/NatalieWood) is kleptomaniac and can't help but stealing things just for the sake of it. She also robs a bank solely because she DesperatelyCravesAffection from her banker husband who's too MarriedToTheJob to really care about her.
* Emmett Ray of ''Film/SweetAndLowdown'' appears to be an easily diagnosable kleptomaniac.

* ''Literature/RoysBedoys'': In “No Stealing, Roys Bedoys!”, Roys keeps stealing food and toys from the other kids.

%%* Adrianna on ''Series/BeverlyHills90210''

* One woman calls into Series/{{Frasier}}'s show and reveals she's recently started stealing things because it gives her a thrill to take them. She also mentions that her friends all think she's dull and boring, implying that she started stealing to push back against that image. Her story inspires Frasier, who's recently realised how dull his own life is, to steal a keepsake from his neighbor when she asks him over to help change a lightbulb.

* ''{{Series/Trinkets}}'': Elodie has kleptomania, as does Tabitha (Moe took the fall for her brother Ben). They all meet in a Shoplifters Anonymous group. Unlike most examples, this is ''not'' {{played for laughs}} but shown to be a destructive, debilitating addiction. Elodie especially struggles with it.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kleptomania Kleptomania]], from the Greek root words "kleptein" (to steal) and "mania" (obsession with, madness). In the real world, it's an obsession with collecting or hoarding things (which are typically small items like paperclips or pens, which the sufferer may or may not be even aware they stole) with no regard to any material gain. While it might seem quite mild, it can lead to compulsive shoplifting and is often comorbid with personality disorders, which can make things even worse.

* ''Literature/TheCatWhoSeries'': Book #19 (''The Cat Who Tailed a Thief'') has a string of random thefts in Pickax in December, which prove to be the work of a kleptomaniac, [[spoiler: Danielle Carmichael]].

* Faith in her early appearances on ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''. Dawn started doing this late in season 5, and it became a serious issue in season 6 when the DysfunctionJunction was at its worst.

* In the first episode of ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' Angela Petrelli was established as a kleptomaniac who stole socks. It wasn't explained [[BrickJoke until season four]].

* On ''Series/GilmoreGirls,'' Jess, in his early episodes, would steal things for his own amusement, to alleviate SmallTownBoredom after going FromNewYorkToNowhere. It baffles his uncle, Luke, because the items he steals are of no monetary value. He swipes a garden gnome from Rory and Lorelai's neighbor and hides it in a closet, and later steals all 500 of his high school's baseballs. [[Noodle incident We never do find out what he did with them.]]

* On ''Series/GilmoreGirls,'' Jess, in his early episodes, would steal things for his own amusement, to alleviate SmallTownBoredom after going from NewYorkToNowhere. It baffles his uncle, Luke, because the items he steals are of no monetary value. He swipes a garden gnome from Rory and Lorelai's neighbor and hides it in a closet, and later steals all 500 of his high school's baseballs. [[Noodle incident We never do find out what he did with them.]]

%%* Music/TheRollingStones have an album named ''Music/StickyFingers''.

* A common misconception is that [[ThievingMagpie magpies]] steal shiny objects to line their nests, though studies seem to show that they have no attraction to shiny things and are actually nervous of them since they are unfamiliar and may pose a threat.

* Nott in ''WebVideo/CriticalRole'' feels especially compelled to do this when she spots fancy jewelry or attractive baubles.