Heroic Comedic Sociopath: Difference between revisions
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{{trope}}
[[File:
{{quote|'''Belkar:''' So, I did what I always do--murder people horribly--but because I killed the people everyone else wanted me to kill, I get presents instead of prison time?
'''Roy:''' Uh, well, it's a lot more complicated than that, but--
'''Belkar:''' HA HA HA HA HA HA! It's working! It's WORKING, SUCKERS!
|''[[The Order of the Stick]]'', demonstrating the [[Dangerously Genre Savvy|extremely rare]] "[[Character Development|fake character development]]"}}
The Heroic Comedic Sociopath is a very ''special'' sort of comic relief who works toward a positive, morally affirming goal whilst being as evil as possible along the way. He differs from most [[Anti-Hero]] archetypes in that he's never ineffectual or angsty - he loves what he does for a living. His punishment, at worst, is that he may be on the receiving end of some [[Comedic Sociopathy]]. Far more often he's dealing out [[Comedic Sociopathy]] and [[Crosses the Line Twice|Crossing the Line Twice]] at such a rate that he quickly becomes a [[Ensemble Darkhorse|fan favorite]]. (Note that it is nearly always a ''he''; female Heroic Sociopaths are rare.)
A Heroic Comedic Sociopath can and will eat the souls of jaywalkers, swindle old ladies, detonate buildings, punt puppies into traffic, and steal candy from babies all in broad daylight with a hundred witnesses present, in the funniest way possible. The [[Karma Houdini]] is a natural part of his
At this point you may be wondering why actually good characters in the story put up with him. While he may be a monster in other circumstances, he's ''our'' monster. Sometimes the other heroes have protection from the Heroic Comedic Sociopath's
Compare [[Sociopathic Hero]], for when this kind of behavior is not [[Played for Laughs]]. See also [[Token Evil Teammate]]. Heroic Comedic Sociopaths are often, but not always, [[Nominal Hero
{{examples}}▼
{{noreallife|Calling real-life people evil is an extremely bad idea, even if it is in fun.}}
▲{{examples}}
== Anime
* ''[[Bludgeoning Angel Dokuro-chan
* Kogarashi from ''[[Kamen no Maid Guy]]'' is a seven-foot musclebound monster of a ''[[Meido|maid]]'' (and a male one, at that) with a permanent [[Slasher Smile]], more wacky superpowers than you can shake a stick at (including 37 senses), an extremely perverted and sadistic streak and with absolutely no respect whatsoever for his erstwhile 'master' -- the only way his master keeps him under control is by frequent beatings in the skull with a nail bat, which is only effective for a few minutes at a time.
* Barry the Chopper from the ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist]]'' manga. Not so much in the anime, where's just a [[Butt Monkey]] and a [[Psycho for Hire]].
**
* ''[[Bleach]]'' has Mayuri Kurotsuchi, a psychotic [[Mad Scientist]], and Kenpachi Zaraki, an equally psychotic [[Blood Knight]]. While they're both [[Played for Drama]] upon their first appearances (though Kenpachi considerably less, given his [[No Sense of Direction|complete lack of direction]] and the [[Running Gag]] that he keeps looking for heroes to fight but gets lost), their villainous qualities quickly become [[Played for Laughs]] once they turn face.
* Main Character Jokyuu of ''[[Aiki]]'' counts as one of these as well, being a violent, womanizing, alienating son of a shepherd, yet he's such a Badass that he indeed sets the comic tone for the series.
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* Kitsu Chiri from ''[[Sayonara, Zetsubou-sensei]]'' eventually got the role due to [[Characterization Marches On]], and frequently snaps and murders (or is implied to murder) the extremely [[Snap Back|non-killable cast]] or attempts crazy stunts like splitting the Earth in half, taking over Sengoku-era Japan by killing everyone, or playing '[[You Do NOT Want to Know|meat doll]]'. It gets so bad that when Chiri's attempt at 'surprising' the teacher ends up demolishing a wall and flattening all the desks in the classroom ([[And Zoidberg|and Ushio]]), everyone points out that this kind of behaviour is not very 'surprising' coming from her.
** Another example is (possibly) Kafuka, whose role as living in-universe [[Nightmare Fuel]] is mostly [[Played for Laughs]].
* In ''[[Slayers
* Thorkell The Tall from ''[[Vinland Saga]]''. Imagine a good-natured and enthusiastic [[Adult Child]] who literally bubbles with ''joie de vivre'' and throws himself into life with single-minded glee and delight. Good. Now, imagine him as [[Boisterous Bruiser|an eight foot tall viking]], [[Dual-Wielding]] [[An Axe to Grind|axes]], who [[Blood Knight|lives for fighting people]] and ''really'' isn't particular about who he picks a fight with as long as they've got the promise of a good fight in them. You have Thorkell. Other people in the series comments on how easily likeable he is for a man prone to [[Chronic Backstabbing Disorder]], pillaging, scaring the water out of people merely by getting psyched, and who casually smashes the skull of one of his own subordinates for mocking a [[Worthy Opponent]] of his. It should be noted he started out as a [[Psycho for Hire]], only to join the main characters when he realized the [[Big Bad]] would be funnier to fight.
* Okita Sougo from ''[[Gintama]]''. He's a sadist and is proud to be one. Yet, he is one of the good guys and indulges in [[Pet the Dog]] occasionally. [[Genre Savvy|Lampshaded by the man himself]] that the benefit of being a heroic sociopath is that he can avoid [[
* Hamel from ''[[Violinist of Hameln]]'' is a pretty stunning example. From the very first pages, we see him playing a violin to call some birds nearby...and kill them by brutally bashing them with his huge violin. It just gets better from there. He always charge extorbitant amounts for his monster-fighting services (turning an entire small town into his personal playground/harem to settle their debt at one point), has no qualms selling his prospective love interest into slavery or abusing her and his other friends in hilarious ways to make money, and you don't want to know about how he [[Cool and Unusual Punishment|treats his enemies...]] He gets kinder after a certain plot development, but gets subverted almost immediately when he's shown making steaks out of a smiling cow he just rode on happily...
== Comic Books ==
* Many of the members of the [[Squadron Supreme]] in ''[[Supreme Power]]'', though mostly Zarda. She kills with particular glee, and has secret desires for global domination.
* Dogbert, ''[[Dilbert]]''. A great deal of what Scott Adams wishes he could say or do ends up in Dogbert's actions.▼
** Specifically, the part he can't say "[[Word of God|for fear of retribution]]".▼
* The title character of [[Jhonen Vasquez]]'s ''[[Johnny the Homicidal Maniac]]''; at least when he's not being full of [[Wangst]].
{{quote|'''Johnny:''' On a crowded street, I could drain a flower vendor of all his blood, and not get caught! People would scream and vomit, and yet, somehow, I would walk away unscathed. I could do that!... Oh, wait... I ''did'' do that!}}
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** In fact, Sam and Max are such impossible a**holes that they once dreamed that they died and went to Heaven, but got kicked out for being too rowdy. That's right: even ''Jesus'' can't stand Sam and Max!
* [[Comedic Sociopath|Rasputin]] in the ''[[Corto Maltese]]'' series has no qualms killing, and is generally considered as stable as a landmine while [[Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass|far from that dangerous]].
* The Space Marine from the ''[[Doom (Comic Book)|Doom]] comic''. He may be batshit insane and enjoying his job way too much, but he ''is'' fighting demons from hell and is a human space marine. The intentional [[Played for Laughs]] aspect is debatable, in that nobody is entirely sure if the comic was [[Stealth Parody|meant to be serious or not]], but he's definitively 'funny' either way.
* The Blazing Skull of the New Invaders used to be a pacifist. He doesn't exactly remember what that means, but anything with the word 'fist' in it can't be all bad.
* [http://www.redmeat.com/redmeat/meatlocker/milkmandan.html Milkman Dan] from Max Cannon's ''[[Red Meat]]'', author-proclaimed "Booze-fueled paragon of pointless cruelty and wanton sadism". Especially noticeable in his repeated pestering of [[Bratty Half-Pint]] Karen.
* Sebastion O. from the comics of same name is a complete [[The Dandy|dandy]] and more interested in filling the void of a dull life (and getting revenge on the people who put him in Bedlam) than any form of kindness. Also one of his best friends is a pederast.
* Princess Lucinda, of her own comic and the second volume of ''[[Witch Girls Tales]]'', on those occasions when she's not being played as an outright [[Villain Protagonist]]. Yes, she actually ''is'' being played for laughs, despite what some might tell
* Hit Girl of ''[[Kick-Ass]]''.
* Several main characters of ''[[Sin City]]'' can come across as this, especially Marv: A lot of the quite horrible things he performs with his usual boyish enthusiasm seems to be played for (somewhat reluctant) laughs.
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==
* In ''[[Becka Rangers Nemo Thunder|Becka Rangers: Nemo Thunder]]'', Kyle's Jellyfish Ranger suit tends to [[Clothes Make the Maniac|turn him into one]].
{{quote|"[[Pre-Mortem One-Liner|Tell the coroner I said hi]]!"}}
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== Films -- Live Action ==
* A good portion of protagonists from [[Quentin Tarantino]] films, such as The Bride from ''[[Kill Bill]] Vol. 1/2'' could qualify as this trope. And then there's ''[[Inglourious Basterds]]'', which is completely based around the trope.
* Chev Chelios from the ''[[Crank]]'' films, who may indeed suffer some hijinks but causes the majority of
* ''[[The Mask (film)|The Mask]]'' in his film and cartoon incarnations is an id-dominated maniac who is liable to act on everything that Stanley Ipkiss represses and it's all [[Played for Laughs]]. He also isn't actually that villainous when compared to the actual villains of said film and cartoon. His [[The Mask (comics)|comics incarnation]], meanwhile, is a pure-up [[Villain Protagonist]].
** It also helps that so many of the characters who get picked on by The Mask are [[Asshole Victim
** Among Stanley's most outrageous actions as The Mask:
*** Folding a balloon into a tommy gun and chasing off some (unarmed) muggers with it (by firing wildly into the air).
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*** Carrying around a signed photo of the wife of the [[Inspector Javert]] in lingerie, which he finds [[Extended Disarming|during a frisking session]].
*** Acting ''extremely'' sleazy ([[What Do You Mean It's Not Heinous?|and stereotypically French to an insulting degree]]) towards Stanley's [[Love Interest]].
* Lancelot from ''[[Monty Python and
** Afterwards, he sincerely apologizes for the misunderstanding.
* Frank D'Arbo, the protagonist of ''[[Super]]'', has a case of hyper-morality after being told by [[God]] himself to bring justice to the streets of his neighborhood. Inspired by comics, he assumes the superhero alter ego Crimson Bolt and [[Well-Intentioned Extremist|uses a wrench]] to smash the faces of not only criminals, but ''people who push in queues'', all [[For Great Justice]]. His sidekick, the self-named [[Psycho Supporter|Boltie]], is another, even more extreme version of this.
* Although the description of the trope refers to wicked characters, Tom Cruise's protagonist Roy Milner in ''[[Knight and Day]]'' still comes across this way despite having elements of [[The Cape (trope)|The Cape]]. He racks up a massive amount of property damage over the course of the film and a body count to match while maintaining a totally nonchalant attitude as a humorous contract. At one point, the villains try to persuade the heroine that Roy is actually a psychopathic pathological liar, and that is a surprisingly believable explanation. The effect is helped by [[Meta Casting]]
{{quote|'''June''': The pilots are dead?
'''Miller''': Shot.
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== Literature ==
* Yulia Latynina's sci-fi political thriller ''Insider'' gives us Kissur The White Falcon, imperial favourite, former prime minister, supreme tactician and feudal overlord of the [[Proud Warrior Race Guy|Aloms]]. He is also a reckless madman that spends most of the book either committing or threatening to commit acts of over the top violence. In the first chapter, for instance, he drives around recklessly at night, slams his car into the first other car he finds and mugs the recently arrived protagonist. ''Twice''. Just for fun. He befriends the protagonist out of respect for him actually fighting back on the next day. It gets better and better through the novel. In the words of another character, "If [Kissur] sees a house that is on fire, he'll rush inside to save the baby; if he sees a house that ''isn't'' on fire, he'll set fire to it."
* Viruk from David Gemmell's ''Echoes of the Great Song''. Viruk takes great pleasure from fighting and killing his enemies. He believes that the Source (God) talks to him and orders him to kill people. He is described as being very changeable as a person; he kills an entire convoy of raiders and their caravan drivers and finally decides to let one live. Later on in the book he kills a king and is about to kill the man's bodyguards when he sees some flowers nearby and becomes distracted. Near the end of the book, when all of the remaining Avatars go on a death charge against their enemies, everyone is grim and determined; however, when it switches to Viruk's point of view, it shows that he is in ecstasy and truly enjoying the brutal fighting.
** He later goes down in legend as the god of war and spring/nature.
* [[wikipedia:Max and Moritz|Max and Moritz]], the two no-good urchin tricksters in [[Wilhelm Busch]]'s children's novel. They finally {{spoiler|are ground alive into flour and the miller's geese eat them.}}
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* [[The Acts of Caine|Caine of Garthan Hold]] skirts the line of this. Well, maybe dances on it. Okay, he does a full soft-shoe number up and down with Broadway routines and a full stage orchestra in the background.
* Meursault in ''[[The Stranger]]'', if you go for the [[Alternate Character Interpretation]].
* [[The Jeeves|Jeeves]] of ''[[Jeeves and Wooster (novel)|Jeeves and Wooster]]'' constantly throws people--''especially'' his
* Bob the Skull from ''[[The Dresden Files]]'' sometimes advocates doing evil things. For example he told Harry that he should have bought off the debt he incurred by [[Faustian Bargain|making a deal with a]] [[Fair Folk|Fae]] by kidnapping a baby and trading it in. Counseling someone to do evil things aside, Bob doesn't really do evil because he just talks and reads smut.
== Live Action TV ==
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* ''[[iCarly]]'': Sam, pretty much anytime an incident goes from a regular run of the mill incident to something that threatens Carly.
* [[Almighty Janitor|The Janitor]] from ''[[Scrubs]]'' approaches this on occasion.
* Nathan from ''[[Misfits]]'' certainly borders on this. Other characters do occasionally suggest that he probably has some kind of mental illness (usually when they're trying to explain his bizarre behavior to baffled and offended strangers) but it's still played exclusively for laughs.
* Stuart Jones, one of the two leads in the UK version of ''[[Queer as Folk]]''. He's much more of a bastard than a hero really, but every now and then he does something so outrageous and awesome you can't completely hate him.
* The eponymous Sherlock Holmes of the BBC's ''[[Sherlock]]'', despite solving crimes and catching murderers, is actually more interested in the intellectual challenge that his cases present than helping anyone. And while Sherlock's [[The Sociopath|manipulative, callous nature]] turns out to be [[Jerk with a Heart of Gold|something of a front]], it's still played for laughs in nearly every episode.
{{quote|'''Molly Hooper:''' I was wondering if you’d like to have coffee?
'''Sherlock:''' Black, two sugars please. I’ll be upstairs.
''[Sherlock leaves the room]''
'''Molly Hooper:''' ...Okay. }}
* On
== Newspaper Comics ==
▲* Dogbert, ''[[Dilbert]]''. A great deal of what Scott Adams wishes he could say or do ends up in Dogbert's actions.
▲** Specifically, the part he can't say "[[Word of God|for fear of retribution]]".
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== [[Tabletop Games]] ==
* There's a term for typical adventurers, popularized by [[Image Boards|/tg/]]: "[http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Murderhobo murderhobo]". Because, they quite often technically ''are'' exactly this: vagrants whose [[Murder Is the Best Solution|default solution to all problems is "kill something"]].
* ''[[Paranoia (game)|Paranoia]]'' - Virtually everyone in
== Theater ==
* [[Cyrano De Bergerac]]: Deconstructed by Cyrano: Possessing severe [[Mommy Issues]] and a [[Martyrdom Culture|strange upbringing]], Cyrano's actions are a cry for acceptance from the rest of the world, delivered the only way his broken mind knows how. Cyrano is a rare example that is not a [[Karma Houdini]]. When Cyrano is sad, he bullies annoying people and picks up the occasional [[Sword Fight]]. When Cyrano is happy, he searches for various [[Asshole Victim
{{quote|'''Le Bret:''' Now you'll be calm, I hope?
'''Cyrano''' ''(beside himself for joy):'' Calm? I now calm?
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I've ten hearts in my breast; a score of arms;
No dwarfs to cleave in twain!. . .
''(Wildly):'' [[
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*** And despite all this, if you get him on your side, he's a genuinely good support character, doing everything he does out of loyalty to his friends and country.
* The character of the ''[[Rance]]'' series would probably be a complete monster in any other series with his casual rape and murder... but whenever the rape starts, it's a bit hard to take very seriously considering [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GauhWG340dI&feature=related the music that is playing.] And that's just for starters.
* [[Cute Witch|Marisa Kirisame]] from ''[[Touhou]]''.
* Shantotto of ''[[Final Fantasy XI]]'' is a good-aligned character, but she has no qualms blasting random poor adventurers with her magic if they irritate her, and she'll deliver her trademark [[Noblewoman's Laugh]] after. Carries into her appearance in ''[[Dissidia Final Fantasy]]'' where she's far more bloodthirsty than the other characters, but she's just so ''funny'' about it.
* Gig from ''[[Soul Nomad and The World Eaters]]'' is a gleefully [[Omnicidal Maniac|Omnicidal]] ex-[[Psychopomp]], responsible for why the game world is set [[After the End]], who spends the game [[Demonic Possession|possessing your character]]. Because Gig has little direct control over your actions, he spends most of the game insulting, tricking and annoying the rest of the party and everyone else you interact with, snarking at your character's motivations and personal history, and repeatedly trying to tempt you to do evil and accept more of his power so he can gain more control of your body. The main character is forced to go along with his because a) he/she can't get rid of Gig as their souls are fused together, and b) Gig is the only being in the world powerful enough to defeat the World Eaters, and letting him possess you grants you access to some of his powers.
* Riki from ''[[Bangai-O]]'' seems to qualify, to an extent. While he has the noble goal of using the titular mech to defeat the Cosmo Gang, he doesn't hesitate to blast anyone that stands in his way ([[Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain|no matter how sympathetic they are]]).
* Sergeant Viktor Reznov in the Russian/Soviet campaign of ''[[Call of Duty]]: World at War'' seems to enjoy killing Germans a little too much. He even twice encouraged the [[Player Character]] to kill helpless German soldiers (first was when they surrendered, second was when they lay dying).
* Princess Sapphire from ''[[Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice]]'' is one part this and one part [[Cloudcuckoolander]]. She's liable to flip out and kill anything she perceives as a 'threat', only to come to her senses the next moment and apologize profusely to the very dead and broken body of her would-be opponent. Her solution to practically ever problem the party comes across [[Murder Is the Best Solution|is one form or another of 'murder']], including the suggestion to [[Character Development|'open Mao's heart']]... With a [[Chainsaw Good|chainsaw]]. Unlike most examples she usually *means* well, though. For a certain definition of 'well'.
* The ''[[Saints Row]]'' protagonist is somewhat a bit heroic (but still on the looser side of sanity) in the first, considerably even more insane in the sequel, and gets a healthy boost in both categories in the third entry of the series. Pretty much anyone who's in the Saints also counts.
* Though most [[Grand Theft Auto|GTA]] protagonists fit the bill for this, Luis Lopez of ''[[Grand Theft Auto IV]]'' openly admits to being this. The only people he shows any attachment to are his mother, who he doesn't even particularly like while she frequently shows contempt towards him; his friends, with whom he has probably the healthiest relationship; and his benefactor Tony, who is a father figure to him, but who also uses Luis specifically because the only qualms he has about doing anything are purely practical ones. When asked by Brucie about him having a softer side, Luis replies with a flat "Not really, I like killing people for money."
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* The entire team of ''[[Team Fortress 2]]'' are a bunch of [[Laughably Evil]] loonies with loads of [[Comedic Sociopathy]] and [[Amusing Injuries]] thrown into the mix.
* ''[[Fear Effect]]''. Hana, Glas, and Deke are very much in this category. Rain doesn't seem to qualify as one.
* The ''[[Angry Birds]]'', who laugh while massacring their pig enemies.
* Hat Kid from ''[[A Hat in Time]]'' has no real desire to fight evil or right wrongs, her goal being to regain all the collect the Time Pieces so she can go home. Indeed, she's willing to help or oppose anyone to do this, while this usually puts her on the Good side of the morality spectrum, she is willing to commit some rather cruel acts, like destroying paintings with imprisoned souls within.
== Web Comics ==
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** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcbazH6aE2g Hell, they even made him a musical.]
* Bun-bun, the lop-eared switch-blade-wielding rabbit of ''[[Sluggy Freelance]]''. His plans usually fall through, often due to Kiki's screwups, but he almost never suffers any consequences... usually because no-one's brave enough to try punishing him.
** He does still kill a lot of people, even innocent people, especially in the early years. Though it's debatable that [[Acceptable Targets|telemarketers]] are "innocent".
* ''[[Walkyverse]]'' Abductee Mike Warner, who especially enjoys Halloween: in different years, he's tried to sacrifice Joyce's dog in a Black Mass, dressed up as Saddam Hussein (and putting a fake beard on the same dog he tried kill, calling him 'Osama bin Doggie'), dressed again as the recently deceased head of the [[Government Conspiracy]] they worked for, and given out candy with razor blades in it. And that's what he does for fun; he's even worse the rest of the year. He crosses the line so many times that it has become blurred beyond all recognition.
* Fuzzy from ''[[Sam and Fuzzy]]''. A borderline heroic sociopath who lapses between true sociopathy and [[The Imp]] depending on the seriousness of the story arc (the less important the strip is, the more he gets away with).
** Recently it's come to light that Fuzzy merely took someone's advice about acting in a certain way. Couple this with his apparent {{spoiler|amnesia}} and there's no telling what behaviors of his are genuine, and what aren't, as even Sam himself has noted.
* In the [[Ciem Webcomic Series]], Dolly Malestrom was all set to become one of these. The Earwig helmet brought out her more sociopathic tendencies, allowing her to [[Flanderization|go from]] just [[Badass]] in general to flat-out [[Ax Crazy]].
* The title character of ''[[Schlock Mercenary]]''. At their worst several other members of Tagon's Toughs would qualify as well, but Schlock is responsible for the lion's share.
** Schlock has been known to refer to his "random act of violence fix for the day".
** And then there's [http://www.schlockmercenary.com/
{{quote|'''Ennesby:''' Thurl's really fleshed out the company. He had to turn away a few crazies, though.
'''Tagon:''' Violent sociopaths?
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* "Red" from ''[[No Rest for The Wicked (webcomic)|No Rest for The Wicked]]''. She carries around an ax, enjoys causing fear in the people around her, smells death, and tells little girls her cloak is dyed in blood. Her partner is Princess November, a young naive girl who bruises easily. A very mild form, but still qualifies.
* Psycho Mantis from ''[[The Last Days of Foxhound]]''. The webcomic also gives an excellent insight into the differences between this trope (Mantis) and the [[Magnificent Bastard]] (Ocelot) - anyone who tangles with the latter on an intellectual level is going ''down'', but it is hard to engage in intellectual battle when your opponent just sets you on fire with his mind instead.
* Most of the characters from ''[[Charby the Vampirate]]'' fit this trope given how little they value human life (though the titular character eventually decides to stop killing people for the sake of his friendship with resident [[Badass Longcoat]] demon hunter Vic, the other characters continue to maim, [https://web.archive.org/web/20120510033413/http://www.drunkduck.com/Charby_the_Vampirate/4786993/ kill], [https://web.archive.org/web/20120510033333/http://www.drunkduck.com/Charby_the_Vampirate/4787235/ slaughter] and [https://web.archive.org/web/20120510034135/http://www.drunkduck.com/Charby_the_Vampirate/5172207/ eat] whomever the want, whenever they feel like it).
* Mal of ''[[Head Trip]]''. Her antics include: arson, assault with a deadly weapon, breaking and entering, holding Fox executives at knife point until they agree to give [[Joss Whedon]] full artistic control over all future projects, abducting and threatening with torture a writer for lost, giving Jack Thompson a [[Karmic Death]] and murdering ''[[Sailor Moon]]''. She is likely not joking when she says that Ebert of Ebert and Roper has a restraining order on her. She even has her own demon assigned on a permanent basis to follow her around holding a handbasket.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20131208073433/http://thecobradays.net/view.php?date=2006-01-18 The Fear], [https://web.archive.org/web/20130607151840/http://thecobradays.net/view.php?date=2006-02-08 The Pain], and [https://web.archive.org/web/20130607161754/http://thecobradays.net/view.php?date=2006-02-20 The Fury] from ''[[The Cobra Days]]''. When they're not fighting agents of the Axis powers, they spend a lot of their time violently bickering with each other or picking on [[The Woobie|The Sorrow.]]
* Rocky from ''[[Lackadaisy Cats]]'', while being a fairly well-meaning guy overall, has very little grasp of what's socially acceptable and scares most "normal" cats he talks to. When carrying out rumrunning duties, he is completely unaverse to revenge and forcibly putting other "establishments" out of business... and he does. Oh, and he's a pyromaniac. Yet, his childlike enthusiasm, general clumsiness and ineptitude, and lyrical ability make him pretty endearing to the reader.
** Calvin (a.k.a. "Freckle") is probably this trop in training. A quiet, shy fella, he undergoes a complete and psychotic personality change any time he gets his paws on a gun. The end result can involve a lot of bodies (and horror on his part, once he comes back to himself). The story as it stands seems to suggest that he will put this particular "talent" to use, and then his "training" will probably be complete as far as this trope goes.
* Drew from ''[[Mac Hall]]'', a foul-mouthed, utterly cynical Comp Sci major who [http://www.machall.com/view.php?date=2002-07-19 loves tormenting freshmen] and is grandmaster of humorous [[Disproportionate Retribution]]. [http://machall.com/view.php?date=2001-11-29 Like so].
* The light warriors from ''[[8-
** As Fighter himself once [http://www.nuklearpower.com/2005/05/10/episode-551-so-close-and-yet-so-far/ said]...
{{quote|'''Fighter:''' Oh, we usually murder our way to the top and claim victory whilst astride a pile of mangled bodies.
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* Kenta Daisuke of ''[[No Need for Bushido]]'' ''does'' ultimately have a motive (guess [[Roaring Rampage of Revenge|what it is]]), but it hardly covers all of his gleeful, wanton violence. He leaps at the chance to fight, loves nothing more than to slaughter countless enemies with a grin on his blood-spattered face, obtains all his money by mugging passers-by, and feels no regret whatsoever for harming others. Nor does he seem to understand that his casual violence makes others regard him as somewhat...disagreeable.
{{quote|'''Ken:''' ''[http://noneedforbushido.com/2007/comic/304/ (punches Fumio)]'' THAT'S FER SAYIN' I WASN'T AGREEABLE!}}
* ''[[Chicanery]]'' has Ness, Pokey, Jeff and Mr. Saturn from ''[[
* Skoll of ''[[Cry Havoc]]'' qualifies. She is a good guy... but only because the people she mutilates and kills are slightly worse, or at least less skilled, than her.
* Ethan from ''[[Ctrl+Alt+Del|Ctrl+ Alt+ Del]]'' who consistently has absent-minded daydreams about strange ways to kill or injure his co-worker Rob, a counter-strike playing idiot, and sometimes enacts these daydreams...he also daydreams about killing or injuring customers of the video game store he works at.
* ''[[Freefall]]'' has {{spoiler|[[It's All About Me|the robot Edge]]}}, who helps
* Doctor Hubris from ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20181126201349/http://www.theappleofdiscord.com/ The Apple of Discord]'' (and later ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20120704151111/http://www.drunkduck.com/Apple_Valley/ Apple Valley]'') is usually responsible for whatever horrible things are going on in the comic, including {{spoiler|inventing the technology that created Gayzilla}} and creating a highly contagious form of "robot cancer". It's been implied several times that he hired Doyle just to kill him, and that the superheroes of Apple Valley classify him as a supervillain. It's even been implied that {{spoiler|he is the one who actually broke the barrier separating reality, not Arthur}} which has been more-or-less confirmed by [[Word of God]].
* In ''[[Scandinavia and The World]]'', Finland. Drunken, mute, ax-wielding, sniggers-at-your-misfortune Finland. Only Sister Sweden gets the better of him for long.
* In ''[[Noblesse]]'' we have {{spoiler|Franken}}, who sounds like a mostly [[Nice Guy]] (albeit with [[Neat Freak|a little obssession with cleanness]]) but he's actually THE BIGGEST [[Mad Scientist]] in the series who can pull out very scary [[Slasher Smile]] and impale people with brutal ease and the worst of all, ''enjoys'' it.
* ''[[Ansem Retort]]'': insofar as the protagonists can be called heroes, about half of them qualify. Axel kills people constantly for no reason, and if he's looking at you you'd better ''hope'' it's no reason, 'cause he gets ''brutal'' when he has actual motive beyond 'likes killing things'. Zexion takes pride in his [[Jerkass]] credentials and commits crimes just to prove he can. Red XIII views the whole of humanity as food. And as for Larxene...well, we're not sure what Larxene's deal is apart from huge quantities of drugs and [[Attention Deficit Ooh Shiny]], but she does seem a little too fond of killing things.
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* ''[[Cox and Combes Washington]]'', albeit heavy on the sociopath and light on the heroic part.
** Well, he did save the children... but not the British children. In fact, at one point he goes to save the children from a burning school before he realises it's a ''British'' school and proceeds to push the building off a cliff.
* A common attribute of ''[[Protectors of the Plot Continuum]]'', especially those in the Department of Floaters, the Department of [[Mary Sue
* Sarge of ''[[Red vs. Blue]]''.
** ''"I love blood and violence! I've got a boner for murder!"''
* Mr. Popo from ''[[Dragon Ball Abridged]]''. He is able to control an ancient Namekian starship just by saying his name to
* Near the end of V3 of ''[[Survival of the Fittest]]'', Dominica Shapiro [[Heel Realization|realizes that she has become this]] {{spoiler|just before she throws herself at the terrorists guns a-blazing in a bid to keep the escaping students safe, and to have some fun in the meanwhile.}}
* The "anti-walkthroughs" featured on [[IT-HE Software|it-he.org]] make the protagonists of the ''[[Ultima]]'' series, ''[[Thief]]'', ''[[Deus Ex]]'' and ''[[Elder Scrolls]]'' into these, partially for sake of [[Sequence Breaking]] and partially for the pure fun of [[Video Game Cruelty Potential]].
* Glorion from [[Journey Quest]]. Just imagine the page image with Belkar replaced by a [[Glory Seeker|glory seeking]] knight. "You killed every single orc to cross our path, and some that were nowhere near our path".
* [[Half Life|Gordon Freeman]], once you [[Freeman's Mind|listen to his thoughts]] during the whole Black Mesa Incident.
* [[Christian Brutal Sniper]]
* [[Shiny Objects Videos]]: It's kind of hard to determine if it's this or flat-out [[Villain Protagonist]], but the protagonists are pretty unfazed by the suffering of others. Particularly of [[The Woobie|Guido]].
* ''Many'' characters in [[SMG4]] are this, most notably Mario himself. Sometimes they do get their [[Laser-Guided Karma|deserved punishment]], however (if not [[Disproportionate Retribution|worse]]), quite often dished out by another Heroic Comedic Sociopath or [[Jerkass]].
== [[Western Animation]] ==
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*** Even better is that while Cartman triggers the hunt due to his suspicion of Muslims, the actual terrorist was actually a Russian communist.
* Stewie from ''[[Family Guy]]'' is a fan favorite whose antics are over the top mostly for comedic effect and he has little intent to kill or harm his family save for Lois. Yet it is made clear at varying times he does not always think much of Peter, Chris, or Meg either.
** It should be noted that Stewie routinely murders people on and off-screen.
{{quote|'''Brian''': How would you feel if you killed another baby?
'''Stewie''' (offhandedly); I've killed seven... }}
* Gaz from ''[[Invader Zim]]''.
* Mandy and Grim, ''[[The Grim Adventures of Billy
** She did once erase every living thing from existence except herself but, probably because the [[Crapsack World]] the show is set in is so surreal, it didn't last.
* A possible case in the Warden from ''[[Superjail]]''. While dedicated to his job and perfecting the art of incarceration, he is AT LEAST a psychopathic sadist the show isn't afraid to play for laughs. Most of the people he ends up killing - generally indirectly - are dangerous inmates who pose a clear threat to society.
* Brock Samson from ''[[The Venture Brothers]]'' is a scientist's bodyguard whose main priority (at least in the beginning) is to brutally murder his enemies while having sex with as many women as possible. His college football career (and scholarship) ended when he accidentally killed another player, so he joined the army. He wound up as a government agent with his own license to kill, which he's been known to take advantage of if a bartender makes fun of his mullet.
** Also Rusty, from the same show. While not as bloodthirsty as Brock, he isn't above screwing over friends, family, or innocent bystanders just to gain the most minor of conveniences. Not to mention his Joy Can, a virtual reality simulator ''[[Powered by a Forsaken Child|powered by an orphan's heart]]''!
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* Heloise from ''[[Jimmy Two-Shoes]]'' is this. She works for Misery Inc. as [[Mad Scientist|top inventor]] to make hazardous products and she also like to [[Enfante Terrible|destroy things for fun]]. However, she likes to hangs out with [[Morality Pet|Jimmy due to her crush on him]].
* Possibly Rico from ''[[The Penguins of Madagascar]].'' He's described at least once in universe as a "world-class psychopath," and he especially likes blowing stuff up and causing other characters bodily harm. That said, is there anybody out there who doesn't absolutely love Rico? I doubt it.
** Skipper too. In less then five minutes he's admitted his dream future involves a post apocalyptic scenario with roving bands of irradiated mutants and then proceeds to help stop a time paradox from erasing existence.
* [[Gorillaz|Murdoc Niccals]], big time. His rap sheet includes fraud, kidnapping, extortion, [[Organ Theft]], tons and tons of assault and possibly homicide. Despite this, he's still technically a protagonist, and maintains a [[Kavorka Man|sizable fanbase]] as such.
* {{spoiler|Cesar Salazar}} of ''[[Generator Rex]]'' is a subversion of this. He is described as "kooky" and "kinda off" and appears for a while to just be a wacky inventor, but pretty normal otherwise. But as time goes on, he begins to display a marked lack of concern for people (including his own ''brother'') or ethics. It seems he has no moral code of his own, even.
* Lobo's incarnation in ''[[Superman: The Animated Series]]'' and ''[[Justice League]]'', in addition to being a [[Badbutt]], was a clear version of this once he underwent a [[Heel Face Turn]] (which didn't really change his personality any, just the people he was currently beating up). He's a sleazebag and a jerk to both heroes and villains and both gives and receives [[Amusing Injuries]] a lot, and gets a lot of funny lines.
* Jerry of ''[[Tom and Jerry]]'' often displays these characteristics. In most (but not all) shorts, Tom [[Kick the Dog|Kicks The Dog]] at the beginning and Jerry spends the rest of the short dishing out [[Disproportionate Retribution]]. While his goals are usually either his own survival or to help out [[Friend to All Living Things|another animal Tom is picking on]], he does sometimes screw with Tom's head just for fun.
* [[Bugs Bunny]] alternates between this and a [[Karmic Trickster]]. In his earliest shorts he was actually much worse, attacking for no good reason, but [[Tex Avery]] and [[Bob Clampett]] soon established a moral code for the character that, for the most part, he has followed
{{reflist}}
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Madness Tropes]]
[[Category:Character Flaw Index]]
[[Category:Villains]]
[[Category:Badass]]
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