Never forget the time spider man lost his voice from a cold and all the villains surrendered cuz they were afraid of how silent he was

Every D&D campaign I've ever played in has been marked by the players' inability to perform simple tasks. The party can't so much as buy sandwiches without seducing a goat, killing the mayor, and opening a portal to hell in the town square. Then initiative is rolled and suddenly they're a flawless death squad that could kill God.

It's amazing how Sokka is both the funny idiot and the genius strategist at the same time. A lot of his comedy actually comes from him being the only braincell in the group and constantly getting frustrated with the carelessness of the others, which is really clever. He's a great fighter but his strength lies in his brains, which is surprising for a "moronic" character (I mean, he's had his share of genuinely stupid stuff too, but still). It's a twist on the badass, with his main power being the smart guy, rather than being the awesome warrior.

I think my personal favorite CMHB is the one and only Captain Jack Sparrow. He pretends to be a bumbling idiot of a pirate when just under the surface he's a simultaneously brilliant and insane master escape artist that can figure out how he can get out of a situation with little more than a glance at a few things that he can use. The idiot act just helps him pull off his escapes from inescapable situations by making everyone else who doesn't know of him already underestimate his affinity for using wacky bullshit to get himself out of trouble.

I love iroh, his “moron” side is constantly doing wacky stuff, that on later thought turns out to be calculated and helpful. He’s just wonderful

She said badass *57 times* , in case you were wondering.

Luthor’s plan Step 1. Become President Step 2. Kill Flash Step 3. Get killed by Superman Step 4....profit?

I love the Flash's scene cuz you know that he isn't scared of dying, he's terrified because he knows that dying under these circumstances is the catalyst for turning his friends/idols into the worst versions of themselves. OOF

Red: on the opposite end of the spectrum is the man child variant. Me, immediately: Deadpool

I like how in most trope talks, Avatar is featured in at least one variant of the trope.

The original clip that inspired “Ultra Instinct Shaggy” is a clip of him being awesome and funny at the same time

"Weapons grade slapstick" is the best term I've ever heard to describe Jackie Chan

I would like to think I’m a crouching moron, hidden badass but in reality I’m more of a crouching moron, hidden even more of a moron

"People like funny and people like awesome. And I'm people." Can relate.

"They're dead. People are dead." - Vash the Stampede Unquestionably one of the most amazing moments of a CMHB I've ever seen. This whole show Vash has been preventing people from being hurt, not just dying, bit if possible, hurt. Now people are dead, and Vash's simple statement of that fact is terrifying.

I think making comic relief characters as snipers or hackers is to keep them out of the direct line of fire so that they can focus more of their brain on being comedic, instead of being forced to worry about getting out of the way of dying.

"I may be an idiot, but I'm not stupid" is my favorite version. Highly booksmart and awesome but have little to know common sense. Like Sokka in ATLA, Spencer in iCarly, or Shawn in Psych.

A man child is literally Joseph jostar the guy who manages to simultaneously be the smartest guy in the room and the stupidest

Zenitsu, the guy who's first instinct when facing the demons he's supposed to fight is running away, but once he takes a power nap, turns into the living embodiment of the phrase, "Lightning never strikes twice."

When I started writing my character, Aydyn, I wanted them to be essentially a cross between James Bond and Jackie Chan. They were always more than a little silly, so when they reached the part where they were the best spy to have ever lived (their own words), they purposefully started to take their fights less seriously, just to see how good they had gotten. Why pick up a regular gun, when you can pick up a nailgun instead, which is a lot less useful, but is also funnier when used (in)correctly.

there's a great Jackie Chan outtake where he pops around the corner with a gun and says "CHEESE!" the crew starts giggling and he just "what?" and someone behind the camera says "it's freeze. Not cheese." and jackie laughs "Oh right! Freeze!"

Kung Fu Panda actually does a pretty decent job of making this archetype the main character, it's not perfect by any stretch, but it's a fine example of CMHB protagonist.

"Demons run when a good man goes to war" And simply captain jack sparrow are also good cases of cmhbs

I just realized The Lego Movie technically shared two CMHBs: - Vitruvius as The Faker, normally playing up the senile old blind mentor but still able to fight (in the prologue and towards the end: "well June bug, I'd use the term EXPERIENCED"). - UniKitty as The Goku, courtesy aware of her aggressive side that can pummel through robots in a single leap, but generally reserved for her fun and cheery personality (breaks out when Emmet is trapped during the invasion of Bricksburg: "must stay positive....AW FORGET IT"). However, we can also mark it as Superpowered Evil Side as she does gradually remain angry kitty in this film and its sequel. But it does gradually return over time. There's just a good portion of time between both films in which she adapts the aggressive personality over the norm

You talked about how it's annoying when CMHBs are constantly underestimated, and I agree with you, but I love when it's the inverse. Where the CMHB is rumored to be extremely powerful, then when met in person they just seem like a goofball with a bad rumor attached to them. Until later in the story when that rumor turns out to be true.

Jackie Chan is definitely not underrated or anything but I still feel like he doesn't get enough credit. He laid a blueprint and filmmakers still refuse to take his advice.

Late, but, I also find it interesting how the CMHB trope can work on villains. A villain that toys with the heroes, that loudly makes jokes, that makes bond villain errors simply because of how much fun he’s having… and then something goes wrong, and he proceeds to start busting out the most powerful shit in his arsenal. Example is Xykon from Order of the Stick.

"walking talking force of nature that thinks marriage is a thing you eat" honestly sounds like how a lot of people play barbarians in D&D

Roy Mustang: Crouching badass, hidden moron (also don't get him wet)

-Noo you can just be badass and funny at the same time -Jackie Chan and Bollywood action scenes: observe

Stone-Cold badass characters blend really well with CMHBs, especially if the setting better fits the CMHB, because the guy who is established as a serious and professional person is now forced to turn a little more fun and light-hearted, often thinking they look stupid the whole time (and sometimes being right).

I'd love to see a separate yet similar trope in this vein... The Badass Adorable!

“My name is Michael J. Caboose, and I! Hate! Taxes!” “It’s Texas, you idiot!” “That too!” RvB season 10

“People like this and I am people” -Red 2019

A lot of people talk about the Flash being their favorite CMHB, so let me just bring up one of my favorite JLU episodes, "Flash and Substance," where the Flash is absolutely chill as he deals with his Rogues Gallery in the company of two of the League's grumpiest sourpusses.

Zenitsu from Demon Slayer is a great example of the second type. Initially he’s such a coward that he can only use his cool powers when he’s asleep, but later on he learns how to face his fears and becomes stronger because of it.

I think a really good example of this is Sokka from Avatar. He is primarily comic relief, but then he occasionally has genuinely awesome moments. The best example of this is probably the episode where Sokka trains to be a sword master.

I think Saitama from One Punch Man is my favorite version of this trope. He's badass, COMPLETELY badass. But his badassitude is also the joke. He's so incomprehensibly strong that people assume he's just cheating. He lives in a world where a hero who can throw around cars like frisbees is only considered B-rank. His friend, who consistently loses VERY messily to the point it's almost a joke in and of itself, is an S rank. Saitama is stronger than all of these guys, without even really trying. He's also hilarious. Cuz he just wants to do hero stuff because it's the right thing to do. He only wants money for food and rent, and only goes along with the whole ranking system because of the money it provides that would allow him to not worry about it. He only really starts caring about his rank at all when he finds out C-ranks can get kicked out due to inactivity. And he's only C-rank because, as is typical for shonen heroes, he bombed the written portion. He's also more than willing to call villains out on their bullshit. That "OK..." meme with his face is his response to a villain's monologue carrying on a bit too long. He's a conflict killer, and the audience KNOWS he's a conflict killer. But he does it in such absurd ways that it's funny. Like punching a guy who shrugged off several S-rank heroes and straight up killed or dismembered several lower ranked heroes so hard that the sky clears. Then, when the crowds start thinking "Hey, why do we need heroes if they can't stand up to threats like this?!" he admits he "cheated," and engaged in so his fellow heroes' sacrifices wouldn't be glossed over just because he's so freakishly strong. And all this from the guy who got constantly assaulted by an annoying mosquito that he chased into a huge battle scene.

Dante from the DMC series is a great example of the manchild approach. When Dante shuts up or stops being funny, you really feel it. And knowing his backstory makes his humour and goofyness just hit completely different.

Idk why but the line about the zero-confidance-goofball initially dismissing their basassery and then getting super excited seems exceptionally wholesome to me. I think it's a fusion of the feeling of watching a shy person come out of their shell, and seeing somebody being SUPER happy which in my case i tend to get caught up in the happy person's pace. I just like happy.

This trope is why the Ultra Instinct Shaggy meme works

The Flash arc (and really the CHMB) reminds me of an old saying. There are 3 things all wise men fear a storm at sea, a night with no moon and the anger of a gentle man.

I really like Rimiru from “That Time I Was Reincarnated as a Slime” as an example of a moronic badass. They fall under the “Acting stupid to gain an advantage over those who underestimate them” archetype. They often use the fact that they are “just a weak slime” to accomplish this on top of acting dumb as though they don’t understand the gravity of what’s happening most of the time, only breaking character when a villain pushes them too far. They let their opponent know this by literally telling them that they’re getting serious now. This is usually where Rimiru puts down their sword, and start using their actual powers, regrowing limbs, transforming into other creatures, using powerful magic, creating body doubles, kirbying the villain’s allies, etc.

One of my favorite examples is Equestria Girls Pinkie Pie. She has the power to cause sugar to explode. This has lead to my favorite scene in any fanfic where she fended off an entire government task force by lobbing them with exploding pastries. Moral of the story is, *don't face off against Pinkie in Sugar Cube Corner*.

This is like Jar Jar Binks acting clumsy to hide the fact that he’s a Sith Lord

I think the opposite is much funnier. "Oh no it's the amazing, powerful, puppy OF DOOM." "Bork" "RUN FOR YOUR LIVES"

Something pointed out by Comics Explained during their X Men Vs Avengers videos, specifically about Spiderman, that can feed into the CMHB Trope is that cracking jokes or not taking a fight seriously can actually mess with opponents. Spiderman doesn't just wisecrack during fights because it's who he is, he does it in part because acting so blasé and casual about fights while the people he's fighting take it so seriously can mess with them on a psychological level.

My favorite example of the CMHB trope is Soren from The Dragon Prince, He is fun and goofy and very much a moron sometimes, but he really gets serious, especially in season 3, when it's super important. Definitely one of my faves. I'm surprised I haven't seen many other people mention him

"... and I'm people". You can't fool us Red! #totallynotrobots

Also, people should remember the difference between a character who is dumb and a character who is goofy.

I loved seeing images of Vash in this. Trigun is my favorite anime of all time to the point that it is the only one I re-watch in it's entirety. I even created a Shadowrun character who wore a trench coat filled with derringers inspired by derringer Meryl. I hardly ever see Trigun mentioned or referenced and I appreciate it being acknowledged.

I really enjoy the faker CMHB because when the mask falls they can fall into the magnificent bastard character in a really compelling way. Especially if it's a twist villain. "It was a tactical advantage to be underestimated my 'friends'. I gained both an easier battle against my enemies and protection from you. Heroes who assumed I needed it and wanted me to stay safe because I was so gosh darn lovable. Now your friendship and protection are holding me back so I'm afraid you are no longer needed."

I just realized. This is Sans Undertale.

Fullmetal Alchemist does a lot with this trope. You've got Ed himself as the "crouching short kid, hidden badass," Izumi Curtis is the "crouching housewife, hidden badass," Ling's got the market on "crouching foreign hobo, hidden badass," and Pride is the embodiment of "crouching first grader, hidden nightmare fuel." And then you have inversions like Armstrong, who acts as a "crouching badass, hidden sweetheart."

I feel like Urahara Kisuke is a well done CMHB. He starts out as this quirky shopkeeper, but we learn he's one of the most powerful and brilliant Soul Reapers to exist. And while we do see him do more and more badass things, he's also that goofy person. He's someone who at his core is a funny and goofy guy, but is also prepared to cut someone down ruthlessly when needed. He's also one to add his humor into his fights, so it's not a clear on/off switch, it's just who he is.

My favorite example of what you said right before you started about Jackie Chan and that’s the time spiderman lost his voice and all the villains where so scared they surrendered because they knew if spiderman was silent he was serious. They also knew he could hospitalize them when he was not serious so it was very threatening.

Dear Red: Can we get a mug/t-shirt that's says "I'm Magic, Ishtar loves me, and even the Queen of Hell thinks I'm hot."?

You forgot the all powerful Crouching Cinnamon Roll, Hidden Monster.

One of my favorite JLU moments is when Superman is an inch away from going psycho on Cadmus, and Flash isn't amused in the slightest. In not so many words, he basically calls Supes out for letting his emotions interfere with his reason, and he's cognizant enough to realize that ripping Cadmus out root and stem wouldn't help the League's reputation or even necessarily solve the problem that Cadmus presents in the first place.

One of my favorite Spider-Man moments in the comics is Dare Devil warning Kingpin to not screw around when Dare Devil went to prison (long story) one of Kingpins crownies asks “or what?” It’s then revealed Spider-Man has been hiding in a corner of the ceiling dead silent and looking pissed EDIT: Daredevil Vol. 6 #23

Percy Jackson kind of fits into the 0 confidence goofball.

So what I learned from this: >Be Jackie Chan >??? >Profit.

There's a surprising number of points mentioned here that evoke the image of Usopp, the weakest member of the Strawhat Pirates.

Gojo is truly a CMHB; he’s so badass that he can basically be goofy without end

"People like funnies and people like awesome, and I'm people" Preach

So that's why that line from Heroaca was so great "All Might had arrived...and he was not smiling" Like that shit hit like a truck

That Flash scene! Perfect example. As someone who was a fan of Mark Waid's run, and knows that when he's up to speed he can punch Superman to the moon and leave him in a crater, I wated to see what the DCAU Flash could do when he cut loose. This may not have been that, but good golly. Seeing him towering over Luthiac was the moment you could see what he could really do, and for the first time, you saw him deadly serious and holding nothing back. You knew it was over for the bad guys. They could not withstand his power.... you just didn't know what he was gonna do with it. He was so badass, and it was so satisflying to see.

I love how your first two 'Fakers' are exactly the first two characters who jumped to my mind with the trope. (Vash and Kenshin)

Someone: Idiot Savant Me, an intellectual: *Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass*

When she mentioned" Food, Fighting, and Friendship," I immediately thought " Welp, that's the entire plot of fairy tail .

This got me thinking about Deeks from NCIS Los Angeles. Pretty much from the beginning he was written to be a self-aware comedy relief character, and even though he’s a a fully capable agent, what sticks out more in my memory is his surprising emotional intelligence. When any member of the team - especially Kensi - is experiencing some kind of internal turmoil, he’s the one who can really pinpoint what’s going on, and even if he doesn’t fully understand, he doesn’t hesitate to offer an ear and sympathy.

I gotta shout out Gintama for fusing funny and awesome together very well. Not every episode is perfect but there are some moments of pure gold in there.

The entirety of Assassination Classroom is filled with these character archetypes and its super entertaining

I thought the title said “Crouching Mormon” and I was really confused

Toph will play into this archetype in Avatar when it benefits her/ Team Avatar. I always find it enjoyable to watch her decimate leagues of other benders.

My favorite CMHB has to be LORD ESCANOR from Seven Deadly Sins. I think he's a great example of how the Split Personality archetype can actually be done really well. The way the fight between Escanor and Estarossa is handled is just so immaculate. They punctuate the Leader and protagonist of the 5-man band being beaten to a pulp by this terrible powerful foe and then immediately the CMHB *exsists* and the foe evaporates. So satisfying and so impactful.

Sokka from Avatar: the last airebender is also a really good example of this (though going more towards the funny in non dangerous situations) He is without a doubt the most strategic and clever person on the team yet he is flawed and have a tendency of messing up and even make light of some pretty serious sitations. Not because he is trying to be silly..but because he is silly and don't always think everything through despite being amazing at coming up with plans. Several times he is actually the reason their plan gets either slightly messed up or end in a complete shitshow. The best example of this is when he is attempting to get off the boiling rock in season 3. The reason the first plan goes completly up in smoke is because he isn't careful enough when he tells the other's about his plan. It is even his fault that Zuko gets caught as well..Zuko...because he takes too long to talk to Suki in the cell. He also didn't have any idea about how to catch the warden after they had already begun their second attempt at getting away. The invasion of the fire kingdom is also an example but that is different. He isn't being silly or taking things likely at that specific time but instead gets provoked into using up previous time (It is such an amazing scene actually! Him first telling everyone that they need to focus on the main mision but then gets provoked by Azula's sharp tongue. It is such a welldone scene! We very rarely see Sokka get that emotional and the fact he is even fully aware of her plan yet still ends up falling into it is bloody amazing! It both shows Azula's amazing manipulation skills and quick thinking but also shows some of Sokka's best sides in the fact he is able to see through her plan before she has to start provoking him.)

"weapons grade slapstick" when talking about Jackie Chan. Best quote of the whole video.

Mild case: Col. Jack O'Neill from Stargate SG-1. Faker archetype, and quite fun.

A somewhat related character trope: "somone that has god-like powers but with a mind and/or body of a child" Ex: The Collecter from The Owl House

Bugs Bunny - definitely underestimated by anyone who tangled with him. "You realize, this means war".

Zenitsu from Demon Slayer: Braindamaged anime girl with amnesia who's only useful once he faints from pure fear.

I just realised that Kirito from SAO Abridged is a perfectly executed CMHB. In the moment penultimate to dual wielding reveal, where he rejects an idea of helping people and makes a pun after the Nagano Spanish Guitar guy dies.

my favorite version of this has to be Trevor Belmont where he's normally a tired stumbling drunk but seems to wake up a little when it's time to use his dormant combat abilities and strategist skills.

Iroh is he perfect example. In the first couple episodes, he comes off as lazy, but in the third one, he starts acting wisely. He continues acting like a goof with a love for tea for the rest of the series, with plenty of wisdom, and some serious moments.

My wife is pretty much the social embodiment of this. Shes full on ADHD, clumsy, silly, sometimes childish and extremely excitable. She also completely annihilates the competition at her sales-centric job, can make nearly anyone feel like they want whatever she wants them to and can manipulate a conversation in such a way that you not only think that doing what she wants you to do is the best idea but was actually your idea in the first place. She can tell within seconds of seeing a person the perfect way to address them and relate to them on a natural and personal level, getting them to open up and reveal things to her after just minutes that they would not tell their friends of years. It's a good thing she's Chaotic Good and enjoys actually helping people; I'd hate to think what a selfish person could do with her talents.

I have a character who is described perfectly by this trope! They're definitely a manchild, but they also lean slightly into faker territory. Loads of snark and pranking and intentionally annoying bestie. Lots of screamfests. Lots of oops-I-accidentally-set-myself-on-fire-with-my-own-magic. The funny only goes away when the aforementioned bestie is in some real deep shit.

I have a D&D character whom I suppose is 'The Manchild' because they've grown up in a weird, somewhat goofy, and utterly relatively alien culture (aka the Feywild) and so socially to everyone else they seem kind of goofy. They aren't self-aware of their silliness, or at least that it is silliness, most of the time, albeit they know they are different. They are objectively powerful, and even kind of perceptive, but just naive and kind of stupid. They will kill the monsters hiding in the tavern basement, and then proceed to try and sell the barrels of wine back to the owner.

*notices the missing illustration in the Venn diagram* : oh I wonder what that's gonna be *5 minutes later* : it's Jackie Chan

I feel like Drax from Guardians of the Galaxy is a reverse CMHB. In normal situations he's overly serious, but in combat he's actually kinda useless.

A great example is Iroh. He is a firebending master who could level an entire army and go head to head with anyone. He is incredibly wise, learned and level-headed, having studied different cultures. And he sees what must be done and does it with determination. Yet, he is also the kind a guy who makes tea from a flower he isn't 100% sure of, using firebending to heat cold tea in public when its paramount to remain undercover and takes a bath unguarded in the middle of the Earth Kingdom. He is a wise man, but also a relaxed man who enjoys the smaller things in life. Similar to Sokka. A good tactician and great strategist. Can make plans and find creative solutions. Buuut he will also drink some juice from a cactus he knows nothing about.

No mention of DMC: “What the hell is this?” -Dante, Probably.

"This walking, talking force of nature thinks marriage is something you eat" describes one of my characters so well it HURTS.

Princess Bride also pulls this off well. In fact, the whole movie is basically built on the theme of "being awesome but in a really funny way" - right up until lines like "I want my father back" sucker-punch you at the climax.

Touta Matsuda is a great example. Nobody takes him seriously, until he empties a revolver into Light

"<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="935">15:35</a>" I thought of Luffy from One Piece as soon as you asked the question. Most fights he's pretty badass and funny

You need to a trope talk about the very common trope of “magical mentor is hiding secrets from the protagonist” god this happens so much

I think One Punch Man is another good example of comedy and badassery happening simultaneously. Simply due to the fact he is so overpowered he doesn't need to get serious at all to do incredibly badass stuff

Vash "The Stampede," Kenshin, and Iroh are probably my favorite examples of this trope.

"I'm an idiot, but hurt my friends and you'd be the idiot."