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[[File:soulful pug 3382.jpg|frame|[[A Worldwide Punomenon|Pugly cute]]?]]
{{quote|''"The uglier you make it, the more they'll cry at the end."''
|'''Character designer''' working on ''[[King Kong]]''}}
▲{{quote|''"The uglier you make it, the more they'll cry at the end."''|'''Character designer''' working on ''[[King Kong]]''}}
|'''[[Wild Kratts|Chris Kratt]]''' on a baby aardvark}}
▲{{quote|"''Wow! He's funny lookin' cute!"''|'''[[Wild Kratts|Chris Kratt]]''' on a baby aardvark}}
There's [[Generic Cuteness]], the [[Ridiculously Cute Critter]], and the [[Moe]]. And then there's these guys. Creatures who are, to put it kindly, ''less cute'' than other creatures.
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There are some who argue that this trope has much to do with parental instinct. Consider: very young human babies aren't conventionally cute at all; that takes a few months. They come into the world as discolored wrinkly blobs that [[Cute but Cacophonic|scream like the world is ending]] whenever anything upsets them. And yet, all these traits seem to say, "Gotta love me!"
"[[Busukawaii]]" is [[
Not to be confused with [[Grotesque Cute]], which is generally when evil things are done by (or to) conventionally cute things.
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'''NOTE:''' Since there are so many [[Truth in Television]] examples of Ugly-Cute, we're going to focus on ''fictional characters only'' on this page (we already know Pugs are a [[Real Life]] example). Also, when adding examples, avoid things and people who are [[Hollywood Homely]]. They must be visibly ugly for the trope to be in effect.
{{examples}}▼
▲{{examples}}
== Anime and Manga ==
* Rock Lee and Guy-sensei from ''[[Naruto]]'' (aka Thickbrows and Superbrows) and Naruto himself.
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* [[My Neighbor Totoro|The giant Totoro]] and the Catbus.
* He'arring from ''[[Chaotic]]'' definitely qualifies.
* ''[[Bio
* [[Tenjou Tenge|Emi Izuzu]]'s "[[Fat Bastard|normal]]" form. Cutest [[Gonk]] ever.
* The title character from ''[[Patalliro]]!''
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** Odata Buta, the robot pig mascot also has fans.
* The [[Cute Machines|Tachikomas]] from ''[[Ghost in the Shell]]: [[Stand Alone Complex]]'' are cyclopean [[Spider Tank]]s, but their voices and gestures make them incredibly adorable even as they slaughter terrorists with gatling guns.
* Children portrayed in ''[[Tekkon Kinkreet]]'', especially [[Meaningful Name|White]]. The art style makes it hard for anything to be [[Generic Cuteness|stereotypically cute]], but White still manages to be downright adorable at times.
* The [http://picsdigger.com/keyword/kodamas/ Kodama] from ''[[Princess Mononoke]]''.
* ''[[Eyeshield 21]]'' ''loves'' this trope. 50% of the Devilbats are made up of Ugly-Cutes.
* Pokutes from ''[[
* Senritsu from ''[[Hunter X Hunter]]'' is nearly bald and has buck teeth, but she has a very kind heart
* Inko-chan from ''[[Toradora!]]
* Kitano from ''[[Angel Densetsu]]'' manages to be both [[Face of a Thug|utterly terrifying]] (to the other characters), and [[The Woobie|completely adorable]] (to the audience).
* In ''[[Wild Fangs]]'', Gido is a sentient furball who looks like a rather unfashionable scarf. It's cute.
* Weirdly enough, Charlotte's cake dragon from ''[[Puella Magi Madoka Magica]]'' looks cute when it's not showing off its sharp teeth.
* Aruguably, {{spoiler|Kyo Sohma's true form}} from ''[[Fruits Basket]]''. He looks like some sad mix between a bunny rabbit and a dinosaur.
* The way all [[Big Creepy-Crawlies|insects]] are drawn in ''[[The Borrower Arrietty]]'' manages to be ridiculously cute and pretty realistic at the same time. They all have [[Four-Legged Insect|the right number of legs]] and beady eyes, but their portrayal is more like that of the [[My Neighbor Totoro|soot]] [[Spirited Away|spirits]] than something dirty or abhorrent.
* ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!]]'':
** Is Seto Kaiba's favorite card, Blue-Eyes White Dragon a "cute" monster? Well, no, but in the episode where Yugi duels Johnny Stepps at Kaibaland, there's a scene (cut from the dub, sadly) with a claw-grabber machine full of plushies shaped like Duel Monsters, including an ''adorable'' BEWD plushie.
** Yugi's Kuriboh plays this Trope straight, as do all of its variations. Or maybe its simply just cute; fans are split.
== Art ==
* Patricia Piccinini.
* Sheela-na-Gigs. [[NSFW|Don't Google them at work]]. They're generally skinny, [[E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
* [http://soupandbutter.deviantart.com/art/EEVEE-129390886?q=gallery:SoupAndButter&qo=36 This] drawing of an [[Pokémon|Eevee]].
* [http://www.tenthousandvillages.com/good-luck-pig Chanchitos], little terra-cotta good luck pigs from Chile. They only have three legs, and their faces tend to be rather asymmetrical in the most bizarrely adorable ways.
== Comic Books ==
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* The Spies in ''[[Spy vs. Spy]]''.
* Baby Wildebeest from ''[[Teen Titans (Comic Book)|Teen Titans]]''.
* Woola the calot in James Killian Spratt's (NSFW) [http://www.erbzine.com/mag13/1301.html comic adaptation] of ''[[John Carter of Mars|A Princess Of Mars]]''. [https://web.archive.org/web/20090424231632/http://www.sprattart.com/cgi-bin/details.pl?idno=555 You're a cute little ten-legged killer space dog], [https://web.archive.org/web/20090424231627/http://www.sprattart.com/cgi-bin/details.pl?idno=554 yes you are!]
** Sola with her ''enormous'' [[Non-Mammal Mammaries]] (though since the Red Martians, indistinguishable from humans except for skin color, are also oviparous, both species may be monotremes as opposed to true non-mammals) in that same work could qualify as well, though she may be more in the [[Cute Monster Girl]] category.
* The gay demons in [[Jack Chick]]'s comic, ''The Birds and the Bees''.
* Lockjaw, the giant pug-like pet dog of Marvel's ''[[The Inhumans|Inhumans]]''. Although the size of a hippo, he's as cute as the dog seen atop this page. It's also sort of weird, since at one point it was suggested he actually ''is'' an Inhuman who simply got hit with the ugly stick very hard by Terrigenesis. This was retconned later... re-creating the plothole as to just where the Inhumans got him anyway (Terrigenesis does not affect animals).
* [[Pre Crisis]] [[Green Lantern|Tomar-Re]] [https://web.archive.org/web/20111115100306/http://images.wikia.com/marvel_dc/images/a/a9/Tomar-Re.JPG qualifies]. The Post-Crisis version has a larger beak which improves his looks much like the [[Gargoyles]] Brooklyn is like.
* Pooch the Lowbeast from ''[[Hack Slash]]''. He's superficially hideous with his protruding jaws and cloven hooves, but his loyalty to his masters and his desire to be petted and loved like any ordinary dog make him adorable.
* ''[[Johnny the Homicidal Maniac]]''
** [http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/50494_103098986941_1925313_n.jpg Wobbly Headed Bob]{{Dead link}}
*** It's only obvious that between JTHM and ''[[Invader Zim]]'' that Jhonen Vasquez is a master at this trope.
* In the ''[[Animal Man]]'' reboot, Animal Man's daughter Maxine manifests the power to animate dead animals. The sight of her playing with a half rotted skeletal kitty is oddly adorable.
* Mac Manc Mcmanx from [[Get Fuzzy]]. [
* Totodile in ''[[New World]]''. Sure, it's a tiny blue crocodile with a massive mouth full of sharp teeth, but it's just so adorable! It's very first scene has it curl up with its new trainer and fall asleep with him. It also became best friends with a two year old girl.▼
▲== Fan Fiction ==
▲* Totodile in [[New World]]. Sure, it's a tiny blue crocodile with a massive mouth full of sharp teeth, but it's just so adorable! It's very first scene has it curl up with its new trainer and fall asleep with him. It also became best friends with a two year old girl.
{{quote|"It was cute, albeit in a reptilian sort of way."}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120423021006/http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4870581/1/Crowleys_Baby Awww, baby] [[Eldritch Abomination|Cthulhu!]]
* Stumpy from ''[[Respawn of the Dead
** Which makes it all the more [[Tear Jerker|Tear-jerking]] when {{spoiler|Stumpy has to be [[Mercy Kill]]ed by the Medic.}}
{{quote|{{spoiler|“I am so sorry, Stumpy,” [Medic] said.}}
{{spoiler|Stumpy was still confused. He wasn’t sure what those words meant, exactly, but “sorry” sounded familiar. It meant…something feeling bad. And the Meaty Thing in the White Coat looked…what was that word? Sad? Like how Stumpy felt when he didn’t get meat. He didn’t have much time to ponder this, however, before there was a loud noise and then...}} }}
== [[Film]] ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20111115132427/http://www.cinemawasteland.com/site_graphics/mike_berryman.jpg Michael Berryman], who has hydrochotic-extodermaldysplasia (a rare condition which prevents him from having any nails, sweat glands or hair), is definitely never going to qualify for being [[Hollywood Homely]], but he seems to have this trope going for him. Even in movies where he plays a bad guy, that baby face of his really might make you want to give him a hug. Of course, it probably doesn't hurt that more often than not, he's also [[The Woobie]] in whatever part he's playing.
* [[E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial|E.T.]]
* Slimer from ''[[Ghostbusters]]'', even in his initial appearance in the film. The producers ran with it in everything spun-off from the film.
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** Pushed even further in Peter Jackson's version, where he's positively cuddly.
* As was [[Edward Scissorhands]]. A breakout role for [[Johnny Depp]], since it doesn't showcase his good looks.
* [http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg151/RainbowMothra/babygodzilla.jpg Say "Hi"]{{Dead link}} to Baby [[Godzilla]].
** [http://www.siamsky.net/auctions/04-03-06/GodzillaJunior.jpg Minya/Minilla/Minira/Milla]{{Dead link}}. It helps that in his first appearance he's a complete [[The Woobie|Woobie]].
** Sure, he's a horrible ancient monster with razor sharp fangs and horns, but those floppy ears make [http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd259/SupernaturalMonkey/Baragon.jpg Baragon] simply adorable.
*** Well, he has been described as being like a giant puppy quite a few times on the internet.
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** Also R2D2. Cutest sentient fire hydrant ever.
** Darth Vader without his mask at the end of ''Return of the Jedi''. Even though he's old and scarred, you still want to give the old guy a hug.
** [http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Rotta Rotta the Huttlet]. A ''[[Fun Size|Huttlet]]!'' For Sith's sake, he can ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20110912020132/http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/File:Rotta_pack.jpg fit in your backpack!]'' Daaaaawwww.
*** Jar Jar Binks in a sorta [[The Scrappy|scrappy-ish]] [[Adorkable]] way.
* Fizzgig and the Podlings from ''[[The Dark Crystal]]''. Heck, we could probably include a lot of Muppets on this list, especially the "darker" Muppets.
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* ''[[Cloverfield]]''. Consider [[Word of God|the backstory]] that "Clover" is less an evil force of mindless destruction and more like a lost puppy looking for its mama. D'awwww...
** Wait, that's one of the ''[[Oh Crap|young]]''?
* Toto from ''[[Gamera]]: The Brave''. Just look at him--[https://web.archive.org/web/20120807110422/http://www.popcultureshock.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/gamera02.jpg Who knew giant turtle-monsters could be so..so cute?]
** [http://www.tohokingdom.com/kaiju/images/baby_iris.htm Baby Irys] is pretty odd looking, yet still adorable. Too bad he's also a [[Complete Monster]] and [[Manipulative Bastard]].
* The Bandersnatch from [[Tim Burton]]'s ''[[Alice in Wonderland (film)|Alice in Wonderland]]''. Half-yeti, half-bulldog, [[Writers Cannot Do Math|half-shark]], and anyone who doesn't want to give it a cuddle is a ''liar''.
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* Many of the creatures from ''[[Yellow Submarine]]''.
* The characters from ''[[Rango]]'' utilize this to stand out from all the cute-cute [[Pixar]] style animations flooding the theaters.
* In ''[[The Man Who Fell to Earth]]'', [[Tragic Hero]] Thomas Jerome Newton ([[David Bowie]]) is [[Moe]] on [https://web.archive.org/web/20111115100233/http://www.crackedactor.com/gallery/Thin-White-Duke/lake the outside] via a disguise, and this on the [https://web.archive.org/web/20111115100229/http://www.crackedactor.com/gallery/Thin-White-Duke/alien inside]. One blog commenter described the true form (which is also hairless, earless, fingernail-less, etc.) as "[[Harry Potter|Voldemort]] with a nose", and in the film it horrifies his human mistress to the point of [[Bring My Brown Pants]]. Granted it's a sudden reveal so shock factors into her reaction, but his eyes have just the faintest sheen of ''pain'' in them. Gentle-hearted [[YouTube]] commenters have compared him and his family (seen in flashbacks), in their white bodysuits, to teddy bears instead.
* The Stitchpunks in ''[[9|Nine]]'', who're basically little ragdolls made out of things like sacking, canvas, and (in the case of two of them) garden gloves. {{spoiler|[[What Do You Mean It's Not for Kids?|Most of whom die horribly]].}}
* Minion from ''[[Megamind]]'', who is essentially a little fish-alien who gets about using a gorilla-like mech suit, and [[Affably Evil|is one of the nicest characters in the film]].
* Robert in ''[[Rubber]]''. He's a serial killer tire but is oh so adorable.
* [[Adorable Evil Minions|The Minions]] from ''[[Despicable Me]]''. Despite the comb-overs, bug-eyes and sickly yellow skin, they're oddly [[adorkable]].
* The [http://attachments.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=697272&stc=1&d=1244971411 baby velociraptor]{{Dead link}} from ''[[Jurassic Park]]''.
* The Puckmaren and various biological samples in '[[Flight of the Navigator]]".
* [[Rio|Tyler "Blu" Gunderson]].
* Woola (again) in ''[[John Carter (film)|John Carter]]''.
* The [[Hulk]] in ''[[The Avengers (film)|The Avengers]]''.
* ''[[Books That Bite|The Monster Book of Monsters]]'' in ''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]]'', as shown [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7GQFHLDTcg here.] A vicious little beastie that does come across as sort of adorable.
== Literature ==
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** Interestingly, ''adults'' seem to be put off by the Wild Things' appearance more than children. This was a major talking point when the film was released; just what side of the "[[What Do You Mean It's for Kids?|It is for kids]]"/"[[What Do You Mean It's Not for Kids?|It's not for kids]]" divide does it fall?
* Quasimodo from ''[[The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Disney film)|The Hunchback of Notre Dame]]'', especially in the Disney adaptation. In the book, he's a misanthropic asshole.
* Gollum from ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' may not have a good personality, but he's just [[The Woobie|so pitiful]]. He's so ugly cute; he's absolutely [[Incredibly Lame Pun|precious]].
* [[Subjective Trope]], but many ''[[Redwall]]'' fans think the villainous "vermin", who are supposed to be ugly and creepy, are cuter than the good "woodlanders".
** It's hard not to agree with them at times: compare [http://bestiarumvocabulum.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/s_hare.jpg a hare] (good) and [https://web.archive.org/web/20131110072633/http://www.pet-care-portal.com/images/ferret.jpg a ferret] (vermin). There have been some alternative arguments as to how Jacques draws the distinction between good animals and bad animals, the most popular being that it's based on the literal definition of [[wikipedia:Vermin|vermin]]. But that doesn't explain anything since nearly all the good animals are also vermin. So no one really knows except Jacques himself.
*** It generally seems to be based on contemporary urban British perspectives of the animals, which explains the relative ambiguity of wildcats and foxes (although the popularity of ferrets and rats as pets in recent years dates the series slightly). To people in a rural environment, of course, they would ''all'' be vermin, except the hare, who would be lunch.
*** People say he makes the cute animals good. This is a blatant lie. EVERYTHING in Mossflower is cute.
*
** Dobby; House Elves in general, actually. Even Kreacher gets better.
** Can't forget Norbert the baby dragon!
** Snape, who has greasy hair, sallow skin, a hooked nose and [[Broken Ace|the]] [[Abusive Parents|most]] [[All Love Is Unrequited|tragic]] [[Tear Jerker|back]] [[Backstory|story]] [[Dark and Troubled Past|of]] [[Unlucky Childhood Friend|the]] [[The Atoner|entire]] [[You Are What You Hate|series]].
*** Alan Rickman's portrayal of the character likely contributed to Snape's [[The Woobie|woobification]]. In the books, the character only becomes sympathetic after he dies.
** The Thestrals - well, for those who can see them, anyway.
** [[Books That Bite|The Monster Book]] is this, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7GQFHLDTcg especially in the movie.]
* The Other, the [[Instant AI, Just Add Water|sentient operating system]] of ''[[Otherland]]'', steals system resources to create a private world for itself, populating it with grotesque mockeries of fairy tale creatures that are nevertheless treated like its children. This is not out of malice, but because it genuinely doesn't understand the context.
* The Phantom (Erik) of ''[[Phantom of the Opera]]'' is slowly becoming this.
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* [[Discworld]] has the Death of Rats. [http://www.lspace.org/art/kidby/mousmat.jpg It's got BIG BLUE EYES, for Pete's sake!]
** Death himself, for that matter. He's your stereotypical cowled-skeleton-with-a-blade [[The Grim Reaper|Grim Reaper]], and plenty badass when he needs to be, but he's a gently compassionate being who loves cats, makes endearingly misguided efforts to understand humanity, and rides a [[Horsemen of the Apocalypse|Pale Horse]] named ''Binky''.
*** Especially the way Paul Kidby [http://www.lspace.org/art/kidby/dthfrnds.jpg
** ''[[
** Swamp dragons (and especially Errol) are described as Ugly Cute.
** And then there's [[The Woobie|Mr Nutt]] of ''[[
** Discworld [[Our Goblins Are Wickeder|goblins]], mostly due to their status as a [[Woobie Species]].
* Vettul, in the [[Doctor Who]] [[Eighth Doctor Adventures]] novel ''Vanishing Point'', is a twenty-year-old [[The Ingenue|ingenue]] who's ''at least'' 6'6" and has one leg twice as thick as the other, obviously crooked eyes, and an otherwise plain face. She also acts like she has [[No Social Skills]], in a completely endearing manner, and manages to have [[Incorruptible Pure Pureness]] without being cloying. She quite fancies Fitz (and calls him "very beautiful", at which he "[stands] there speechless, blushing crimson", being only average-ish in the looks department), and he her:
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* Many [[Dr. Seuss]] characters.
* In ''[[Bigend Books|Zero History]]'' by [[William Gibson]], Olduvai George is described as looking "agreeably simian"
== Live-Action TV ==
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* The baby Future Predators, in ''[[Primeval]]''.
** Rex and the Diictodon.
* Daenerys' three dragons were this for a couple of seasons of ''[[Game of Thrones]]'', when they were still little [[Shoulder-Sized Dragon]]s. Unfortunately, they got less and less cute as they grew up, turning into powerful, ferocious ones.
* Nimrod, the baby mammal-like-reptile-sea-creature-thing from NBC's short-lived series ''Surface''. Come on, who wouldn't want to love a creature that, when full grown, can swallow a small boat whole, burrow through miles of rock, sunbathe in a magma chamber, secrete a substance that lets it regenerate injuries, and generate bolts of lightning?
* The Martians, aka Yip-Yips, from [[Sesame Street]].
** ''Alot'' of the Muppets not deliberately designed to be "traditionally cute" could count, actually; especially some of the Grouches (just don't tell ''them'' that).
* The Pak'Ma'Ra of [[Babylon 5]]. It's those sleepy, bovine eyes.
* From [[Sigmund and The Sea Monsters]] we get [http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/profile-ak-snc1/object3/1000/110/n52781321414_5360.jpg Sigmund]{{Dead link}} [http://s3.hubimg.com/u/3631134_f520.jpg himself].
* The Vork from the ''[[Farscape]]'' episode "Beware of Dog".
*
* ''[[ALF]]'' was most likely designed with these intentions.
== Music ==
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* [[Voltaire]] uses this in his song 'Zombie Prostitute' with the line "She was a rotten kind of cute for a zombie prostitute".
== Newspaper Comics ==
* Odie from the ''[[Garfield]]'' comic strip. His [[Artistic Licence Biology|somewhat distorted]] body proportions, especially his [[Overly Long Tongue]], his often intense drooling, and his name (which sounds like it stems from 'odious') combined with these [[Puppy Dog Eyes|large open eyes]] and his permanent silly but [[Perpetual Smiler|friendly smile]] make a good example of this trope. Even more since he is often the [[Butt Monkey|butt]] of Garfield's pranks. Also in-universe several characters (especially Garfield himself) have a highly ambiguous relationship to him, not knowing whether to like or hate him.
== Tabletop Games ==
* Eyeball beholderkin from ''[[Dungeons
** Also imps and quasits from the same game.
** While we're at it, most baby dragons don't look very much better than their adult forms, but are still able to pull this off. Especially blue dragons, for some reason.
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** Though often hated by most, Flumphs embody this trait. Think of a pancake crossed with an octopus floating around and you've got the idea.
** Goblins and Kobolds. Two races of three-foot-tall people whose apparent racial destiny is to be killed by first-level PCs - you have to feel for them a little. ''Pathfinder'' goblins are particularly adorably ugly, since their huge heads give them an almost [[Chibi]]fied look.
* ''[[Warhammer
** The Orks' pet Squigs solidly fall into this category, as do Gretchin on occasion.
** Chaos has Nurglings; rotund little goblinoid daemons who can often be seen clinging to their larger kin. Possibly the most adorable pustulent hellspawn you will ever meet.
** Popular fan character [http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Cultist-chan Cultist-chan] definitely qualifies as well. She'll cahptoor your heart.
* ''[[Magic: The Gathering]]'' has several. Who'd have thought that a [[Killer Rabbit|psycho killer]] named [http://magiccards.info/autocard.php?card=Murderous%20RedCap Murderous Redcap]{{Dead link}} could be so huggable? Or that a slimy eyeless...''thing''...like a [http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=21290 mossdog] looks like it would make a good pet? To say nothing of a few of the [[Warhammer
== Toys ==
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* From ''[[Transformers]]'', [http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Image:ROTF_Ravage_promo.jpg Ravage] is sure to give you cuddly nightmares. And that's just [http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Image:ROTF_Deluxe_Ravage_toy.jpg his regular figure], not the [http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Image:Robotheroesjoltravage.jpg Superdeformed Robot Heroes version].
* The immortal Sock Monkey.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130815064454/http://www.hotmunkey.co.uk/index.php?cPath=2 Mutant Dolls]. Basically ragdolls with huge eyes, horns, fangs, floppy, lopsided bodies, and and odd, vacant stares - and you just wanna hug 'em?
* The legendary "Robert The Doll" would fit in this trope. Sure, he's a haunted doll rumored to curse you if you don't ask him permission before taking his picture, but he is kinda cute http://www.robertthedoll.org/
* This aesthetic is pretty much why that frog doll... thing... ([http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/get-out-frog-the-something-awful-frog-frogout here, just look at it]) is a [[Memetic Mutation|popular icon]]. Commonly associated with the phrase "[[Get Out!|GET OUT]]", probably because it looks kind of mean.
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* This is pretty much the explanation for the success of Troll dolls.
* The ''[[My Pet Monster]]'' toy line (and associated media) from the 1980s was a deliberate attempt to invoke this trope, especially with the "My Monster Pet" toys, [http://www.ghostofthedoll.co.uk/Toys_MyPetMonster.htm which were more dog-like]. The 2001 Toymax version retooled the Monster making him more conventionally cute, but still falling into this trope.
== Video Games ==
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** Little Monoko, aka the cutest freak of nature you've ever seen.
* The good ending of ''[[Eversion]]''. {{spoiler|Two [[Eldritch Abomination]]s, together at last}}!
* The Mr. Saturns in ''[[
* "[[BioShock (series)|Come on, Mr. Bubbles]]!"
** It helps that despite being one of the most dangerous common enemies, Big Daddies are also the only ones that ''don't'' actively attack you on sight.
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* ''[[Rayman]]'''s Raving Rabbids. [[Killer Rabbit|Brutish, vulgar, maniacal... but still bunnies]]!
** As well as Moskito from the first Rayman game.
* Many of the Zerg creatures from the original ''[[
** Remember the Ragnasaur found on Char? Big forlorn orange eyes, irritated groan whenever you poke it...
* The creators of Ico and ''[[Shadow of the Colossus]]'' will soon be giving us ''The Last Guardian''. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4E0e-ZCn14 The hyena-gryphon creature] in this game is meant to be unbalanced and strange-looking. Who, after watching that trailer, didn't think the creature was the most adorable giant beastie ever?
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* [http://mysims.wikia.com/wiki/File:Zombie_Carl.jpg Zombie Carl] from ''[[My Sims]]''.
* Many ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' monsters may qualify, but the Tonberry most of all; he may be one of the most dangerous random encounters around, but a diminutive fish-lizard-thing with a lantern somehow winds up being cute enough to sell plush toys.
* [[
** Not to mention [[The Woobie|his]] [[Fate Worse Than Death|less-than-enjoyable]] [[And I Must Scream|fate...]]
* A lot of the enemies in ''[[Pikmin]]'', like the [http://pikmin.wikia.com/wiki/Toady_Bloyster toady bloyster], [http://pikmin.wikia.com/wiki/Ranging_Bloyster ranging bloyster], [http://pikmin.wikia.com/wiki/Dweevil dweevils], and even the [http://pikmin.wikia.com/wiki/Emperor_Bulblax emperor bulbax] with it's little eyes and flopping tongue. [[Your Mileage May Vary]], however, as they all try to kill or eat you or your Pikmin, and might leap out of the ground/sky suddenly...
* The Ground Urchins and Raptor Elks from ''[[Brutal Legend]]''. Also the Metal Beasts - giant Aztec panther [[Futurama|Nibblers]].
* The headcrabs in ''[[Half Life]]''. Illustrated with [http://half-life.wikia.com/wiki/File:Kleiner_holding_lamarr.jpg Lamarr], the pet headcrab of Doctor Kleiner, who while de-beaked and harmless, will non-the-less try and swallow your skull. Valve even made a limited run of [https://web.archive.org/web/20100724143723/http://store.valvesoftware.com/productshowcase/productshowcase_HL2HeadCrabPlush!.html plushie headcrabs] for fans.
* The title character of ''The Maw''. It's an [[Extreme Omnivore]] [[Miracle-Gro Monster]] with rows of sharp teeth and one eye. As it grows bigger it's happy chuckling become sinister-sounding laughter. Despite it all it's a cowardly creature who follows the alien player character Frank around like a little puppy and is always happy to eat, {{spoiler|and the hug between Frank and Maw's massive eyeball at the end is utterly d'awww-inducing}}. Think of [[A Boy and His Blob]] if The Blob was an [[Eldritch Abomination]].
* The ''Zelda'' series has its share of these:
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* Little Birdie from [[Metroid: Other M]] is adorable, even when [[Killer Rabbit|it kills the scientists]]. {{spoiler|Turns out that it's baby Ridley!}}
* The entire ''[[Dragon Quest]]'' series of games is loaded with monsters like this thanks to [[Akira Toriyama]] doing the designs. If a monster isn't a [[Ridiculously Cute Critter]], it's invariably one of these instead.
* [[
* Many of the characters in [[Psychonauts]], mostly due to the art style.
* ''[[City of Heroes]]'': The demons that can be [[Summon Magic|summoned]] in the [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|Demon Summoning]] power set have no skin, various skulls for faces, and are wreathed in fire (or ice). And yet, there is something undeniably cute about them. The demonlings especially, whose [[Idle Animation]] is to sit there ''[[All Animals Are Dogs|wagging their tails]]''.
* So many of the infected in ''[[Left 4 Dead]]'' fall under this category. The hunter falls under this especially when drawn in chibi style. The boomer looks like a chubby kid with bloated puss sacks and looks like he wants a cookie, the smoker even with his facial deformities, the tank with his humungous body and tiny head, and especially the witch whos basically a zombified [[Cute Monster Girl]]. Valve knows the creatures they made are cute. [https://web.archive.org/web/20131123034651/http://store.valvesoftware.com/index.php?t=2 They even made plushies!]
** In some lights, ''[[Left 4 Dead 2]]'''s charger and jockey, especially because one looks like deformed hillbilly farmer and the other looks like a retarded midget on crack.
* [[Minecraft]]'s Creepers. Deformed pig model that's green and aptly-named, but is absolutely adorable.
** Y'know, when it's not trying to kill your or destroy the creations you've invested hours on.
* Within the ''[[Monster Rancher]]'' universe, the patron saint of this trope is probably the Color Pandora. It is a strange, vaguely caterpillar-esque monster with [https://web.archive.org/web/20121110234136/http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100202010924/monsterrancher/images/a/a5/ColorPandora_3.jpg freaky human faces] on its separated body segments... that makes high, squeaky noises and does cute acrobatic tricks. In-universe, it's hailed as a shining example of how to cooperate. Out-of-universe, its Ugly Cuteness gives it a surprising number of fans.
* The cutscene at the beginning of the first level of ''[[Clive Barker's Jericho]]'' features a prophetic dream in which the leader of an occult group speaks with a [[Creepy Child|strange, blackened child like creature]] that speaks in [[Voice of the Legion|a voice that wavers between a guttural growl and a pleasant child's voice]]. Creepy Cute as much as Ugly Cute. {{spoiler|It also turns out to be the game's [[Big Bad]].}}
* ''[[League of Legends]]'' features Kog'maw, a little critter from the Void that spews acidic goo at things. Koggy is ''adorable'' in his little mutated way, and if official plushies ever hit the merch store Kog'maw is probably close to the top of the list.
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* Pretty much everyone in ''[[Meat Boy]]''.
* The art style ''[[Sam and Max]]'' produces a lot of these characters. The Soda Poppers are an example [[Gone Horribly Wrong]], but fortunately the game lends opportunities to abuse them every time they appear.
* {{spoiler|Post-transformation Emil}} from [[
* Most of the enemies from the ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' series games like [[The Goomba|Goombas]] and [[Our Ghosts Are Different|Boos.]] Yes, even [[Big Bad|Bowser]].
* [[Crash Bandicoot]]
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* Surprisingly, Painwheel from ''[[Skullgirls]]''. Take a look at her [http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1ua2k1Ys21qkjvv3o1_1280.png without her mask on]. She also appears maskless in the {{spoiler|Story Mode endings of Filia and Valentine}}. When she smiles, she's creepy ''and'' adorable!
== Web Comics ==
* Several examples in ''[[The Inexplicable Adventures of Bob]]''. Molly's pet Snookums is a space monster Bob calls a "tentacle bunny". Molly herself is a pretty weird-looking creature. Roofus the Robot would not be especially cute if not for his innocent personality; well, okay, the construction-worker cap built into his head is kind of cute. And Voluptua, even in her alien butterfly form, still manages to be very attractive.
* This is a common theme in ''[[Digger]]'', as well as [[Ursula Vernon|Ursula Vernon's]] other work. Currently she's on a kick of making adorable phalloi—which are Greek fertility symbols that are basically penises with wings and feet.
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* Squidge the bogeyman in ''[[Tales of the Questor]]'' is somewhat reminiscent of Gollum and Stitch, both mentioned elsewhere on this page.
* [http://mspaintadventures.wikia.com/wiki/Mutie "Mutie"], the four-eyed kitten from ''[[Homestuck]]''. [[Cute Kitten|Everything's Cuter With Mutant Kittens?]]
** All of the Trolls other than [[Catgirl|Nepeta]] [[Moe|Leijon]] and arguably [[Adorkable|Tavros]] [[Nice Guy|Nitram]] count too. [[Up to Eleven]] [https://web.archive.org/web/20111115100356/http://images.wikia.com/mspaintadventures/images/5/5b/Wrigglers.png when we see them as wrigglers.] Who knew little [[Amazing Technicolor Population|rainbow-colored]] maggot things could be so cute?
** Some of the lusii may count too. Tinkerbull is arguably under this category, though he's more just plain adorable. Aurthour, the weird-looking centaur-cow-man lusus of Equius, fits better. He's definitely not cute by normal standards, but his mannerisms help him to achieve a similar effect.
*** Kanaya's lusus definitely falls under this. It's basically a truly gigantic winged bug with a skull for a face. But she's such a caring guardian to Kanaya! Look at her {{spoiler|as a kernelsprite}} [http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100909215161/mspaintadventures/images/0/03/Kanaya2.gif comforting Kanaya]. And Kanaya mentions reading stories to her on [[You Mean "Xmas"|12th Perigee's Eve]]. Aww.
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* The cartoony [[Eldritch Abomination]]s in ''[[The Unspeakable Vault of Doom]]''.
* Bort from ''[[Dominic Deegan]]'', who seems to be one of the few characters that the Hatedom itself accepts.
* Choo Choo Bear from ''[[Something
* It's yet another horrible death trap of fun in the [[Axe Crazy]] building [[Girl Genius|Castle Heterodyne]], but the Nyar spider is just so cute (it even eats its victim with a little knife and fork.)
* Due to the art style, many normally horrific monsters can turn out this way in [[The Order of the Stick]]. For example, Tsukiko apparently sleeps with a plushie version of Xykon, and the instant that comic appeared all the fans wanted one. For context, Xykon is an undead [[Magnificent Bastard]] / [[Complete Monster]] whom even the Joker might find creepy. He's also an adorably drawn stick figure skeleton with [[Expressive Mask|expressive glowing eye-sockets]], a cheerful-looking skeletal grin, and a little golden crown floating just above his head. In plushie form, too cute for words.
* Chelsea Grinn of ''[[Chimneyspeak]]'' is a ravishing young woman... who's covered with scars and is utterly psychotic... and still is adorable in her own way.
* Pretty much all of the hellhounds in ''[[Wurr (Webcomic)|Wurr]]''. Underfed, deformed doggies never looked so cute.
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* The title character of ''[[Selkie]]'' is an [[Fangs Are Evil|orthodontic nightmare]] with [[Hellish Pupils]] and a bluish skin tone more commonly associated with walking corpses. She describes herself as "[http://www.selkiecomic.com/?p=80 a pretty one]", and the fans are inclined to agree. (The tipping points seem to be that a): she has normal human hair, and b): apart from the fangs, her smile is the same as that of any other [[Heartwarming Orphan]].)
* Mr. Cuddles the tarantula in ''[[Catena]]''.
== Web Original ==
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* Please allow us to introduce [http://endangered-ugly.blogspot.com/ Endangered Ugly Things].
* [http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/the-alot Alots]
== Western Animation ==
* The Tazmanian Devil in ''[[Looney Tunes
** [[Wile E.
* Nibbler from ''[[Futurama]]'' has 3 eyes (one of which is on a stalk), [[Cute Little Fangs|fangs]], walks like a monkey, only has one nostril, adorably devours whole creatures several times his size, and poops starship fuel. Leela still goes "[[Squee|Awwwww]]" when she first meets him. The animators were deliberately working with this trope. It becomes all the funnier when he starts speaking with the voice of [[Hey, It's That Voice!|Frank Welker]] (although he had provided the noises Nibbler made up until that point anyway).
** Also, Amy's pet buggalo, Betsy. Buggalo are giant beetles with cowskin-colored shells that can be milked like cows.
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* Seeing as [[WALL-E]] is a rusty, dirty, ''trash compactor'', he certainly qualifies.
** ''And'' his adorable little disease-harboring pet, a ''cockroach''.
** [[Pixar]] is good with this trope. See also the more esoteric looking characters in ''[[Toy Story (franchise)|Toy Story]]'' and ''[[A Bug's Life|A Bugs Life]]''.
** And ''[[Monsters, Inc.]]''. (Mike, for instance.)
** All of the [[Killer Rabbit|dangerous baby animals]] in ''[[Pixar Shorts|Partly Cloudy]]''. ''All'' of them. Even the [[Psycho Electric Eel|Knifefish]]. ''Especially'' the Knifefish.
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* Some fans of ''[[Corpse Bride]]'' consider the title character, Emily, to be rather cute for a rotting corpse in a tattered wedding dress whose eye occasionally falls out.
** Her Peter Lorre maggot has his own charm.
* Rufus in ''[[Kim Possible]]''. Look at [https://web.archive.org/web/20130827054345/http://www.rochuswolff.de/weblog/archiv/img/kim_possible_nacktmulle_10.jpg this picture of Rufus] and then look at what his [http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/Nacktmull.jpg species ''actually'' looks like].
** In the first movie, ''A Sitch in Time,'' we see the duo's first mission, right before which Ron purchased Rufus from the pet store. As he introduces the little guy to Kim, Rufus is a baby; a tiny, wrinkly, shrivelled little ''thing'' that still manages to be utterly adorable.
** Don't forget Ron's one time mutated cockroach friend, Roachie. We've all seen cockroaches, so I don't even need to explain where the ugly comes in. However, Roachie still manages to be cute, like a "hard shelled puppy".
* Tootie, Vicky's sister and Timmy's admirer on ''[[The Fairly
** Mr. Crocker. Despite being abnormally thin (to the point where his ribs are clearly visible), having a hunchback, crooked teeth, being bald (his hair is actually a wig which pops off at times when he spazzes), and having his ears on his neck, Crocker has a surprising number of fangirls who find him cute/attractive.
*** Humorously lampshaded in one episode where Timmy's Dad thinks that Mr. Crocker is gorgeous...even though Crocker is ''clearly'' supposed to be ugly.
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** And Monster!Starfire from the episode ''Transformation''.
* Gorgonzola from ''[[Chowder]]''. And that's just to name one character.
* Squibby, from the series ''[[The Future Is Wild]]'' may well be the model for unconventional cuteness. "He" is the series' resident [[Non-Human Sidekick]] and is essentially a land-dwelling [https://web.archive.org/web/20170114220718/http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=260 Mimic Octopus] (who in turn, is a great model for [[Real Life]] unconventional cuteness; there's something adorable about a chunk of coral staring anxiously at you) with the personality of Curious George.
* Some of the character designs in Dreamworks' ''[[Monsters vs. Aliens]]'', like the giant bug monster, Insectosaurus.
* Slyder, the dragon minion of ''[[Barbie and the Diamond Castle]]'''s [[Vain Sorceress|villain]] has obviously been designed so that he looks evil, but not so scary that [[Demographics|little girls]] would turn off the movie. This includes mismatched buck teeth and a rounded horn on his head, not to mention that he seems to be made of [[Kung Foley|Cartoon Sound Effects]].
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** Shmeagol ish freeeeeeeeeeee!
* Clayface, from ''[[Batman: The Animated Series]].'' Yes, he's a psychotic shapeshifting clay monster with a horrible temper, but admit it, when he starts mourning for his humanity and showing off those huge yellow eyes, he's just adorable.
* Both the eponymous character and Mega Brain from ''[[Widget, the World Watcher]]''.
* Iris, from the ''[[Ruby Gloom]]'' series is a [[
** A good chunk of the characters apply—the bag-eyed banshee, the [[Emo Teen]] [[Dem Bones|skeleton]], the two-headed Frankenstien's monster. It's a part of the show's whole [[Dark Is Not Evil]] aesthetic.
* Charlotte in the animated adaption of ''[[Charlotte's Web]]''.
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** And the ''Gronkles''.
** And the Zipplebacks!
* [[Beavis and
* [[Metalocalypse|Murderface]] of Dethklok is essentially a grown up, more curmudgeonly version of Beavis.
* The Snow Monster in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
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* [[Oggy and the Cockroaches]].
* Lord Stingray from [[Superjail]].
* [[My Little Pony:
** Discord. There's also Snips and Snails, who are either this or [[Gonk]]s. Actually, let's just say that everybody in this show that isn't conventionally cute is this.
** Then there's {{spoiler|Chrysalis}}, who's basically a locust/zombie/vampire/pony mashup. And manages to look kind of adorable while still being terrifying.
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* The titular ''[[Invader Zim]]''.
* Peri and Entrée in ''[[Spliced]]''.
* Toyed with in the [[
{{quote|'''Lydia:''' (''wistfully'') Am I...ugly?
'''Beetlejuice:''' You're not even ''pretty'' ugly! }}
** In the same episode, B.J. proceeds to show Lydia what ugly really is through the Neitherworld, but Lydia thinks everything's beautiful in its own way.
* ''[[Family Guy]]'' was [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3ZJfxb-R7g able to make] the [[Return of the Jedi| Rancor monster]] Ugly Cute.
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Rule of Cute]]
[[Category:Characterization Tropes]]
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[[Category:YMMV Trope]]
[[Category:Personal Appearance Tropes]]
▲[[Category:Ugly Cute]]
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