History YMMV / Erfworld

* BaseBreaker:

* ItGetsBetter: While the comic is very good from the start, it doesn't really make much sense until Parson starts asking questions and serving as TheWatson. That happens at around page 25 if you're feeling generous, page 50 if you're not.

** Wanda. On the one hand, when she wants to, she can be a very badass spellcaster able to turn the tide of a battle all by herself. Being attuned to the pliers helps tremendously, making her the most powerful Croakamancer who ever lived thanks to her army of Decrypted units. On the other hand, she is full of herself and makes several mistakes regarding Jillian, whom she was sure to be able to manipulate, but her attempts backfired twice. She also has a blind faith in Fate, which she doesn't completly understand, leading her to make some very dumb decisions like [[spoiler:preventing Lilith from shooting Charlie]], on the basis that Parson is supposed to be the one to croak him (completly ignoring the fact that indirect orders from Parson himself may or may not qualify as him being responsible for Charlie's demise, that there are multiple clever ways to fulfill the prophecy, and as Marie pointed out "Fate would have adapted").

** Stanley wants to train Parson in tactics after Book 1. Everyone scoffs at this idea, but if you think about it, he's right to a certain degree. Why did Bogroll die? Because Parson was unwilling or unable to croak Ansem on his own (with a possibility of surviving). Parson doesn't lead from the front when it's better for him to add his bonus to a stack. Finally, Parson is a level 2, overweight man who has no combat prowess. Warlord Artemis shows us that, with training, a unit can level without going into combat. Parson doesn't level at all between book 1 and book 2. Maybe Parson should have listened to Stanley just to get the combat lessons and his perspective on combat theory if not his strategic theory.

** Lilith, the decrypted archon, earned her fanbase thanks to her wits (after all, she managed to scam Charlie [[spoiler:and were it not for Wanda's intervention, she could have possibly killed him]]) and her defiant personality.

* UncannyValley: Book 2 is drawn by a different artist than book one. The new art is just as good, it's just... different... in small, subtle ways. One can get a sort of UncannyValley effect the first time seeing the new art style after being so used to the old one.
** And with another new artist taking up the reins for "Book 2 Epilogue" onward, this is happening again.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Part of the point, the protagonist is fighting for the "Bad" Guys, and the "Good" guys are willing to stoop even lower than Stanley to win. And Stanley stoops ''low''.

* CrazyAwesome: Parson. His "lateral thinking" approach to Erfworld has resulted in such awesome absurdities as:

* HilariousInHindsight: In the 7 epilogue, Jack in Black, Jack tells Parson about Charlie (the stuff that happened in Book 0). Parson is surprised that it was the Arkenshoes that are the last Arkentool and not the Arkensaw which was one of the guesses for the forth tool on the Wild Mass Guessing page. Amusing given how many Erworld readers are tropers.

* StrawmanHasAPoint: Stanley wants to train Parson in tactics after Book 1. Everyone scoffs at this idea, but if you think about it, he's right to a certain degree. Why did Bogroll die? Because Parson was unwilling or unable to croak Ansem on his own (with a possibility of surviving). Parson doesn't lead from the front when it's better for him to add his bonus to a stack. Finally, Parson is a level 2, overweight man who has no combat prowess. Warlord Artemis shows us that, with training, a unit can level without going into combat. Parson doesn't level at all between book 1 and book 2. Maybe Parson should have listened to Stanley just to get the combat lessons and his perspective on combat theory if not his strategic theory.

* TheWoobie: Sizemore. He's a pacifist, but he lives in a world of violence and lacks the free will to carry out his philosophy, so he's forced to kill. He's viewed as useless by his master. He's one of the few people who's interested in learning new magic and studying, but lacks the ability to cast anything but the most mundane and ugly. Simply put, he's trapped in a world he doesn't belong in, even more so than Parson.

* BaseBreaker: Jillian. The fanbase will sometimes argue over whether she is an awesome Conan the Barbarian-esque free spirit or a TooDumbToLive FlatCharacter with loads of CharacterShilling. Or a woobie who [[MindRape had her mind destroyed]] and never healed, for that matter.

** Lilith, the decrypted archon, earned her fanbase thanks to her wits (after all, she managed to scam Charlie) and her defiant personality.

* BrainBleach: Erfworld.com's 404 page originally featured Bogroll, a bulky twoll, in one of Wanda's pretty outfits.

* AndTheFandomRejoiced: Following David Hahn departing as Erfworld's illustrator, fans wondered if Xin, the previous artist whose art was praised by many, could return. Rob decided to contact her, and as it turns out, she could. While many will regret David (whose art improved significantly over his time as Erfworld's illustrator), the fandom can't help but to rejoice at Xin's return.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Misty and "Scarlet". The latter of which has now been officially named Lady Sylvia Lazarus.

** And with another new artist taking up the reigns for "Book 2 Epilogue" onward, this is happening again.

* BaseBreaker: Jillian. The fanbase will sometimes argue over whether she is an awesome Conan the Barbarian-esque free spirit or a TooDumbToLive FlatCharacter with loads of CharacterShilling.

** In one of the text updates for Book 2, Ossomer mentions that he could take King Slately out with one kick. Later on, Parson does kick the king.

* BrainBleach: Erfworld.com's 404 page. [[http://www.erfworld.com/%27]]

** Digdoug, like Sizemore, was unappreciated by his side. Unlike Sizemore, however, his chief caster refused to let him go to the Magic Kingdom making his life more boring (well maybe not given his interest in the shallow politics of his homeland, but he was definitely less sociable than Sizemore.) He finally gets to a side that appreciates his talents and even finds a warlord who greatly recognizes his talents so much and admires him to the point that she outright asks if he wants to screw. He is flabbergasted. He never even CONSIDERED sex. Ever. Again, SIZEMORE was more sociable because he was allowed to go to the Magic Kingdom (he's gotten laid before). Digdoug decides to think it over and holds off on it. At this point he is recalled to the capital and Lady Chains, the warlord that respected him the most, is killed, stealing any chances away from him. Then his side is destroyed with no explanation just when everything was just about to turn out fine. The dude goes insane and, soon after recovering from that, suicidal. If it wasn't for Dove Barstool, the guy would've gone the way of Dunkin McClown. No wonder he wants Charlie dead.

* WhatAnIdiot: Jillian telling her captor, Olive Branch, how she will escape from her trap. This allows Olive to correct her initial plan in order to stop Jillian from escaping.

** Prince Tramennis is introduced as TheGadfly but procedes to do nothing but lose during the fight with Gobwin Knob. So far, that has cost him [[spoiler: two big brothers and his father, two of them dying twice.]] He is very much TheUnfavorite ''and'' a WellDoneSonGuy which does ''not'' blend well. And now, he's forced to [[spoiler: assume the throne and knows that he must change his side or be defeated, but he is the only one in Jetstone that realizes there needs to be a change.]]

* CompleteMonster: Holy Shit Olive Branch.

* TooDumbToLive: King Banhammer of Faq. Seriously.

** In one of the text updates for Book 2, Ossomer mentions that he could take King Stately out with one kick. Later on, Parson does kick the king.