Properly Paranoid: Difference between revisions

 

{{examples}}

* ''[[Death Note]]''. L was spot on in his deductions and all of his seemingly paranoid schemes were completely justified.

** Light himself might qualify at times, but is more [[Crazy Prepared]].

* The world of ''[[Pokémon]]'' may be okay with [[Free-Range Children|letting kids run around unsupervised]], but, in ''[[Pokémon Special]]'', Sir Berlitz hired a pair of bodyguards to accompany his [[The Ojou|daughter]] on her journey to Mt. Coronet. Good thing too, as she becomes the target of kidnapping and winds up in the battle against Team Galactic. Too bad due to a mishap she got a pair of aspiring comedians instead.

* In ''[[Bleach]]'', Toshiro Hitsugaya is wondering if Aizen's death was forged and thinks that there's a traitor among them. {{spoiler|Look who was the villain for six years.}}

 

* ''[[Watchmen]]'': Rorschach, though an [[Axe Crazy]] nut, plays a big part in uncovering the larger conspiracy that is unfolding around him. {{spoiler|But in the end, he's wrong about why the Comedian was killed.}}

* ''[[Runaways]]''. The Pride: the only thing they do more than work behind each others' backs to take the others' chances at Immortality is prepare counter measures for the others planning to take their spots. At least until their children find out.

** Batman constantly injects himself various poisons and toxins. Of course, since a lot of his major villains use poisons and toxins (including Sacrecrow, Poison Ivy, and the Joker), building up resistance to them makes complete sense.

** The storyline ''Tower of Babel'' has Batman's contingency plans for taking out other members of the Justice League stolen and used against them. The rest of the League is outraged, but Batman points out that they're the most powerful people in the known universe and it's ''entirely reasonable'' to have plans to fight them in case they're mind controlled or go rogue. Considering "the Justice League gets mind controlled or goes rogue" are some of the favorite go-tos for storylines and alternate continuity stories, the only real question is why Batman didn't use the plans before now. Hell, his paranoia is theoretically even further justified by the fact that the Justice League proceeds to kick him out, because they "can't trust him" due to his taking entirely well-reasoned precautions.

* Saxon Kenchu in ''[[Candorville]]'' describes himself as this, but within two panels it's partially subverted, as he admits he's even more paranoid than {{spoiler|a [[Dhampyr]] outcast}} needs to be. Lemont thinks he's [[Axe Crazy]] and delusional, which would be a full subversion--{{spoiler|but he's completely sane, and the story he's telling is true.}}

* According to ''[[Transmetropolitan]]''{{'}}s Spider Jerusalem, a paranoid is just someone in possession of all the facts. And in a world where bacteria-sized surveillance cameras fill the air and an [[Ax Crazy]] President wants him dead, Spider's right.

* ''[[Diabolik]]'' has [[Sympathetic Inspector Antagonist|Ginko]], who, after the first stories taught him that Diabolik [[Impossible Thief|can do almost anything]], started taking precautions worth of [[Batman]]. Some people calls him paranoid, only to learn that those precautions ''are barely enough''.

** Most evident in ''Il Tesoro di Diabolik''. After Diabolik had disappeared he continued taking his anti-Diabolik precautions, as he suspected the thief was lying low for some reason. Even his most devoted followers started calling him paranoid... While Diabolik continued faking being dead awaiting for the man who had stole his favourite treasure to feel safe enough and start selling it, allowing Diabolik to find him. Ginko's grin when a man killed by a knife and the remains of two Diabolik-made masks is a silent 'told you so'...

 

== [[Fan Works]] ==

* ''[[Loyalty]]'' Features Ninja!Spies. Everyone knows {{spoiler|Sakura is a spy}}. She wonders why they don't kill her.

 

== Films ==

* ''[[Tremors]]'': Though not a straight example, having underground shelter with [[Wall of Weapons]] and ammo, supplies and power generator in case of a [[World War III]] served Burt Gummer well when his town got attacked by large subterranean carnivore reptiles.

{{quote|'''Earl:''' Guess we don't get to make fun of Burt's lifestyle anymore.}}

* ''[[I, Robot (film)|I, Robot]]'': Del Spooner (played by Will Smith) doesn't trust robots, believing that they are not as safe as the [[Three Laws of Robotics]] are supposed to make them. He is therefore the only person in Chicago who doesn't get one of the new NS-5 model robots. When the NS-5s stage a [[Zeroth Law Rebellion]], Spooner is naturally the only human capable of effectively fighting back.

* ''[[The Conversation]]'' {{context}}

* Played with in ''[[The Departed]]''. Mob boss Frank Costello and the police captain that is investigating him both assume that the other has planted a mole in their organization. They're both right. However, both miss out on catching the moles, and neither realize {{spoiler|that each side has more than one mole at work.}}

* ''[[Watership Down (film)|Watership Down]]'' has Fiver, a rabbit who is fidgety and constantly spouting prophecies of doom for the rabbits. In the beginning of the film, Fiver claims that the warren is in danger and all of the rabbits have to leave before it's too late. Many of the rabbits don't believe him, and while some leave to find another warren, the rest get killed by humans who are developing the land.

 

== Literature ==

* ''[[Sherlock Holmes]]'' was always paranioid about any cuts he might get, something very strange for a cocaine addict. Turns out, there is a reason to that as {{spoiler|some crminals indeed try to infect him with deadly illness}}

* In ''[[Circle of Magic]]'', Dedicate Crane is punishing his assistants for even small mishaps they allow. This becomes justified once {{spoiler|such mishap infects Rosethorn with a deadly disease}}

 

== Live Action TV ==

* The hunters in ''[[Supernatural]]'' appear to be very paranoid as they take precautions and even put holy water in drinks in case the person they are talking to isn't who they think they are. However, this has proven to be effective in cases when people are actually possessed or doppelgangers.

 

 

== Radio ==

 

== Sequential Art ==

* [[Gahan Wilson]] did a [http://jimbovard.com/blog/2009/09/21/my-paranoia-vindicated-gahan-wilson/ one-panel comic] for ''[[Playboy]]'' which shows a psychiatrist asking his patient "When did you first become aware of this imagined 'plot to get you,' Mr. Potter?" ...while crooking his finger at two grinning black-cloaked assassins who are creeping in through the office door.

 

== Tabletop Games ==

** Commissar [[Ciaphas Cain]],<ref>'''HERO OF THE IMPERIUM'''</ref> of his self-titled series, is a stunning endorsement of this trope, as the only reason he hasn't been killed hundreds of times is that he ''always'' suspects something more sinister lurking under the surface, and he is ''always'' correct. In his very first appearance even, the short story ''Fight or Flight'', he looks at a cult of [[Face Full of Alien Wingwong|Genestealers]] several star systems away and loss of communications with a nearby fleet and ''immediately'' thinks "incoming [[Horde of Alien Locusts|Tyranids]]", his preparations preventing the planet being eaten long enough for the fleet to arrive and kill all the bugs.

* As might be guessed by the name, the same is true of ''[[Paranoia]]''.

* [[Chaotic Evil]] creatures in ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]''—as well as anyone living close to them—usually are leery to the extreme.

** The Drow are justifiably paranoid about their enemies and as such tend to get killed by their friends. [[Morton's Fork|Conversely]], if one spends too many time looking over the shoulder at one's allies... according to Drizzt Do'urden, "Those who watch their backs meet death from the front." Even technically [[Chaotic Good]] followers of Eilistraee tend to be very jumpy, as most of them are ex-Lolthites and have a very good idea of what to expect all too well. And of course almost anyone else meeting a non-disguised Drow outside of their territory (whether above ground or below) usually either attacks on sight [[Van Helsing Hate Crimes|without asking for their purpose or something]], or runs away - [[Vicious Cycle|which usually is a Properly Paranoid reaction too]].

* In the ''[[Star Wars]]'' d20 ''[[Living Force]]'' module ''Padawannabes'', the Duros conspiracy theorist and Jedi groupie Delan has this outlandish theory:

{{quote|Laughably, he even occasionally thinks that there may be elements of the Republic Senate— elements very high up— who may be manipulating the various factions in the Clone War. Maybe even manipulating the Jedi! Well, not even his friends buy that one; the Jedi are perfect.}}

** The audience, having seen ''[[Attack of the Clones]]'' (''[[Revenge of the Sith]]'' was not out yet), knows he's ''absolutely'' correct even if their characters will think he's nuts.

 

== Video Games ==

* ''[[RuneScape]]'' has a whole quest series where an ex-zookeeper, Larry, was fired for claiming penguins are trying to take over the world. After the first quest in the series, you can see him squirming in a straitjacket outside the zoo where he once worked.

* ''[[Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas]]'' has The Truth, who at first glance looks like your average [[The Stoner|perpetually stoned]] [[New Age Retro Hippie]]. But as the game goes on, more and more of the weird, seemingly random and/or insane stuff he talks about turns out to be true.

* In ''[[The Force Unleashed]]'', General Rahm Kota's backstory is that due to the fact that he never used the Clone Troopers during the Clone Wars, he was one of the few Jedi who managed to escape Order 66.

* And in ''[[Knights of the Old Republic]]'', Carth never passes up an opportunity to voice the opinion that something stinks in the setup; that it's a little odd your character survived, that it's also really odd that Bastila made the request to transfer you aboard, that the Jedi Council is up to some dirty trick...Turns out, he's dead right.

* In ''[[Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines]]'' there is a conspiracy theorist who is a constant caller on a late night radio station. His calls start off with conspiracies regarding aliens and area 51 but at the end of the game he reveals the entire plot of the game so far and the Vampire conspiracy but gets laughed off as being crazy.

* The Terrans in the ''[[X Universe]]'' are terrified of artificially intelligent ships, because their own terraformers [[Apocalypse How|wiped out all their colonies]] [[A.I. Is a Crapshoot|after a software glitch]], then started [[Colony Drop|throwing asteroids at Earth]].

 

== Web Comics ==

* [http://xkcd.com/525/ One] ''[[xkcd]]'' comic has the character announce "I know you're listening" to empty rooms, on the off chance he's right.

* One ''[[Mezzacotta]]'' character [http://www.mezzacotta.net/archive.php?date=1950-10-06 says] this is why you humans cannot be allowed to leave Earth.

** You know it's a [[Crapsack World]] when the [[Alpha Bitch]] arranges a ''rapist'' to show up out of nowhere just to teach you "a lesson," then suffers ''zero penalty'' for it. In fact, Candi has to deal with this ''at college also''. And that time, she avoids going to the police because she'd already tried to help a friend in the hall seek justice for being hazed in a sexual manner; and the police [[Police Are Useless|didn't care]].

 

== Web Original ==

** {{spoiler|Gambino, again, went to his friend Edmund with concerns about his security force being absent early in March 2010. Edmund dismissed him as paranoid and told him to go home and get some sleep. Cue vampire assassin...}}

* Invoked by Gordon Freeman in episode 28 of ''[[Freeman's Mind]]''. While his paranoia does allow him to accurately predict enemy strategies and avoid traps, he proceeds to delve into the absurdly paranoid... including telepathic owls.

* [[The Nostalgia Critic]] becomes paranoid that his allies will seek to oust him as President of [[Kickassia]]. {{spoiler|He's right, but it's only after he threatens them with [[No Kill Like Overkill|twenty tons of dynamite!]]}}

 

== Western Animation ==

** In another episode, "Hungry Hungry Homer," Homer stumbles upon evidence that suggests that the Springfield Isotopes were going to be sold to Albuquerque. He attempts to alert the press, but by the time they go there, all the evidence is gone, leading them to believe that Homer was either lying or paranoid. He then orchestrates a food strike just to prove it. Eventually, he manages to stop the food strike when it as becoming clear that it was having bad effects on his health. Ironically, his quitting the food strike was also what caused him to be proved correct in his paranoia all along (as, thanks to a mistake in food changes, they ended up revealing that the foodstuff was of Albuquerque-style food, and they even sported the name "[[Defictionalization|Albuquerque]] [[wikipedia:Albuquerque Isotopes|Isotopes]].")

** In the episode "Beyond Blunderdome", the executives were not willing to allow the remake that Mel Gibson or Homer Simpson to be released, as they feared it would result in negative backlash. After reluctantly letting them release it, their fears proved to be very sound, with several people walking out of the movie in disgust after watching it.

* ''[[Code Lyoko]]'': Waldo Schaeffer, alias Franz Hopper; changing his name was only the tip of the iceberg. His electronic diary was encrypted with code that would take years to crack, hidden in a train station locker whose key was hidden in his daughter's plushy which was in turn hidden in a crack of a wall in his house. And he created a ''[[Cyberspace|whole virtual world]]'' with the aim of hiding there with Aelita, out of danger from his pursuers. But hey, [[The Men in Black]] '''were''' after him, and they'd already kidnapped his wife.

* In ''[[Invader Zim]]'', Dib has the [[Cassandra Truth]] reputation going strong. But he's right—Zim, the main character, is indeed an evil alien bent on conquering humanity. What's more, whenever he's seen engaging in other paranormal studies (such as chasing a hairy kid he thinks is a baby Bigfoot), he continues to show much more awareness of the world around him than... well, the world around him. Maybe he'd be more credible if he stopped talking to himself.

* Penny Proud in one episode of ''[[The Proud Family]]'' suspected that the reason why she was getting bad grades from her teacher despite having put much work into her paper was because her teacher hated her, to which her family members didn't believe her (Oscar initially thought that she gave her a bad grade because the teacher was republican [Penny wrote her paper on how Hillary Clinton inspired her]). Turns out, Penny was actually closer to the truth than even she realized: She did hate her in a way, although mostly because she was sore towards Suga Mama for winning a coin toss (well, cheating in the coin toss is a bit more accurate), and Penny is related to Suga Mama, being her granddaughter and all.

* A couple of ''[[Looney Tunes]]'' shorts had Sylvester as [[Porky Pig]]'s pet cat, who would be the only one who knew that, for instance, a sinister mob of mice were out to kill his master. Porky would catch Sylvester doing truly bizarre things to save both their skins and chalk his behavior up to cowardice, insanity or both.

 

== Real Life ==

* The CIA, KGB, Mossad, for that matter, ANY intelligence group that uses secrecy as its M.O, causes this trope by mere existing. And that's just the ''known'' ones. The ones that are completely unknown are even worse.

** Come to think about it, its the CIA, KGB, Mossad, etc. job to be Properly Paranoid.

 

{{reflist}}