Karmic Trickster: Difference between revisions

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* Eddie Murphy plays this role as Chandler Jarrell, [[The Hero]] and [[Chosen One]] of ''[[The Golden Child]]''. Once he learns that Sardo Numspa is the [[Big Bad]], he [[I Shall Taunt You|taunts him]] at every opportunity and takes a sort of childish glee in making him look foolish.

* The titular character played by [[Audrey Tautou]] in ''[[Amelie]]'', who sets out to drive a jerkass grocer insane by making [[Gaslighting|barely noticeable changes in his apartment.]]

* [[Ferris Bueller's Day Off ~~(Film)~~|Ferris Bueller]] and [[Parker Lewis Can't Lose ~~(TV)~~|Parker Lewis]] sometimes perform Karmic Trickery as part of their escapades.

* [[Ferris Bueller's Day Off|Ferris Bueller]] and [[Parker Lewis Can't Lose|Parker Lewis]] sometimes perform Karmic Trickery as part of their escapades.

* The main protagonists of ''[[Brain Donors]]'' play this role against egotistical ballet dancer Roberto Volare.

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== Literature ==

* Randall Patrick McMurphy of ''~One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest~'' is a somewhat more realistic version of this, with a touch of [[Messianic Archetype]] thrown in.

* Pumphutt in ''[[~~Krabat (Literature)|~~Krabat]]'' walks from mill to mill and punishes the masters who treat their apprentices like shit.

* Pumphutt in ''[[Krabat]]'' walks from mill to mill and punishes the masters who treat their apprentices like shit.

* El-Hrairah in [[Watership Down]] falls somewhere in these lines, along with being a [[Guile Hero]]. It makes sense, as he's supposed to represent the rabbits' gift for outrunning and outmaneuvering their enemies.

* [[Twelfth Night|Feste the jester]] embodies this role, appropriately enough for a play celebrating Mardi Gras. The carnival is supposed to showcase the inversion of the social order and laugh at it all, which is precisely what Feste does. He points out the logical flaws in Olivia's mourning, sees through even Viola's clever wordplay, and cuts the pompous, Puritan Malvolio down to size... [[Disproportionate Retribution|and then some.]]

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* Br'er Rabbit, moreso in the original stories than in the [[Disneyfication|Disneyfied]] ''[[Song of the South]]''. Bugs Bunny was partially based on this character.

* The Norse god Loki, although sometimes a [[Screwy Squirrel]], brought Karmic Trickery to bear against the villains for the greater good on several occassions. Loki would often [[Voluntary Shapeshifting|tart himself up]] in drag to trick his enemies - a classic Karmic Trickery ploy - and often teamed up with Thor for a mix of [[Brains and Brawn]].

* In many North American Native traditions, the figure of Coyote. Raven a bit further North, and Anansi the Spider down in Africa and the Caribbean. He carries on this role in [[Neil Gaiman]]'s ''[[~~American Gods (Literature)|~~American Gods]]'' and ''[[~~Anansi Boys (Literature)|~~Anansi Boys]]''.

* In many North American Native traditions, the figure of Coyote. Raven a bit further North, and Anansi the Spider down in Africa and the Caribbean. He carries on this role in [[Neil Gaiman]]'s ''[[American Gods]]'' and ''[[Anansi Boys]]''.

* Till Eulenspiegel in German folklore: many of his "merry pranks" aims at exposing the hypocrisy and greed of others.

* Jesus Christ in [[The Bible|the Gospels]]. He is responsible for giving the Pharisees a bad name and exposing the hypocrisy of temple priests.

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** Tweety is another [[Looney Tunes]] example.

* [[Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog]] nudges Sonic into this direction, repeatedly foiling Robotnik's plans in the most [[Looney Tunes]]-eqsue ways imaginable.

* The Warner Brothers (and the Warner Sister) in ''[[~~Animaniacs (Animation)|~~Animaniacs]]'' (although Wakko is closer to being a [[Screwy Squirrel]]) are somewhat offset by the fact that they can be cheerful and annoying to ''anybody'', but are generally harmless until someone starts being a [[Jerkass]]. Then he gets labeled their "Special Friend", and all bets are off. In one episode, they're being driven crazy by a parody of the nanny from ''[[The Sound of Music]]''... but can't bring themselves to clobber her, because she's not doing anything ''wrong''. {{spoiler|They hire [[Screwy Squirrel|Slappy]].}}

* The Warner Brothers (and the Warner Sister) in ''[[Animaniacs]]'' (although Wakko is closer to being a [[Screwy Squirrel]]) are somewhat offset by the fact that they can be cheerful and annoying to ''anybody'', but are generally harmless until someone starts being a [[Jerkass]]. Then he gets labeled their "Special Friend", and all bets are off. In one episode, they're being driven crazy by a parody of the nanny from ''[[The Sound of Music]]''... but can't bring themselves to clobber her, because she's not doing anything ''wrong''. {{spoiler|They hire [[Screwy Squirrel|Slappy]].}}

* 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~~|affectionate parody~~]]'' of old [[Looney Tunes]] cartoons, featuring [[Expy|Expies]] of old [[Looney Tunes]] characters being ''taught'' by said characters.

* 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.

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

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

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