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Villainous Harlequin: Difference between revisions
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A step down from the [[Monster Clown]], a Villainous Harlequin is a villain that taps into the same vein as a Monster Clown but is usually [[Played for Laughs]] and rarely attempts to be outright scary.
A Villainous Harlequin (if female) will often be the [[Perky Female Minion]] of the [[Quirky Miniboss Squad]], rarely going any higher on the [[Sorting Algorithm of Evil]]. Compared to the Monster Clown- which is genuinely threatening- she is closer to an [[Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain]]. She has shades of the [[Trickster Archetype]] in her [[Attention Deficit Ooh Shiny|impulsive]] and anarchic ways, but [[The Ditz|lacks the intelligence necessary]] for this trait to provide any real danger. Whether male or female, a Villainous Harlequin may fancy him or herself as a [[Smug Snake]], but his or her childish demeanor and outlandish appearance (which can range from traditional jester costumes to [[Impossibly Cool Clothes|impossibly cool]] outfits and [[Pimped
But be careful: if the Villainous Harlequin gets promoted to [[The Dragon]] or [[Big Bad]] levels, you're going to have a ''serious'' case of [[
The Villainous Harlequin is the product of the popular view of [[The Jester]], which is that of an [[Plucky Comic Relief|idiotic buffoon]]. (This is despite the fact that [[The Jester]] was one of the most insightful members of a king's court, due to his position outside the usual social ranks). Interestingly, in some Renaissance art [[Death]] itself is often portrayed dressed in motley, or "pied" clothing, which is often conflated with the true Harlequin outfit. The more danger a Villainous Harlequin poses to [[The Hero|the protagonists]], the closer he or she gets to [[Monster Clown]].
{{examples
== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==
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* The [[The Golden Age of Comic Books|Golden Age]] [[Green Lantern]] foe the Harlequin (aka Molly Mayne), who he later ended up marrying.
** And Molly was just one of four DC villainesses to use the name The Harlequin over the years, not including Harley Quinn (who doesn't count because she spells it different).
* Pierrot Lunaire is a foe of the Musketeer who dresses as the [[Commedia Dell
* Averted in ''[[Astro City]]'' -- Jack-in-the-Box may have the Joker's fashion sense, but he's definitely a hero.
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* Played with in regards of the Royal Jester in ''[[Princess Maker]] 2''. Everyone ''thinks'' he's a bad guy and going talk to him actually drops your daughter's social reputation each time, but he's actually a rather good-hearted fellow... if a bit of a [[Trickster Mentor]] to the heroine. Who ''can'' choose being a Jester as her main work in the end, if some requirements are met (specifically, having him give her his Royal Harp after several visits, as well as possessing a strong Constitution and very high Art and Conversation skills).
* [[Exactly What It Says On the Tin|"The Harlequin"]] Cahin from ''[[Assassin's Creed Brotherhood (Video Game)|Assassin's Creed Brotherhood]]'', who uses his acrobatics to dazzle and distract his opponents while he ([[Creepy Twins|or his sister Caha]]) move around to deliver a fatal strike.
* Cicero from ''[[The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim]]'', who's a [[Cloudcuckoolander]] member of the [[Murder, Inc.|Dark Brotherhood]] prone to dancing a jig at the spot.
* The latest ''[[Dragon Age 2]]'' DLC Mark of the Assassin has enemy rogues as Harlequins to fit the flamboyant Orlesian setting.
* Shaco the Demon Jester in ''[[League of Legends]]''. If the title or his glowing green eyes didn't give it away, his name is an anagram of "chaos"
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* The ''Riddler's Gammon'' comics by ''[[MS Paint Adventures]]''' Andrew Hussie feature a harlequin who menaces people with nonsensical puzzles and complicated rhyming schemes. He tends to get arrested, or shoved into garbage.
** Let's not forget the fact that just about every enemy is decorated with Harlequin garb in ''[[Homestuck (Webcomic)|Homestuck]]''!
* In the ''KITTEN II'' storyline of ''[[Sluggy Freelance]]'', the commander of a paramilitary group devoted to battling the forces of evil is inexplicably dressed as a clown, which [[Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?|terrifies]] the normally-stoic Riff. It turns out he isn't really a clown, it's just a disguise to divert attention away from them. Somehow. But then it turns out that {{spoiler|he's gone insane and believes himself to be chosen by God to control [[Killer Rabbit|The Evil]].}} And then it turns out that {{spoiler|he was a clown all along.}}
== [[Western Animation]] ==
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