Grumpy Bear: Difference between revisions

[[File:grumpy_bear_screenie.jpg|link=Care Bears|frame|Not even being the [[Trope Namer]] cheered him up.]]

The exact opposite of the [[Wide-Eyed Idealist]]. A Grumpy Bear is grim and gritty, ready to [[Shoot the Dog|do the most unspeakable deeds]] to win. Yet he's living in a world of [[Sugar Bowl|rainbows and fluffy bunnies!]] This character is a [[Genre Blind]] [[The Cynic|cynic]] living in an ideal [[Happily Ever After]] setting; the Grumpy Bear lives in a rose-colored world, is [[Perpetual Frowner|constantly frowning]] and is wearing [[Jade-Colored Glasses]].

A [[Grumpy Bear]] who works with the other characters despite his skepticism is a [[Sour Supporter]]. This trope is a specific type of [[Anti-Hero]].

* ''[[Sailor Moon]]'': Haruka Tenoh and Michiru Kaioh. Sailors Uranus and Neptune believe that victory cannot be attained without some horrible angsty [[Martyr Without a Cause|sacrifice that only they have the moral strength to make.]] The idea that [[The Power of Love]] And Justice could triumph with minimal unpleasantness seems to ''offend'' them on some deep level.<br /><br />In the manga, it's explained that they basically were ordered by the Queen to live alone in their individual castles at the far reaches of the solar system while the kingdom was destroyed. When they abandoned their posts to try to find the Queen, they accidentally summoned Sailor Saturn and destroyed all of existence. That would pretty well explain their loner natures and pessimistic attitudes (wanting to save their home and all). This is also why {{spoiler|they become a lot more social and friendly after that arc, when they learn that Saturn is not just a force of destruction and decide to raise her.}}

* While the world(s) in ''[[Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle]]'' aren't exactly clouds and rainbows, [[Ninja]] Kurogane starts out as one of these with little regard for human life and something of a temper, but as he gets closer to his [[True Companions]] this gradually fades. In recent chapters he's even {{spoiler|sacrificed his arm to save Fay}}, indicating that he's fully defrosted.

*** Similarly Syaoran Li, an [[Arrogant Kung Fu Guy]] who constantly gets his mystique destroyed by the cheery and kind spirited treatment of his team mates. Granted his moodiness becomes less visible through that ever recurring [[Luminescent Blush]] brought on by his "rival" Sakura's affectionate attitude.

* Zelgadis Graywords of ''[[The Slayers]]'' fits this trope fairly well. While the world he lives in is far from perfect, he is the most cynical member in the group of exuberant nut jobs he travels with. A group which he has tried to part ways with on several occasions, though invariably ends up traveling with anyway.

* Evangeline of ''[[Mahou Sensei Negima]]'' counted as this, at least earlier in the series. As of late, the [[Genre Shift]] into action shows that her attitude may be somewhat justified.

* Fujimoto from ''[[Ponyo On a Cliff By The Sea]]'' is a jaded, cynical human-hater who assumes the worst. He lives in a world that is about as idealistic as possible, and is married to an [[Anthropomorphic Personification]] who distinctly resembles the Blue Fairy in demeanor. [[Hilarity Ensues]].

** Which she might have gotten from her teacher, Akira. At least Aika wasn't that way [[Cheerful Child|when she was a kid]].

* Meta Knight in ''[[Kirby of the Stars]]''. Fumu calls him out on it, but she eventually gives up.

== Film ==

* Kirby the vacuum cleaner in ''[[The Brave Little Toaster]]''.

* ''[[Toy Story]] 3'': {{spoiler|Lotso}}

* Don Lino from ''[[Shark Tale]]''.

* King Malbert is the most moody person in ''[[Igor]]''.

== Literature ==

** Puddleglum comes off as this in ''The Silver Chair''. Jill and Eustace eventually find out he's not.

*** Even the way he comes off is seen as scarily cheerful by the rest of his race, at least according to him.

Eeyore: I forgot to take my gloom pill this morning. }}

** Eeyore is so pessimistic it goes all the way out the other side and circles back around to narcissism. He once assumed that a party was for him, because he couldn't think of a reason why someone might invite him to a party in the first place unless he was the guest of honor.

** Fanny Price of ''[[Mansfield Park]]'', due to eight years of [[Abusive Parents|emotional abuse]], can never feel happy without feeling guilty as well.

{{quote| ''[[Catch Phrase|I think you ought to know I'm feeling very depressed.]]''}}

* Maybeck in the ''[[Kingdom Keepers]]'' books is a cynical [[Deadpan Snarker]]...in a [[Disney]] series where [[Clap Your Hands If You Believe]] is in full effect.

* Oscar the Grouch lives on ''[[Sesame Street]]'', and that makes him all the grouchier.

** Although grouchiness seems to be a [[Planet of Hats|cultural hobby among his people]] more than anything else.

* Boober from ''[[Fraggle Rock]]''. Subverted in the episode where he and Red become trapped in a cave-in, and he's able to help Red cope with the strong possibility of death. Turns out he's as grumpy as he is because he's [[Only Sane Man|the most grounded and realistic member of the cast.]]

* Dorothy of ''[[The Golden Girls]]'' tends to be much grumpier than the rest of the cast.

* Emerson Cod and Lily Charles from ''[[Pushing Daisies]]'', whose cynicism seems rather odd in the vibrant [[Sugar Bowl]] they live in. Considering that Emerson had his heart broken and his daughter kidnapped {{spoiler|(twice!)}} and Lily's heart-breaking experiences with {{spoiler|Charles Charles (Vivian's fiance and the father of Charlotte "Chuck" Charles)}} I'd say that their cynicism is hardly unjustified.

== Theater ==

** Arguably a [[Subverted Trope|subversion]], the backstory establishes that the world has been previously engulfed in globe-wide warfare, and one time a whole bunch of monsters just came down from the moon, {{spoiler|which happens again over the course of the game.}}

* Meta Knight in the ''[[Kirby]]'' series. [[Alternate Character Interpretation|Or]] [[Only Sane Man|is]] [[Crap Saccharine World|he?]]

* Bowser in the ''[[Super Mario|Mario]]'' Series

* [[Left 4 Dead|Francis]] hates being listed here. His grouchiness is completely justified, as one of the few survivors trapped in the middle of an ongoing [[Zombie Apocalypse]].

** Ironically, he's actually ''enjoying'' said apocalypse; partly because he treats the whole thing as one ongoing bar brawl, and partially because when the entire world seems to be intent on crushing hope and idealism the cynic is king.

== Web Comics ==

* Viktor of ''[[Lackadaisy]]'' is this.

* Karkat Vantas in ''[[Homestuck]]''. He legitimately has a lot to complain about ''now'', but we've seen he's always been like this. Justified since {{spoiler|he has red blood, a genetic mutation in trolls that is [[Fantastic Caste System|not looked kindly upon]]. Had the trolls not played the game, he would probably have been denied his dreams and culled as a lowblood mutant.}}

== Web Original ==

* ''[[The Smurfs]]'': Grouchy Smurf. 90% of his dialog consisted of the phrase, "I HATE (insert thing here)!"

* Gruffi of the ''[[Gummi Bears]]''. Partially subverted in that while his irascible nature is irritating, he is also respected for his practical nature which is invaluable in times of crisis.

* Gordon the Big Engine from ''[[Thomas the Tank Engine]].'' His arrogance seems to stem from his inability to tolerate everything around him. James even [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshades]] his grumpiness in the Season 5 episode ''A Better View For Gordon.''

* Ratchet from ''[[Transformers Animated]]'' is justified in that he is a war hero who has seen enough to have lost his innocence about things and has become gruff to a fault. Even Captain Fanzone, the by-the-book police officer, has told him to work on his people skills.. [[Hilarity Ensues]] when his attempts to bring a pregnant woman to the hospital in his ambulance mode ''make her leave and take a cab''. His cynicism is often contrasted with Optimus Prime's idealism and patriotism.

** When you've been mutilated by a part-stealing bounty hunter, seen the soldier you were supposed to protect mindwiped in front of you {{spoiler|(hell, been the one to mindwipe her!)}}, and {{spoiler|the lobotomized body of your old war buddy is turned into a transport for some washout Elite Guard cadet}}, cranky makes sense.

* Pierre of [[Show Within a Show|the Squishy Bears]] from ''[[Eek the Cat]]''.

* Mr. Grumpy on ''[[The Mr. Men Show]]''.

* Mr. Mufflin in ''[[Fanboy and Chum Chum]]'' {{spoiler|(when he's at his worst}}.

* Eustace Bagg from ''[[Courage the Cowardly Dog]]''.

* Huffer from ''[[Transformers Generation 1]]'' was ''built'' for this role almost literally; fellow [[Incredibly Lame Pun|crank-case]] Gears might count as either this or a [[Sour Supporter]], if A] he wasn't faking it for the sake of morale and B] he ever actually said anything in the cartoon.

* Spinelli from ''[[Recess]]''.

* ''[[Care Bears]]'': Grumpy Bear is the [[Trope Namer]]. He would say, "Of course you got all the way to the bottom of the Western Animation section before anyone thought of me, even though my name's on the page." He's the most practical of the bears, and the local Mr. Fix-it (which, according to Share Bear in the 1985 movie, is because he never complains). Tends to have the role of [[Butt Monkey]]. Being so grumpy perhaps makes the writers feel less guilty about giving him so much trouble..