Gag Archetype

Background

The Gag Archetype refers to characters whose power, relevance, and survival are dictated by comedy and absurdity rather than conventional logic or statistics. These characters operate on "gag logic," meaning their feats are exaggerated, nonsensical, or completely disconnected from the physical or narrative rules that govern others. Their presence often destabilizes tiering because their effectiveness depends less on measurable traits and more on how far comedic exaggeration is allowed to run. These characters will always have Cartoon Physics.

Core Traits

• Cartoon Logic: Their abilities follow the rules of slapstick, parody, or meta-humor rather than realism.
• Elasticity of Power: They can be as weak or as powerful as the gag requires, shifting wildly depending on context.
• Immunity Through Absurdity: Often ignore damage, death, or even logical consistency because it would ruin the joke.
• Comedic Dominance: Typically portrayed as able to humiliate serious opponents through ridiculous or humiliating tactics.

Possible Variations

• Slapstick Fighter: Relies on physical gags such as exaggerated hits, pratfalls, or rubber-like durability.
• Meta-Comedian: Leverages awareness of being fictional or manipulates the story for laughs.
• Deadpan Absurdist: Appears serious, but their feats are still governed by nonsense logic that undercuts dramatic tension.

Limitations

• Tone-Dependent: Their effectiveness drops when placed in serious or grim contexts where comedy is suppressed.
• Narrative Disregard: In some crossovers, they are intentionally weakened or relegated to comic relief to avoid breaking the story.
• Rule of Funny: If their presence stops being funny, their "power" evaporates.
• Gag Specific Weaknesses: Some series may give them a genuine weakness to counter their gag powers, such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit? where they have a genuine weakness that can kill them for good.

Examples

• Chowder (Chowder)