History Main / TheWonka

* Franchise/OnePiece:

** The Doctor [[SeenItAll has saved and ended worlds countless times]], yet acts like an excited child or a petulant teenager more often than any form of adult, leaping backwards and forwards between [[{{Technobabble}} highly technical, rapid-fire scientific explanations]] to "[[BuffySpeak It's my timey-wimey detector. It goes ding when there's stuff.]]" This could apply to ''any'' [[TheNthDoctor incarnation of the Doctor]]. They've ranged from an archetypal [[TheTrickster Trickster]] to a bit of an old grump, but fundamentally they're always the same lovable, ineffable weirdo. Bonus points for also doubling as InexplicablyAwesome, as we really have no idea how he ended up this way, but either his logic or understanding of people always eventually saves the day (after a lot of running in corridors). For instance, in ''Terror of the Vervoids'' where the best way the Sixth Doctor can think of to combat a plant race is to accelerate their life-cycle.

These sort of characters are usually [[LonersAreFreaks Freakish Loners]], but if they do have friends, they will be close ones. Genius qualities do not a Wonka make, but they must show some sort of prowess in at least one area in order to confirm that they are in fact not mad, but merely "differently sane". Other common traits include irreverence, [[NoSocialSkills lack of social skill]] or [[FearlessFool any sense of danger]] and doing bizarre things that, nevertheless, make perfect sense if you take a step back and think outside the box, because that's where Wonkas live. From a psychological standpoint, The Wonka perfectly characterizes the schizotypal personality.

This character makes perfect sense to himself (and it is usually male), but utterly confuses those around him and leaves them wondering whether or not he really is all there. The NaiveNewcomer will think he's genuinely nuts until he does something amazing that proves he's merely using a different brand of logic. Long term employees will either [[BeleagueredAssistant groan at the craziness]], become like him, or be so desensitized they'll regard it as mundane and [[WeirdnessCensor pay no attention]].

** Creator/GeneWilder's in the 1971 film adaptation. He loves to ignore others' comments because of what's Really Important right now while reciting a bit of doggerel, throwing in a pithy quote or [[DeadpanSnarker other choice bit of sarcasm]] as a bonus. And let's not get started on [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment the boat ride]], which is simply him terrifying his guests for fun.

** The Doctor [[SeenItAll has saved and ended worlds countless times]], yet acts like an overexcited Jack Russell who's been locked in the cellar for too long, leaping backwards and forwards between [[{{Technobabble}} highly technical, rapid-fire explanations]] to "[[BuffySpeak It's my timey-wimey detector. It goes ding when there's stuff.]]" Occasionally [[SexShifter they]] will calm down long enough to feel sorry for themself, but once the crisis is averted, the chuntering is switched back on and off they zoom again, their imagination running berserk. This could apply to ''any'' [[TheNthDoctor incarnation of the Doctor]]. They've ranged from an archetypal [[TheTrickster Trickster]] to a bit of an old grump, but fundamentally they're always the same lovable, ineffable weirdo. Bonus points for also doubling as InexplicablyAwesome, as we really have no idea how they ended up this way, but their logic always saves the day (after a while of alien happenings and running). For instance, in ''Terror of the Vervoids'' where the best way the Sixth Doctor can think of to combat a plant race is to accelerate their life-cycle.

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elon_Musk Elon Musk]]'s sense of whimsy is demonstrated by his companies. Tesla cars have a "Ludicrous Mode". He says that his frustration with Los Angeles traffic gave him the idea to dig tunnels beneath the city. His tunnel-digging venture is called "The Boring Company", and he raised money partly by selling "flamethrowers" (actually torches) branded with the company logo. When he needed a heavy payload to test a [=SpaceX=] rocket, so he volunteered his personal Tesla roadster. [=SpaceX=] has two remote-control barges that serve as landing pads, named ''Of Course I Still Love You'' and ''Just Read the Instructions''.

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elon_Musk Elon Musk]]'s sense of whimsy is demonstrated by his companies. Tesla cars have a "Ludicrous Mode". He says that his frustration with Los Angeles traffic gave him the idea to dig tunnels beneath the city. His tunnel-digging venture is called "The Boring Company", and he raised money partly by selling "flamethrowers" (actually torches) branded with the company logo. When he needed a heavy payload to test a [[UsefulNotes/SpaceX SpaceX]] rocket, so he volunteered his personal Tesla roadster. [=SpaceX=] has two remote-control barges that serve as landing pads, named ''Of Course I Still Love You'' and ''Just Read the Instructions''.

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elon_Musk Elon Musk]]'s sense of whimsy is demonstrated by his companies. Tesla cars have a "Ludicrous Mode". He says that his frustration with Los Angeles traffic gave him the idea to dig tunnels beneath the city. His tunnel-digging venture is called "The Boring Company", and he raised money partly by selling "flamethrowers" (actually torches) branded with the company logo. When he needed a heavy payload to test a SpaceX rocket, so he volunteered his personal Tesla roadster. SpaceX has two remote-control barges that serve as landing pads, named ''Of Course I Still Love You'' and ''Just Read the Instructions''.

* ''Literature/SherlockHolmes'' [[BunnyEarsLawyer solves a lot of cases]] and solves them in weird, kooky ways, but is respected-pretty much by Watson and the fans.

* ''Literature/InheritanceCycle'': Angela is definitely one of these. She is known for random quips (modeled after the author's own sister of the same name), general looniness, and concern with unusual names for already-awesome objects (e.g. a sword potentially made of diamond that can slice through anything like a hot knife through butter gets named... Tinkledeath).

* [[EccentricMentor Albus Dumbledore]] from the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' series seems to have a mild case of this. The Hogwarts Headmaster and highly respected and able wizard seems to use a different strand of thought to the rest of the world -- his unorthodox problem-solving methods and airy manner have often caused people to wonder if he's winding them up. The answer is usually no, as is shown when he gets the last laugh.

* The Grandmaster plays a villainous version of this in ''ThorRagnarok''. He's a despot, who loves GladiatorGames but treats life as a giant festival and is far more concerned with having fun than anything else. As a bonus, "Pure Imagination" plays during the expository video that introduces him to Thor and the audience.

[[caption-width-right:300: A boat ride on a chocolate river through a candy forest? Who wouldn't want to work for him?!]]e

[[caption-width-right:300: A boat ride on a chocolate river through a candy forest? Who wouldn't want to work for him?!]]

** The Doctor [[SeenItAll has saved and ended worlds countless times]], yet acts like an overexcited Jack Russell who's been locked in the cellar for too long, leaping backwards and forwards between [[{{Technobabble}} highly technical, rapid-fire explanations]] to "[[BuffySpeak It's my timey-wimey detector. It goes ding when there's stuff.]]" Occasionally [[SexShifter they]] will calm down long enough to feel sorry for themself, but once the crisis is averted, the chuntering is switched back on and off they zoom again, their imagination running berserk. This could apply to ''any'' [[TheNthDoctor incarnation of the Doctor]]. They've ranged from an archetypal {{Trickster}} to a bit of an old grump, but fundamentally they're always the same lovable, ineffable weirdo. Bonus points for also doubling as InexplicablyAwesome, as we really have no idea how they ended up this way, but their logic always saves the day (after a while of alien happenings and running). For instance, in ''Terror of the Vervoids'' where the best way the Sixth Doctor can think of to combat a plant race is to accelerate their life-cycle.

* Tyler The Creator was the Leader of Odd Future. He was the Oddest and most Playful of The Bunch.

** The anime sometimes uses filler comedy to turn BadassGrandpa Yamamoto into one.

** An actual Willy Wonka {{Expy}} shows up in the Whole Cake Island Arc: Charlotte Perospero, with candy powers included. He's an antagonist though.

* [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation One interpretation]] of God in ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}''.

* Pegasus, the brilliant but loopy creator of ''Anime/YuGiOh'''s Duel Monsters. His employees take his eccentrics in stride. (Note that he was indeed a villain originally, and did use some rather immoral methods; he [[HeelFaceTurn got better]].)

* In ''Frozen Assets'' Newton is introduced as an escaped mental patient on the run from authorities. Sure, he's a {{Cloudcuckoolander}}, but he proves [[BunnyEarsLawyer surprisingly useful]] to protagonist. In the end [[spoiler:he turns out to be a billionaire, who decided to have a vacation. He's hiding from his employees, who want him back]].

* [[InsistentTerminology Captain]] Jack Sparrow (another Johnny Depp role) from ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'', although he's not really ruler of much other than a few mangy pirates. Still, a good pirate? Yes. A quick thinker? Definitely. Completely unpredictable? Foppish or odd mannerisms? Crazy ideas? Absolutely. When asked if being stranded on a desert island for months and suffering heatstroke was the reason for his... eccentricity, Mr. Gibbs rather flatly (and honestly) replies "Reason's got nothin' to do with it, mate." Sparrow's always been the way he is; a [[CrazyAwesome genius mix of madness,]] ObfuscatingInsanity / ObfuscatingStupidity and ConfusionFu. Somehow, it works. Usually. [[CatchPhrase Savvy?]]

* Deconstructed in ''VideoGame/BendyAndTheInkMachine'' with Joey Drew, head of the animation studio and brother of the protagonist. His eccentricities (such as insisting on using the titular Ink Machine) grated on his employee's nerves and interfered with the production of new cartoons, eventually causing the studio to tank. Plus, it's revealed over the course of the game that, beneath his sunny public face, Joey was really a [[TheSociopath sociopathic]] [[{{Jerkass}} jerk]] who ruthlessly exploited his employees and didn't even buy into the "Believe in your dreams" rhetoric he spouted.

* Shinra's father in ''{{LightNovel/Durarara}}''. Apparently a relatively well-respected doctor, he goes around everywhere with his lab coat on and a gas mask. After all, everyone knows lab coats protect your body from contamination (that's why you wear them in the lab) and modern-day city air is so filthy it's bad for your lungs.

* You've heard of the BunnyEarsLawyer? Ladies and gentlemen, we give you the [[http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/11/see-pope-francis-clown-around-with-newlywed-couple/ clown-nose Pope.]]

* Chick from ''Series/BatesMotel'' is a villainous example. He's a completely random and unpredictable guy who swings between acting creepy and sinister to kind and gentle within a few minutes. However, he's also a GenreSavvy gun runner who planned out a combination of a UriahGambit ''and'' a XanatosGambit.