Granny Classic
The grandma figure as most of us picture it. She does not try to hide her age or act hipper than she is. On the other hand, she is someone one can always rely on, even against one's parents, who will feed you, bring you presents on birthdays, and be a secondary parental figure.
She enjoys baking, knitting, and has a fondness for cats. The stories she has to share from her youth will be real wisdom.
Of course, this does not mean that you should underestimate her. Dismiss as washed-up and outdated and she will prove to you that a lifetime of experience can still beat the brashness of the young, and will not hesitate to give you a good whipping should you misbehave. Whether or not she can actually put up a fight varies. She may need saving, or is just as likely to unexpectedly bring out the big guns.
One does not need to be the main character's actual grandmother to fit this trope. Any elderly person who fits this image can count. Mrs. Claus is often portrayed this way.
Anime and Manga
- Granny Kaoruko from Heartcatch Pretty Cure who is Cure Flower .
- Aunt Samantha from Tiger and Bunny. And that kills her.
Comic Books
- Spider-Man's Aunt May.
- Many of the witches in Fables, but especially Frau Totenkinder.
- She's somewhat of a subversion, though, as she's one of the most powerful evil Fables (though evil doesn't mean "antagonistic" here; evil Fables have amnesty so she's pretty much the Token Evil Citizen). Being able to defeat Baba Yaga or a djinn goes a bit beyond Never Mess with Granny.
- The Disney Ducks Comic Universe has Donald Duck's grandmother Elvira Duck (née Coot). Never heard of a Duck character by that name? She is far more well known as Grandma Duck.
Film
- Ruth Handler from Barbie; she could easily be anyone's grandmother, and someone you know you can trust just by looking at her.
Literature
- Nanny Ogg of Discworld presents this image, with a side order of Dirty Old Woman.
- Emily Pollifax from the Mrs. Pollifax books. She's also a part-time CIA agent with a brown belt in karate, who intially became a spy in her early sixties as a way to escape the boredom of being a retired widow.
Live-Action TV
- True Blood's Adele Stackhouse.
- Subverted by The Mighty Boosh, in "Nanageddon".
- Mother Winslow from Family Matters.
Video Games
- Granny In Paradise is a small video game about such a lady, featuring various "old people" phrases as PC chatter.
- Wynne from Dragon Age Origins.
Western Animation
- Courage the Cowardly Dog's Muriel, a kindly old lady who takes in the titular abandoned pup...And has to be saved from the various horrors threatening her farm every episode.
- This is Mom's public persona on Futurama. Behind closed doors, she's a super-skinny bitter old crone.
- Granny from Looney Tunes / Merrie Melodies.
- There was one on an episode of Jimmy Neutron named Grandma Taters, who had a Television show but was really an alien trying to take over Retroville through mass hypnosis. Also played straight with Granny Neuttron.
- June's Ah Mah from The Life and Times of Juniper Lee
- Grandma Squarepants in the SpongeBob SquarePants episode "Grandma's Kisses".
- Mother Nature in The Smurfs.
- Granny Smith in My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic.
- An episode of Doug had his grandmother coming for a visit. Before she arrives he has an Imagine Spot which portrays her as your classic grandma, sitting in her rocker, knitting socks for everyone, but when she really arrives the first words out of her mouth are:
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- His grandma on his dad's side plays this trope straight.