Danny Phantom: Difference between revisions

'''Tucker:''' Couldn't you've just flown us?<br />

'''Danny:''' The way my dad drives, this is faster. }}

** [[Bully Hunter|Sydney Poindexter]]

** Johnny 13 and Kitty. Johnny's main goal is to be left alone with Kitty. Kitty rarely does any harm unless Johnny's hurt or is eying other girls.

* [[Arch Enemy]]: Danny and Vlad Plasmius. It's recognized by both of them almost immediately, and the rivalry only grows as the series goes on. See [[Evil Counterpart]] and [[Not So Different]] below.

** Skulker and Valerie both qualify as close contenders, but their respective pursuits of Danny were used less and less as the writers chose to focus on the Danny/Vlad conflict.

** "Mystery Meat":

{{quote| '''Mr. Lancer:''' Tucker Foley. Chronic tardiness, talking in class, repeated loitering by the girl's locker room.<br />

* [[Ax Crazy]]: Oh, ''Dan''... let's see: the first thing he did upon "reawakening"? Steal the ghostly half of [[Big Bad]] Vlad Masters ([[Our Ghosts Are Different]] is in full force here) and then killed his own human half in front of Vlad, who viewed Danny as a surrogate son. In his first scenes, he kills at least a dozen people as well and spends much of the episode killing or planning to kill some more. The fact that even Vlad refuses to tell Danny how his human half died speaks ''volumes''. Rather unpleasant, considering what age group this is aimed at.

* [[Backstory]]: While we do know the basics of how Danny got his powers from the [[Expository Theme Song]], it isn't until the episode "Memory Blank" that we actually learn it was Sam that persuaded him to enter the portal in the first place.

* [[Badass]]: Long list, including Vlad, Skulker, and a purple-backed gorilla.

* [[Badass Family]]: Danny may be the one with superpowers, but Jazz, Maddie, and even Jack have proven capable of fighting ghosts.

** "FOR BEARBERT!"

* [[Battle Ballgown]]: Sam makes one out of a wedding dress in "Beauty Marked".

* [[Beard of Evil]]: Vlad, Dark Danny, Ghost Writer, Skulker; minorly subverted with Ghost Writer, who isn't evil, just mad at Danny for destroying the poem and does what he does to teach Danny a lesson about being a scrooge.

* [[Beat It By Compulsion]] - Ghosts' typical behavior makes them vulnerable to this. A notable example is Desiree granting every wish she hears, even ones that work against her goals.

** And by Vlad in "Kindred Spirits" when {{spoiler|his perfect clone melted.}} Doubles as a [[Tear Jerker]].

** And by Danny when the vat of Nasty Sauce all the important people in his life ([[My Friends and Zoidberg|and Lancer]]) are attached to... ''explodes''.

** Nearly all of Wulf's lines are in Esperanto.

* [[Black Best Friend]]: Tucker.

* [[Bumbling Dad]]: Jack Fenton may be a brilliant inventor, but otherwise he's an idiot.

* [[Bunny Ears Lawyer]]: See [[Bumbling Dad]].

* [[Butt Monkey]]: Tucker. He's dumped on quite often despite saving/helping Danny more than once and yet, he barely gets thanked. Several times in the latter portion of the series, he is often the butt of the joke or virtually ignored.

** It becomes part of the plot in "What You Want" when Tucker, after routinely getting pummeled every time Danny ditches him to save the world, wishes for ghost powers.

{{quote| '''Jazz (imitating Jack):''' I know! Let's catch the ghost and rip it apart [[Large Ham|mmmolecule by mmmolecule]]! [[Sarcasm Mode|You guys are so understanding]].}}

* [[Calling Your Attacks]]: Occasionally employed. Usually with Fenton gear.

* [[Caretaker Reversal]]: In the beginning of one episode, What You Want, Sam is sick and Danny and Tucker try to take care of her. Guess which 2 characters get sick at the end?

* [[Carnival of Killers]]

* [[Description Cut]]: Used just as much as [[Hypocritical Humor]].

* [[Deus Angst Machina]]: Danny's alternate future. Twisted in that "fate" was really just Clockwork manipulating the time stream to produce what was the worst possible future ever to scare Danny away from his [[Face Heel Turn]].

* [[Disaster Dominoes]]: In Valerie's father's lab while Danny tries to catch the rampaging ghost dog.

* [[Dish Dash]]: In the series' very first episode. Danny protects Sam from death by flying dishes by catching them all. Unusual for the trope, he gets all the dishes safely put away!

* [[Disposable Superhero Maker]]

* [[Distaff Counterpart]]: Dani Phantom, Danny's [[Opposite Sex Clone]].

** Sam, Tucker, and Jazz trying to convince Danny to let them help him sort out his problems and that {{spoiler|he doesn't have to get rid of his powers}} in "Phantom Planet".

* [[The Dragon]]: Fright Knight seems to love this as he fights for both Pariah Dark and {{spoiler|Dark Danny.}}

''[[Drop What You Are Doing|Sam drops her tea]]''. }}

* [[Dropped a Bridge On Him]]: In the "Ultimate Enemy", a memorial statue of Tucker, Sam, and Danny's family says "Gone But Not Forgotten", while a statue of Mr. Lancer a few feet away only says "Gone."

* [[Earn Your Happy Ending]]: After having lot of trouble during the whole series, in the last episode "Phantom Planet", things end well for Danny and his friends.

* [[Easter Egg]]: In one episode, Danny and Tuck are playing a Crash Nebula arcade game. Crash Nebula is one of Timmy Turner's favorite superheroes in Butch Hartman's other cartoon, [[The Fairly Odd Parents]]

* [[Evil Makeover]]: Danny, Sam and Vlad each get one. Fans really dig how their looks (and voices) turned out. Wow. [[Evil Is Sexy]] indeed.

* [[Evil Plan]]: While the [[Monster of the Week|particular episode's ghost(s)]] might have their own agenda, [[Big Bad|Vlad]]'s plan stays the same until his [[Villain Decay]] in Season 3: Kill Jack, make Maddie his wife, and make Danny his son.

** This is [[Justified]] by the face that the previous clones weren't fully sentient and if the "perfect clone" awoke, Vlad would've taken out the original.

* [[Exposition]]: Particularly awkward, repetitive uses of [[As You Know]], [[Tell Me Again]], [[Talking to Himself|Talking to Themselves]], [[Postponed Question]], etc.

** [[Mr. Exposition]]: Frostbite's ''only'' sole character trait.

* [[Fallen Hero]]: Danny's [[Bad Future|future]] [[Future Me Scares Me|self]] most definitely, irrevocably, very disturbingly and with extreme violence and prejudice.

* [[Fallen Princess]]: Valerie.

* [[Fangs Are Evil]]: Vlad, evil Danny.

** Somewhat subverted and lampshaded with Ghostwriter's "Piranha-fangs".

* [[Forgotten Anniversary]]: When the anniversary gift goes to the ghost world...guess what happens. {{spoiler|Subverted in that it isn't Jack's Anniversary present for Maddie but rather a present for his Sister-In-Law's anniversary of her Divorce.}}

* [[For Halloween I Am Going As Myself]]: Danny (though Sam was very unimpressed).

* [[Freak Lab Accident]]: ''"But then Danny took a look inside of it. There was a great big flash, everything just changed. His molecules got all rearranged."''

* [[Freaky Friday Flip]]: Between Danny and Poindexter.

** "Reality Trip" - The trio use a book to find out about the Reality Gauntlet and find out it was written by the [[Evil Albino]].

** "Infinite Realms" - Vlad mysteriously has a book with information about the Infi-Map in it.

** In the episode 'Double Cross My Heart', Danny grows increasingly irritated about Sam's crush on the new transfer student.

{{quote| '''Sam:''' I've been looking for you.<br />

* [[Green Thumb]]: Undergrowth {{spoiler|and Sam}} in "Urban Jungle".

* [[Groupie Brigade]]: One episode focused on this when Danny Phantom (by this point, a well known hero and celebrity) is on the run from screaming teenage fans; most of which come from his own school. He had to secretly [[Secret Identity|turn human]] to get away from the crazed mob.

* [[Hammerspace]]: One exactly one occasion, Danny is shown carrying the Fenton Thermos by a shoulder strap. The rest of the time, he just pulls it from behind his back, seemingly out of nowhere.

* [[Hand Blast]]: While not really a thing ghosts usually do, Danny can fire ectoplasmic blasts or "Ghost Rays" from his hands.

'''Danny:''' Both! …Neither! I don't know!<br />

'''Spectra:'''You’re a freak! Not a ghost, not a boy! Who cares for a thing like you? }}

* [[Happily Married]]: Jack and Maddie Fenton.

* [[Hartman Hips]]: Maddie, Valerie, Paulina, etc... it ''is'' a Hartman series...

* [[Hero With Bad Publicity]]: Poor, poor Danny...

* [[Heroic Willpower]]: Displayed, surprisingly enough, by none other than Jack Fenton in Bitter Reunions. At the time of the episode, he was the only individual without ghost powers to ever stave off an overshadowing, even if for a short period.

* [[Hidden Agenda Villain]]: Vlad: The purpose for getting the Skeleton Key isn't revealed until another episode - which in turn holds another hidden agenda, {{spoiler|taking the Fenton Ecto-suit and the loyalty of the Fright Knight.}} While the first is dealt with, the show's abrupt end never showed the conclusion/purpose of the latter. Also fitting the ghost-hunting equipment he gives Valerie, {{spoiler|the purpose of which we find out over a season later - that being giving him resources to clone Danny.}}

* [[High School]]

** To add into the "Back to the Future" references, "Masters of All Time" has a blink-it-and-you'll-miss-it" cameo of Marty McFly in the group shot of the 80's college student (wearing his infamous red "life jacket") and an even cooler homage: the clock tower on the school reads 10:04. ''Awesome''.

*** Adding yet again to the "Back to the Future" references, the first reference is found in "Splitting Images", the fifth episode of the first season. Marty can be found this time as one of the kids in the 50s version of Casper High.

** Vlad's mansion being empty of servants may be a reference to Dracula, who likewise had a huge, (mostly) empty castle.

** Many references to ''[[Star Wars]]'' are seen throughout the series, as creator Butch Hartman is a major fan of the franchise.

* [[I Just Want to Be Special]]: Tucker.

** Amorpho, though not so much "special" as "noticed, good or bad".

* [[Impairment Shot]]: Danny wakes up to see Vlad and {{spoiler|Dani}} out of focus in "Kindred Spirits".

* [[Improbable Hairstyle]]: many of the ghosts have this, but this is averted with most of the humans. Except for Danny. What kind of hairstyle ''is'' that, a reverse mullet?

* [[Large Ham]]: Oh, where do we ''begin''? Box Ghost, Technus, Super Danny in "Identity Crisis", arguably Jack, and especially Undergrowth's "''I AM '''EVERYWHEEEERE!'''''"

* [[Last Minute Hookup]]: After episodes of conspicuous "hints" towards it, Danny and Sam's relationship gets serious only in the concluding two episodes of the series.

** An episode later, Vlad flips through channels, and mentions an "embarrassing celebrity arrest." Don't blink when the camera shows the tv, or you'll miss [[Michael Jackson]].

* [[Least Rhymable Word]]: In the Christmas episode, everyone was forced to speak in rhyme as someone narrated the entire episode. That is, until someone picked up an orange, prompting him to remark irritably that nothing rhymes with orange.

** Danny's change of hair-style in "Phantom Planet".

* [[Logical Weakness]]: Ever tried screaming really loud for a really long time? This is why the ghostly wail is only ever used by Danny as a [[Dangerous Forbidden Technique|last resort]], as it completely drains him and deactivates his ghost form.

* [[Lost Forever]]: The original "Fright Before Christmas".

* [[Love Makes You Evil]]: Story of Vlad's life. {{spoiler|Losing everything he loved caused it to be Danny's future.}} Somebody hit the [[Reset Button]].

* [[Mercy Lead]]: Valerie in "D-Stabilized". Subverted in "Maternal Instinct" by both Vlad and later Danny.

* [[Merry Christmas in Gotham]]: The show has an all-round Christmas Spectacular as Danny {{spoiler|teams up with his enemies to fight someone}} who is trying to spoil the event. Unusually for a children's show, Danny ''loathes'' Christmas, but with good reason.

* [[The Men in Black]]: Somewhat inverted with the Guys In ''White''.

* [[Mickey Mousing]]

* [[New Super Power]]: After establishing the basic ghost-related abilities, Danny gets newer, [[Rule of Cool|less-ghostly, energy-based powers]] about every other episode. One notable gain occurred in "Urban Jungle", where Danny develops ice- and cold-generation powers just in time to fight a plant ghost who is particularly vulnerable to cold. However, at least the producers were classy enough to foreshadow this new power; Danny's [[Spider Sense|ghost sense]] is said to be a by-product of it. Furthermore, the episode used that power as the springboard to show the deepening friendship with Danny and Frostbite as student and mentor.

** The ice thing is also semi-justified in that ghosts are commonly associated with cold (see [[Mood Lighting]]). And Vlad specifically says that Danny shoots a beam of ectoplasmic energy.

** Sam had a moment herself in "Memory Blank".

* [[No Celebrities Were Harmed]]: Does Technus remind you of Gilbert Gottfried? Exactly.

* [[No Holds Barred Beatdown]]: Plasmius' introduction. Oh, but what an introduction.

** Does it again in "Kindred Spirits".

* [[Noodle Incident]]: The Backwash Incident involving the college trio (Vlad, Jack, Maddie).

* [[Not So Different]]: Danny and Plasmius, more than Danny would like to admit.

* [[Omnicidal Maniac]]: Dark Danny, apparently. No onscreen death actually occurs, however. He's also the only person who has [[Shadow Discretion Shot|actually committed murder]].

* [[The Omniscient Council of Vagueness]]: The Observant High Council.

* [[Out of Order]]: "The Fenton Menace" aired after "The Ultimate Enemy" but was set beforehand.

** As did "Identity Crisis". Furthermore, despite being set afterwards, "Double Cross My Heart" and "Kindred Spirts" aired before "Reality Trip". In addition, "Urban Jungle" was the first episode of the third season to premiere, even though it was number six. The Season 3 premiere didn't even air in the U.S until after the following seven. Honestly, Nick didn't handle new episodes very well.

* [[Out of the Inferno]]: While fighting Danny, [[Future Me Scares Me|Dark Danny]] is weakened by the Spectre Deflector and hit into an oil truck, which the fire from his hair ignites. Danny walks away... [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|Only for Dark Danny to emerge out of the blaze, unscathed and clutching the now-useless device.]] [[No Holds Barred Beatdown|He then proceeds to beat the crap out of Danny.]]

* [[Overprotective Dad]]: Paulina's father:

** Valerie also started as one.

* [[Riding Into the Sunset]]: Done in the very last scene of the [[Grand Finale]].

* [[Ripple Effect Proof Memory]]: Averted. Any time history is rewritten, the character doing so will explicitly request that their memories are kept.

* [[Rogues Gallery]]: Quite a large one at that.

* [[Romantic False Lead]]: Paulina to Sam, Gregor to Danny.

{{quote| Roses are red,<br />

Violets are blue...<br />

Once these fry, I'm guessing<br />

This lame poem is... through?! }}

* [[Rule of Cool]]: Some of his attacks don't even make sense. For example, in "Urban Jungle" he creates a snowball--with [[Eye Beams]], no less--then puts some ghost energy in it, and throws it at the villain, which pops a hole in his chest. Fair enough. But then the villain, almost immediately after healing himself, explodes from the inside with ice energy...and all of this from one snowball?

** It's [[Cats Cradle|Ice-Nine]]?

* [[Screens Are Cameras]]: Danny videochats with Sam and Tucker with no visible webcam.

* [[Screw Destiny]]: Danny in [[The Movie]], in which he is shown a future where he's the [[Big Bad]]. Chillingly, he doesn't mind until he finds out that his whole family, his friends, and (far less importantly) his English teacher died because of him. He changed his tune right quick, then.

* [[Sdrawkcab Name]]: The DALV Company, backwards for its head, Vlad.

* [[Sealed Evil in A Can]]: The Fright Knight, Pariah Dark, and later {{spoiler|Dark Danny.}}

* [[Skunk Stripe]]: shown in many characters (mostly in the [[Rogues Gallery]]). Danny's hair is like this as well temporarily in "Phantom Planet".

* [[Slasher Smile]]: The majority of Danny's enemies enjoy showing these off, but Freakshow has a particularly evil one.

** "I TECHNUS, MASTER OF ALL THINGS ELECTRONIC AND BEEPING!" He is also the one who came closest to succeeding in his plans.

** Ember.

** Vlad, unfortunately, falls under this during Season 3.

** The Fenton Family themselves. Or at least Jack - EVERYTHING they make has a "Fenton" somewhere in it, and half his inventions have his face on them somewhere. He even has a toaster that makes toast SHAPED like him!

* [[Snap Back]]: In conjunction with many a [[Broken Aesop]].

* [[Soapbox Sadie]]: Sam.

** Danny plays it on giant-robot-Technus' chest in "Attack of the Killer Garage Sale".

*** Actually, that was more of a case of [[Mickey Mousing]] than anything else. Technus didn't have any musical instruments on his chest.

* [[They Would Cut You Up]]: Even Danny's own ''parents'' want to do this to his ghost half. And the [[The Men in Black|Guys in White]], and their famous quote from Reality Trip.

* [[Thick Line Animation]]

* [[This Loser Is You]]

* [[Truth in Television]]: Vlad can't buy the Packers because "...the city of Green Bay...won't sell them to me!" The Packers franchise is collectively owned by most of the population of Green Bay, and their original contract (which was grandfathered in and isn't allowed anymore) specifies that no single person can ever own more than 5 percent of the team and that the only way to change the ownership by-laws is to disband the team.

* [[Two Guys and A Girl]]: Vlad, Jack, and Maddie; also Danny, Tucker and Sam.

** More like three: Mr. Lancer, Ms. Tettslaff, and Mr. Faluca.

** Though in the first episode, we get a brief glimpse of more staff members at the Teachers Lounge All-Meat Buffet.

* [[Untrusting Community]]: Danny had a serious public image problem through most of the series. This changes by the end, though - not only is his ghost half accepted as a hero, he has rabid fans. And plushies.

* [[Unusual Euphemism]]: Mr. Lancer uses book titles, while Vlad uses snack foods.

* [[Unwitting Pawn]]: What Danny usually ends up as.

* [[Uptown Girl]]: Danny and Sam, though Sam doesn't really care much about her family's comically vast fortune, rarely tells anyone about it, and the series itself only occasionally draws attention to it. Despite that, it's pretty clear that Sam's parents don't exactly like her friends, and the various [[Secret Identity|unexplainable]] ghost related hijinks that happen over the course of the series don't help much.

* [[Vocal Evolution]]: Danny, Vlad, etc.

* [[Voice of the Legion]]

* [[The Walls Are Closing In]]: Happens during the first [[Halloween Episode]], Fright Night.

* [[Weapons That Suck]]: The Fenton ghost thermos.

* [[We Can Rule Together]]

* [[Weird Science]]: Almost nothing in this show even resembles real science but does have a logic (r lack thereof) all its own.

** Vlad before his [[Villainous Breakdown]] could be interpreted as one of these as well. All he wanted was love and a family...and to get them, he resorted to the most drastic of means.

*** Undergrowth's was understandably angry over too much destruction of nature, but unfortunately, how he decided to handle the situation wasn't any better.

** One of Wulf's only English lines.

* [[Wham Episode]]: "Public Enemies". While Danny's exploits up to this point were mostly low-key, below the radar, and ignorable, now the entire town is aware of his existence, and ghosts have become very real for them.

{{quote| Curse this infernal messy room! This looks like a job for... ''the vacuum cleaner!''}}

** Due to the series being cut off while in its prime, we never found out what became of the Crown of Fire Vlad obtained after Danny defeated Pariah Dark.

{{quote| '''Valerie:''' She ''is'' a ghost, and I destroy ghosts.<br />

'''Danny:''' Fine, destroy ghosts! But can you really take part in destroying a ''human''? }}

** Danny Phantom himself.

** Gregor{{spoiler|/Elliot.}}

** To some, Vlad. He was not originally white haired.

* [[Wholesome Crossdresser]]: Sam wears Danny's clothes ''twice''. Sure, it was all for distraction purposes. Also Tucker in "Control Freaks" who seemed to enjoy wearing Sam's clothes. And Danny at one point in "Splitting Images". Again, in "Teacher of the Year", {{spoiler|Mr. Lancer's "sister" is actually just him in a dress.}}

* [[Wicked Cultured]]: Vlad fits this to a T.

* [[With Great Power Comes Great Insanity]]: Dark Danny, arguably. Though the whole thing about [[Forced to Watch|watching helplessly]] as your family and friends get blown up and getting your super-powered ghost half removed did give a good start... but he only started a murderous rampage ''after'' getting [[Mind Rape|separated from his human half]]. His [[Future Me Scares Me|past self]] is extremely horrified.