Karmic Trickster: Difference between revisions

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A [[Trickster]] who specializes in unstuffing stuffed shirts, deflating puffed-up egos, trivializing the self-important, and confusing know-it-alls. The Karmic Trickster is normally harmless, even friendly, if left unmolested. Once his dignity is dented or his person threatened, however, it's no holds ~~barred -- the~~ target is in for humiliation, embarrassment and bewilderment. Any tactic is fair game as long as it does not cause actual physical harm to the target. Only when the target has surrendered does the Karmic Trickster conclude his vengeance.

A [[Trickster]] who specializes in unstuffing stuffed shirts, deflating puffed-up egos, trivializing the self-important, and confusing know-it-alls. The '''Karmic Trickster''' is normally harmless, even friendly, if left unmolested. Once his dignity is dented or his person threatened, however, it's no holds barred—the target is in for humiliation, embarrassment and bewilderment. Any tactic is fair game as long as it does not cause actual physical harm to the target. Only when the target has surrendered does the Karmic Trickster conclude his vengeance.

Being completely self-centered, the Karmic Trickster normally acts only on his own behalf, but can be convinced to help ~~others -- he~~ has a soft spot for babies, innocents, and those who are truly good, and when his sympathy is evoked will go to the ends of the earth for them. Sometimes he sows chaos for the sake of chaos, but only when he gets carried away in the midst of one of his campaigns. Most of the time he simply wants to be [[Heroic Neutral|left alone]], and [[Karmic Protection|heaven help whoever messes with him!]] Given all of their righteous retribution, sometimes these characters can exist somewhere between this, [[Screwy Squirrel]] and borderline [[Chaotic Evil]] if their self-righteous attitudes end up attacking characters for little more than existing nearby them.

Being completely self-centered, the Karmic Trickster normally acts only on his own behalf, but can be convinced to help others—he has a soft spot for babies, innocents, and those who are truly good, and when his sympathy is evoked will go to the ends of the earth for them. Sometimes he sows chaos for the sake of chaos, but only when he gets carried away in the midst of one of his campaigns. Most of the time he simply wants to be [[Heroic Neutral|left alone]], and [[Karmic Protection|heaven help whoever messes with him!]] Given all of their righteous retribution, sometimes these characters can exist somewhere between this, [[Screwy Squirrel]] and borderline [[Chaotic Evil]] if their self-righteous attitudes end up attacking characters for little more than existing nearby them.

Between them, Karmic Trickster and [[Screwy Squirrel]] comprise two-thirds of the classic [[Trickster Archetype]]. His actions are as much to teach as to gain revenge, where [[Screwy Squirrel]] is the embodiment of mischief for mischief's sake.

See also~~: [[~~Karmic Protection~~]].~~

[[Obfuscating Stupidity|May masquerade]] as [[The Fool]], or vice versa; whether silly or wise, he will always display [[Hidden Depths]] (if only a knack for [[Comedy]] and [[Simpleminded Wisdom]]) whom the audience supports and invariably laughs with, not at. This is not always true of other [[Trickster Archetype|Tricksters]] in general, who are sometimes cast as [[Cloudcuckoolander|cloud cuckoolanders]], irrepressible [[Screwy Squirrel|agents of chaos]], lesser [[Loveable Rogue|chaos-bringers]] who are constantly being [[An Aesop|taught a lesson]] themselves, or cosmic [[Butt Monkey|butt monkeys]]. Such traits rarely apply here.

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== Pro Wrestling ==

* The character [[Eddie Guerrero]] portrayed in the late part of his [[WWE]] career was very much a Karmic Trickster; he'd jokingly use [[~~Heel|heelish~~]] tactics against heels, but because they were all bad guys, and he was so funny about it, the crowds ate it up. One of his favorite tactics would be to pound the mat with a steel chair, throw it into an opponent's hands, and collapse to the mat, so that when the [[Easily-Distracted Referee]] turned back around, he'd naturally assume that the heel hit Eddie with the chair. And then, when the ref turned around to chastise the heel (on the occasions where he didn't outright disqualify him), he'd mug for the crowd and pose for the heel, such as putting his hands behind his head, as if he were relaxing in a hammock.

* The character [[Eddie Guerrero]] portrayed in the late part of his [[WWE]] career was very much a Karmic Trickster; he'd jokingly use [[heel]]ish tactics against heels, but because they were all bad guys, and he was so funny about it, the crowds ate it up. One of his favorite tactics would be to pound the mat with a steel chair, throw it into an opponent's hands, and collapse to the mat, so that when the [[Easily-Distracted Referee]] turned back around, he'd naturally assume that the heel hit Eddie with the chair. And then, when the ref turned around to chastise the heel (on the occasions where he didn't outright disqualify him), he'd mug for the crowd and pose for the heel, such as putting his hands behind his head, as if he were relaxing in a hammock.

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* Most of the Tiny Toons from ''[[Tiny Toon Adventures]]'' fit into this category. Especially Babs and Buster. Makes sense, considering the entire show is an ''[[Affectionate Parody]]'' of old [[Looney Tunes]] cartoons, featuring [[Expy|Expies]] of old [[Looney Tunes]] characters being ''taught'' by said characters.

* Eric Cartman in the ''[[South Park]]'' episode "Osama bin Laden Has Farty Pants". The visual style imitates [[Bugs Bunny/Characters|Bugs Bunny]] wartime short films.

** Cartman also qualifies as a (very dark) Karmic Trickster in "Scott Tenorman Must Die!" ~~-- perhaps~~ as a kind of one-upsmanship of Scott Tenorman, who himself is also a Trickster.

** Cartman also qualifies as a (very dark) Karmic Trickster in "Scott Tenorman Must Die!"—perhaps as a kind of one-upsmanship of Scott Tenorman, who himself is also a Trickster.

* Loud Kiddington from ''[[Histeria!]]'', particularly in a sketch featuring him as a Mountie in the episode "North America".

* [[Tom and Jerry|Jerry]] generally waited until Tom victimized him before unleashing torment upon the cat... except when he occasionally didn't wait.