Hope Cuphead knows when to quit while he's ahead. This is only the first episode.
Cuphead and Mugman are tasked with painting a fence by Elder Kettle, but blow it off to go to a carnival instead. However unbeknownst to them, the carnival is run by the Devil who takes the souls of anyone who loses at his games. When the Devil sees Cuphead trying his hand at skeeball, he decides to personally collect his soul himself.Tropes
- Amusement Park of Doom: Somewhat, the rides seem safe enough, but the games all are rigged that if you lose, it'll suck out your soul. Then again the place is literally called "Carn-Evil".
- Arc Words: Cuphead tells Mugman he should learn to "Double Down" past hesitation. Mugman decides to take his brother's words when he tricks the Devil into destroying the Soul Ball table.
- Artistic License – Music: The Devil is shown playing an instrument that has just one keyboard like a piano, and sounds like a piano... except it has stops and pipes like a pipe organ that seem to go completely unused. Most pipe organs are not able to sound like a piano.
- Bookends: The episode begins and ends with Cuphead trying to quickly paint the fence via a cannon, having Elder Kettle being covered in paint and Cuphead commenting that he needs less gunpowder.
- Comically Missing the Point: As far as Cuphead is concerned, All Is Well That Ends Well by the time the and Mugman escape the Carn-Evil. Mugman, however, warns him repeatedly that he still owes the Devil his soul.
- Gasp of Life: When Mugman returns Cuphead's soul to his gray body, he wakes up with a gasp in this manner.
- Gilligan Cut: Upon observing the Carn-Evil for the first time, Cuphead is all in for checking it out. Mugman starts to protest that he does not want to do that, but then it IMMEDIATELY cuts to them having fun at the place.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: When it seems he has the cups cornered, the Devil tries to blast the two, they dodge and he hits his soul skee-ball game which was connected to his machine harvesting souls, freeing them.
- Ironic Echo: When Cuphead thinks of going to the Carn-Evil with Mugman, we get this:Mugman: Gee, Cuphead, I'm not so sure about—
Cuphead: You know what I do when I'm not so sure? I double down!
Mugman: [confused] ...What does that even mean?
- Later, though, when the boys are chased by the Devil and see all the destruction the Devil has caused, Mugman suddenly gets an idea on how to destroy the soul-sucking machine.Mugman: C'mon, Cuphead! It's time for a double-down!
Cuphead: [confused] What are ya, NUTS?!
- It's All My Fault: Cuphead and Mugman each blame themselves for Cuphead losing his soul: Mugman for breaking Cuphead's winning streak, and Cuphead for bringing them to the Carn-Evil in the first place.
- Musicalis Interruptus: Henchman calls out to The Devil, who's busy dancing in his white suit, to inform him that the soul counter has stopped.
- Mythology Gag: When Cuphead has his soul taken, it looks like the ghost form he takes when the player loses their lives, including showing the heart. Mugman saving him could likewise be a reference to when a second player manages to prevent them from floating away.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Mugman accidentally gets Cuphead's soul sucked out when he tries to get his attention that the Devil is right behind them. He does make up for though by quickly grabbing Cuphead's soul before it goes into the machine completely. But this starts the ongoing plot of the Devil targeting Cuphead.
- Not Now, Kiddo: When Mugman tries to warn Cuphead about the dangers of the Carn-Evil, the latter says, "Not now, Mugsy," before continuing his winning streak at Soul Ball. It is not until Mugman inadvertently breaks his brother's winning streak at the sight of the Devil and then rescues his soul from the soul ball machine that Cuphead realizes what's going on.Cuphead: [revives with a Gasp of Life] RUUUUUUNNNN!!
- Oh, Crap!: When Mugman sees the sign that says "Carn-Evil" (rather than Carnival) and one of the patrons losing their soul at a game, he panics. Even moreso when the Devil shows up in person.
- Sinister Surveillance: The Devil has a periscope, allowing him to check up on the surface world, which he uses to figure out why the soul counter stopped.
- Spanner in the Works: Soul Ball is implied to be one of the more popular games at the Carn-Evil, and can take a player's soul if they lose. Cuphead's winning streak at the game distracts everyone from suffering this fate.
- Took a Level in Badass: The reluctant Mugman manages to outwit the Devil by making him destroy the Soul Ball table, freeing all of the souls collected earlier.
- Villain Song: The Devil gets one essentially explaining who he is and his motives.
- Visual Pun: When the Devil loses all the souls in his soul vault, one of them turns out to be a non-anthropomorphic hot dog, which would make it soul food.
- Vomit Discretion Shot: Cuphead and Mugman both undergo this when hurling what was their digested carnival food into a barrel after going on a ride.
- Your Soul Is Mine!: Those who lose at the games have their soul taken, though they end up released when the Devil is tricked into blasting the skee-ball game. Though Cuphead escapes this fate after his loss, thanks to a panicky Mugman, the Devil vows to get him in the future.
