History Main / TheImp

* ''Webcomic/{{Nevermore}}'': Ada is Annabel Lee's BetaBitch who endlessly harasses the protagonist Lenore. She's also the least dangerous member of Annabel's posse. In reality, Annabel and Lenore are secretly allies, and Annabel uses Ada as a glorified hype man.

** ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'': The first [[OurDemonsAreDifferent demon-types]] that warlocks can summon are Imps. They small, fragile, and whiny little things that can only cast fireballs and make snarky jokes. They're replaced with other more powerful demons as the Warlock levels up. They are however fairly effective for certain purposes (they are the only demon with a ranged attack) and often continue to be used right up to the endgame.

** Midna from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' is a [[DarkIsNotEvil heroic example]]; a snarky little imp [[spoiler:(but only [[BalefulPolymorph cursed into that form]], she's a StatuesqueStunner when returned to normal)]] with knowledge of the Twilight that is threatening to blanket Hyrule. She forces Link to accomplish her goals (despite the fact that she clearly has some powerful magic of her own), takes every opportunity to tease him and keeps saying that she's only helping him because she needs him. [[spoiler:She later drops this characterization once Zelda gives her life force to save Midna from death.]]

* ''ComicBook/{{Warlock}}'': Adam's sidekick Pip the Troll is a ball of petty vices that somehow still manages to come across as a good guy.

* ''Manga/MobPsycho100'': Dimple is introduced as a powerful and serious threat, but after a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown at the [[MindOverMatter (figurative)]] hands of our main character ends up reduced to a wispy, nonthreatening-looking form and becomes a TokenEvilTeammate to Mob and his friends, with the supposed endgame of possessing Mob to gain his powers for himself. He sometimes tries to act as TheCorruptor to Mob, but ultimately Mob's kind heart ends up pulling Dimple to the side of good much more than the opposite.

* ''Webcomic/KillSixBillionDemons'' has Cio, or by her full name [[OverlyLongName Ciocie Cioelle Estrella von Maximus the Third,]] a treacherous, cigar-chomping, compulsive liar devil who ends up aiding the main protagonist to wring a {{Protectorate}} out of her. Her specific subspecies of devil is even known as an imp. However, she has been much more dangerous in the past [[spoiler: before she was depowered from Ebon Devil to Blue Devil]], and holds some pretty expansive HiddenDepths.

* ''[[ComicBook/{{Warlock}} Adam Warlock]]'': Adam's sidekick Pip the Troll is a ball of petty vices that somehow still manages to come across as a good guy.

** ''ComicBook/TheFlash'': Kilg%re is introduced as a serious threat, but before long they get bored of the KillAllHumans thing, and so become this. They briefly spend months possessing Wally's friend/future-LoveInterest Linda Park under the guise of being the 300-year old spirit of an Irish bard, embarrassing her for fun while also trying to [[ShipperOnDeck push the two together]], and later saved Wally by super-charging his HealingFactor so he could recover from a bullet to the heart. All the while constantly trolling and insulting them.

* ''VideoGame/PathfinderWrathOfTheRighteous'': Suture, Areelu Vorlesh's Right-Hand Dretch and [[TheIgor Igor]]. Areelu is a brilliant, amoral magical supervillain, Suture is a pudgy UglyCute toddler-sized demon with a cockney accent.

* ''ComicBook/AdamWarlock'': Adam's sidekick Pip the Troll is a ball of petty vices that somehow still manages to come across as a good guy.

Imps are the WeaselMascot, ChaoticNeutral version. They can occasionally cause a great deal of havoc on their own, making them a NotSoHarmlessVillain, but usually whatever holds them back stops them from doing too much damage in the end. Frequently overlaps with the SnarkyNonhumanSidekick. They are sometimes prone to DarkIsNotEvil.

* ''VideoGame/{{Warfact}}'':

* [=DemiDevimon=] from ''Anime/DigimonAdventure''. He also proves to be quite the ManipulativeBastard. There are also bunch of Vilemon (Evilmon in the original) who work as Piedmon's {{Mooks}} in the final arc.
* Impmon from the sequel, ''Anime/DigimonTamers'', started this way, but like many tropes in that series, became [[EvolutionaryLevels something]] [[FromNobodyToNightmare else]]. It's worth noting that Impmon was still a jerk even after [[spoiler:his HeelFaceTurn]]. In an episode of the second arc, he greets Calumon with a kick on the butt just a little bit after [[spoiler: getting over killing Leomon]].

* Kereellis, the hand puppet through which Yata the channeller from ''Manga/TheKurosagiCorpseDeliveryService'' talks to aliens (yes, [[WidgetSeries it's that kind of manga]]) is a foul-mouthed yet curiously independent example.
* Nyanko-sensei from ''Manga/NatsumesBookOfFriends''. Just as long as you [[OneWingedAngel don't make him angry.]]
* Guni from Anime/{{Nightwalker}} hangs with VampireDetective Shido and cops quite the attitude.
* Onsokumaru from ''Manga/NinjaNonsense'' is a mild form of this, as there is nothing in that series remotely serious enough to be evil.
* ''Manga/SoulEater'''s title character has a red, oni-like imp that plagues his mind and encourages him to use the BlackBlood that runs in his veins, thus consuming him and his technician Maka into madness. Soul often ignores the Imp's suggestions for fear of being entirely overtaken by insanity.
* Dimple from ''Manga/MobPsycho100'' is introduced as a powerful and serious threat, but after a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown at the [[MindOverMatter (figurative)]] hands of our main character ends up reduced to a wispy, nonthreatening-looking form and becomes a TokenEvilTeammate to Mob and his friends, with the supposed endgame of possessing Mob to gain his powers for himself. He sometimes tries to act as TheCorruptor to Mob, but ultimately Mob's kind heart ends up pulling Dimple to the side of good much more than the opposite.

* In Creator/DCComics, there's a race of [[RealityWarper Reality Warpers]] from the Fifth Dimension who are called "imps" and typically fill this trope's role in-story, overlapping with the GreatGazoo.
** Mr. Mxyzpltk from ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' comic books -- especially the late 1950s though the 1960s.
** Franchise/{{Batman}}'s imp Bat-Mite. Although in Batman: RIP, Bat-Mite is portrayed as the opposite of an imp [[spoiler: He's the tiny bit of sanity and morality the Batman of Zurr-En-Ah has.]]
** And Quisp from ''Comicbook/{{Aquaman}}''.
* Flip from ''ComicStrip/LittleNemo in Slumberland'', actually referred to as "that imp" in one strip. (However, the character known as "the Imp" is not this trope.)
* After being caught by Comicbook/{{Empowered}} with the help of [[ItMakesSenseInContext power-draining alien bondage gear]], the Caged Demonwolf counts.
* Varkias from ''ComicBook/ThievesAndKings''.
* Kilg%re from ''ComicBook/TheFlash''; they were introduced as a serious threat, but before long they got bored of the KillAllHumans thing, and so became this. They briefly spent months possessing Wally's friend/future-LoveInterest Linda Park under the guise of being the 300-year old spirit of an Irish bard, embarrassing her for fun while also trying to [[ShipperOnDeck push the two together]], and later saved Wally by super-charging his HealingFactor so he could recover from a bullet to the heart. All the while constantly trolling and insulting them.
* Comicbook/AdamWarlock's sidekick Pip the Troll is a ball of petty vices that somehow still manages to come across as a good guy.

* While dapper little triangle-demon Bill Cipher from ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' is [[EldritchAbomination a major threat]] [[BigBad in his own right]] in canon, his [[AdorableAbomination cute appearance]] and [[LaughablyEvil humorous personality]] lend themselves to imp treatment in LighterAndSofter fanworks, such as [[http://f-imaginings.tumblr.com/post/155244029731/captioned-click-through-story-in-mabels these]] [[http://moringmark.tumblr.com/post/118118697388 fancomics.]]

* Salacious Crumb, the cackling monkey-lizard perched on Jabba the Hutt's tail, in ''Franchise/StarWars: Film/ReturnOfTheJedi''. The {{novelization}} ups his annoyance factor by including a scene on the sail barge where he's aggravating an argument between two of Jabba's henchmen by repeating verbatim everything being said by one of them.

* [[StepfordSmiler Skylar St. Clair]] in ''Literature/GivesLight''. Interestingly, he is also compassionate, patient, and sensitive. And the main character. [[TheSpeechless And mute]].
* Tyrion in ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire ''plays like a subversion. Though he is called "The Imp," loves his creature comforts, delights in debauchery, and constantly jibes others (and himself) with his acerbic wit, he is largely held back by the prejudice of those around him by virtue of his being a dwarf instead of holding himself back. [[spoiler: Also, Tyrion proves himself perhaps the most dangerous of all the Lannister family, which is ''really'' saying something. ]]
* In his appearance in ''Literature/GalaxyOfFear'' Yoda is actually ''called'' The Imp by the Children, and around most of the characters he follows this trope, seeming weird, cowardly, and harmless. For Tash and Zak, and later Hoole, he's more the Jedi Master.
* ''[[Literature/TheDresdenFiles Harry Dresden]]'' has Bob, a spirit of intellect trapped in a skull. Now, it's been repeatedly noted that spirits of intellect can be ''very'' terrifying at the wrong times, but as far as Bob's concerned, in Harry's hands, he's pretty much just the helpful - if incredibly snarky - sidekick who also happens to have a thing for sex.
* Averted on the {{Literature/Discworld}}, where imps are tiny and are used to power {{Magitek}} devices like cameras (they have no imagination, so they paint what they see) and watches. The Nac Mac Feegle are slightly closer to the trope, though they refer to themselves as pictsies.

* Tyrion from ''Series/GameOfThrones'' is even nicknamed "the Imp," and fits this trope to a tee.

* Q from ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration''. He's an all-powerful RealityWarper from another dimension who constantly antagonizes and tests the Enterprise crew and the Federation as a whole, but only to teach them a lesson (as he feels they have gone complacent) and never goes too far when he knows his work is done for now.
* [[NobleDemon Crowley]] from ''Series/GoodOmens2019'' is fairly tall, being played by Creator/DavidTennant, and a main character rather than a sidekick, but he has this kind of personality. He is, in theory, a skilled demonic tempter of mortals - he was the original Serpent in the Garden of Eden - but several factors ensure that he's not nearly the threatening force of evil he could be. He understands modern human society much better than his demonic peers, but uses this knowledge to troll people on a mass scale by messing with infrastructure rather than corrupting individual souls one at a time - and his schemes of this nature, while successful at their original aim, often [[HoistByHisOwnPetard backfire and inconvenience him as much as the humans]]. Despite being a demon, he's more mischievous than sadistic and is depressed by actual atrocities. He'd rather enjoy life on Earth than promote the cosmic triumph of Hell, which eventually leads him to try to [[Film/PacificRim cancel the apocalypse]]. And he can be ''very'' snarky.

* The "Evil Conscience" in ''VideoGame/BlackAndWhite'' looks the part and encourages naughty behavior. Usually seen squabbling with his angelic counterpart.
* Murray from ''VideoGame/TheCurseOfMonkeyIsland'' has delusions of evil grandeur, which is somewhat undermined by the fact that he's only a skull.
* Pete, from ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII''. The contrast between him and Maleficent is as sharp as an edge between chessboard squares.
* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'': The recurring character Skull Kid is frequently described as an imp. Skull Kid himself doesn't appear to actually be evil, but he is very mischievous and enjoys playing pranks on people... pranks that range from annoying them with music to getting them lost in the forest for all eternity. Overall, he's portrayed as innocent and childlike for the most part, except in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'', where his pranks are far more mean-spirited, to the point of being downright apocalyptic. [[spoiler:This is eventually revealed to be because he was possessed by the power of Majora's Mask. After the Mask is destroyed, Skull Kid reverts to his more playful, mischievous personality.]]

* Overlord Zetta, the most powerful badass in the cosmos, from ''VideoGame/MakaiKingdom''. All that power and cunning means little when he's a book who can't even defend himself.
* Gnarl in ''VideoGame/{{Overlord}}'' is a CardCarryingVillain who often talks of praising evil and such, but since he's too old to go out on the field he's delegated to being the EvilChancellor.
* In the main plotline of ''VideoGame/SoulNomadAndTheWorldEaters'', Gig spends most of the game as this because he's stuck in the main character's head and needs permission to actually use any of his various powers. [[spoiler:Alternate endings and plotlines let Gig shed this trope through [[GrandTheftMe Grand Theft Protagonist]].]]
* The first [[OurDemonsAreDifferent demon-type]] that warlocks can summon in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' are Imps. They small, fragile, and whiny little things that can only cast fire balls and make snarky jokes. They are replaced with other more powerful demons as the Warlock levels up. They are are however fairly effective for certain purposes (they are the only demon with a ranged attack) and continue to be used right up to the Endgame.
* Creator/BlizzardEntertainment builds off of the ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' imps in ''VideoGame/HearthstoneHeroesOfWarcraft''. They are once again stuck with relatively low health and damage, however now you have a total of four different kinds available. Options include imps that hurt your character and glorious minion of evil seriously named "Worthless Imp."
* Despite being technically a squirrel (of DOOM!), Ratatosk from ''VideoGame/HeroinesQuest'' acts very much like TheImp.
* While a full blooded human, Johnny Cage from ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' can come off as this. Incredible martial arts skill, his own magical aura, and, yes, he's even been able to be the hero on more than one occasion, but he's far more preoccupied with fame and making movies than actually saving Earthrealm. Plenty of Kombatants, both villainous and heroic, make it a point to call him out on his childishness and inability to take things seriously. Apparently he does mature with age and tragedy though.
* The PlayerCharacter of ''VideoGame/UntitledGooseGame'' is a FeatheredFiend remorselessly terrorizing an innocent English village ForTheEvulz. But the horrible goose is only a goose, in a game with no serious violence, and can't get up to anything worse than aggravating pranks, petty theft, and some slapstick AmusingInjuries.

* Fuzzy from ''Webcomic/SamAndFuzzy'' during the comic's first three arcs. He's even called 'imp' on occasion due to his size.
* [[SdrawkcabName Elttil Hctib]] from ''Webcomic/LookingForGroup''. He is quite literally an imp.
* Qarr the imp from ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' is a NotSoHarmlessVillain variant, but mostly because of who he knows rather than being a genuine threat in of himself.
* In [[http://the-qlc.com/loserz/go/339 this strip]] of ''Webcomic/{{Loserz}}'' (in-story, in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'')
* Zeggriz, from ''Webcomic/OurLittleAdventure''. Quite literally.
* ''Webcomic/KillSixBillionDemons'' has Cio, or by her full name [[OverlyLongName Ciocie Cioelle Estrella von Maximus the Third,]] a treacherous, cigar-chomping, compulsive liar devil who ends up aiding the main protagonist to wring a {{Protectorate}} out of her. Her specific subspecies of devil is even known as an imp.
** However, she has been much more dangerous in the past [[spoiler: before she was depowered from Ebon Devil to Blue Devil]], and holds some pretty expansive HiddenDepths.

[[folder:Web Original]]
* In the ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'', we have the appropriately-named Imp, who - despite being a notorious and spectacular art thief and general nuisance to the heroic side, is relatively harmless, just wants to have fun and enjoy good art, [[spoiler:and is only a supervillain because her mutation gave her a devilish-looking appearance.]]
* In contrast, the Imp of ''Literature/{{Worm}}'' is very much a subversion. Her ability is to be unseen, and ''forgotten'', by anyone she's not interacting directly with -- which renders her one of the more terrifying members of the Undersiders, even next to Skitter. She does have that childish streak and a desire for fun, though.
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* Uncle Iroh plays this role during the first season of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender''. While Zuko is hell bent on catching Aang by any means necessary, Iroh's sole goal is to tag along and make sure his nephew doesn't get in too much trouble. Although he's reportedly a legendary general, nowadays he's remarkably lazy and disinterested in conflict, doing nothing more than eat, drink tea and play board games. However, he subverts this completely in later seasons. When he needs to be, he's not only a competent fighter, [[spoiler: he's one of the most powerful Firebenders in the world.]] Also, [[spoiler: he's firmly in the side of good, and he seeks to undo the wrongs his family (including him in his youth) perpetrated against the world]].
* Reuben (Experiment 625) from the ''Franchise/LiloAndStitch'' franchise (primarily ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitchTheSeries'' and the ''Anime/{{Stitch}}'' anime), who was supposedly as powerful as Stitch, but was so lazy he instead spent all of his time as sidekick to one of the villains, doing little more than making wisecracks and sandwiches.
* Any WWII era-cartoon will likely play an Italian as this against a more serious and intimidating German {{foil}}.
* The imp Puck, in Disney's ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'', serves as this to no less than three villains (Demona, Oberon, and [[spoiler:Xanatos in guise of Owen Burnette]]). All three are credible threats and Puck chose to ally himself with the third villain only because the other two were too serious and all he really wanted was to have fun. However, when he does cut loose on [[spoiler:Oberon]] he actually manages to kick his ass for a short time, so he's a NotSoHarmlessVillain.
* Imp from ''WesternAnimation/SheRaPrincessOfPower'', despite having both the power and multiple opportunities to simply sneak in and assassinate the heroes, seems more content to simply eavesdrop and cause mischief, causing everyone but his "boss" nothing but grief. Despite this, he has proven to be a credible threat by framing Kowl for being a Horde spy. The fact that he has an overly inflated, yet still somewhat justifiable, ego when it comes to his accomplishments tends to add to the humor of his character.
* Imp from the animated series ''{{Imp}}''. His "accomplishments" include coming up with the world's most evil ringtone.
* From ''WesternAnimation/{{Wakfu}}'', Grufon the minor Shushu qualifies as the harmless kind as long as he's sealed in a map... [[spoiler:and the NotSoHarmlessVillain kind when he gets free and possesses an arachne in episode 13.]]
* Iago from Disney's ''Franchise/{{Aladdin}}'' is a villainous example in the initial movie, and a heroic example after his HeelFaceTurn in the sequel and subsequent TV series. (For his appearances in ''WesternAnimation/HouseOfMouse'' he tended to switch between being a good guy and a bad guy, depending on the episode, but he remained this trope throughout.)
* Wuya from ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown''. She's easily one of the most powerful ([[CardCarryingVillain and evil]]) villains on the show, but since she's an intangible ghost for most of the first season and much of the second, she can't affect the physical world, rendering her completely harmless and dependent on her human partners until she is restored to a mortal form.
* A few characters called imps made their appearances in ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs1981''.
** One was a treasure hunter who used a pair of golden shoes to capture Smurfette in "Smurfette's Dancing Shoes".
** One was a SnakeOilSalesman from "The Miracle Smurfer".
** One was a humanoid being who was cursed to be in the form of an imp in "Smurf A Mile In My Shoes".
** One was a constant admirer of Vanity Smurf in "Vanity's Closest Friend".
* Ever since his HeelFaceTurn and subsequent reestablishment of his personality, Discord from ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' has become this type of character, just being taller than the standard. He's still the same RealityWarper as before and still quite mischievous, he keeps to his newfound sense of honor brought upon by his [[MoralityChain friendship with Fluttershy]].
* ''WesternAnimation/StrangeMagic'': The Imp. He steals the love potion at the worst time possible and then runs around love potioning everything in the forest for seemingly no other reason than because it amuses him.
%%* Imps have a major role in ''WesternAnimation/TheRealGhostbusters'''s episode "Janine's Day Off", especially when merged together creating a full size demon.
%%* The Great Gazoo from ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones'' is a non-villainous example.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'': We have King, a dog like demon with a skull for a head who is constantly trying to establish himself as a despotic overlord of all he surveys. He had a selfish streak to him, and a horde of stuffed animals he refers to as his army of darkness. Thus far, however, people have found his attempts to rule more adorable than threatening. And even if his moral compass points a bit south of Good, he's still willing to help his friends when he's needed.

%%[[folder:Other]]
%%* Baby Tasmanian devils are sometimes called "imps", though most people refer to them as joeys.
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* A few characters called imps made their appearances in ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs''.

[[folder:Comics]]

** Midna from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' is a [[DarkIsNotEvil heroic example]]; a snarky little imp [[spoiler:(but only cursed into that form, she's a StatuesqueStunner when returned to normal)]] with knowledge of the Twilight that is threatening to blanket Hyrule. She forces Link to accomplish her goals (despite the fact that she clearly has some powerful magic of her own), takes every opportunity to tease him and keeps saying that she's only helping him because she needs him. [[spoiler:She later drops this characterization once Zelda gives her life force to save Midna from death.]]

Imps are the WeaselMascot, ChaoticNeutral version. They can occasionally cause a great deal of havoc on their own, making them a NotSoHarmlessVillain, but usually whatever holds them back stops them from doing too much damage in the end. Frequently overlaps with the SnarkyNonhumanSidekick. They are sometimes prone to DarkIsNotEvil. Contrast TheJester.

* While a full blooded human, Johnny Cage from ''VideoGame/MortalKombat'' can come off as this. Incredible martial arts skill, his own magical aura, and, yes, he's even been able to be the hero on more than one occasion, but he's far more preoccupied with fame and making movies than actually saving Earthrealm. Plenty of Kombatants, both villainous and heroic, make it a point to call him out on his childishness and inability to take things seriously. Apparently he does mature with age and tragedy though.

While commonly in a sidekick role to a stronger character, you often see the Imp with heroic characters as much as with villainous ones. Aside from heroes being less likely to beat on them, the Imp can function as the hero's "[[GoodAngelBadAngel Bad Angel]]". But in this case, it mainly ends up showing off how decent and good-hearted the hero is, because he doesn't take the Imp's advice seriously.

They are the WeaselMascot, ChaoticNeutral version. They can occasionally cause a great deal of havoc on their own, making them a NotSoHarmlessVillain, but usually whatever holds them back stops them from doing too much damage in the end. Frequently overlaps with the SnarkyNonhumanSidekick. They are sometimes prone to DarkIsNotEvil. Contrast TheJester.

* ''Anime/{{Gankutsuou}}'' has [[DudeLooksLikeALady Peppo]] as an Imp to Albert, although he's not really malicious [[spoiler:[[LoveRedeems in part because he's in love with him]]]], but just loves to screw with Albert's naiveté.