History Main / TheScrappy

This trope is named after Scrappy-Doo from the ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'' cartoon. While popular in the 1970s, the character came to become the face of this trope as the Scooby-Doo franchise fell into decline in the 1980s, with fans pointing to the decline occurring as the franchise began to focus more and more upon Scrappy-Doo, who was intended to be a younger dog character for younger viewers to identify with[[note]]the show was on the verge of cancellation when Scrappy was introduced in a last-ditch effort to save it; existing fans of the show generally didn't hate Scrappy enough to stop watching, and he brought in enough new viewers to more than replace the few who did tune out, raising the ratings and saving the show[[/note]] but ended up annoying them as much as the older fans. When the franchise was later retooled in the 1990s and the character had become [[DeaderThanDisco particularly notorious]], he was entirely dropped from every iteration of the franchise in animated form and the character had become so toxic that even attempts to market older material with Scrappy in it tried to reduce mention of his role. The 2002 ''Film/ScoobyDoo'' movie (which is not considered {{canon}} with respect to any other ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'' series) was the last time the character appeared in the franchise, and this appearance [[AdaptationalVillainy was entirely intended to disparage the character]] and his perceived role in ruining the show.

On the other hand, if the writers take a shine to The Scrappy and [[CommonMarySueTraits add some elements]] of MarySue, or otherwise put more focus on them over more popular/liked characters, this will add gasoline to the flames--they've just turned The Scrappy into the dreaded CreatorsPet.

There are popular characters that have {{fandom}}s. But sometimes, there is a character who instead has a ''{{hatedom}}''. We'll call this guy [[TitleDrop The Scrappy]].

This trope is named after Scrappy-Doo from the ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'' cartoon. While popular in the 1970s, the character came to become the face of this trope as the Scooby-Doo franchise fell into decline in the 1980s, with fans pointing to the decline occurring as the franchise began to focus more and more upon Scrappy-Doo, who was intended to be a younger dog character for younger viewers to identify with[[note]]the show was on the verge of cancellation when Scrappy was introduced in a last-ditch effort to save it; existing fans of the show generally didn't hate Scrappy enough to stop watching, and he brought in enough new viewers to more than replace the few who did tune out, raising the ratings and saving the show[[/note]] but ended up annoying them as much as the older fans. When the franchise was later retooled in the 1990s and the character had become [[DeaderThanDisco particularly notorious]], he was entirely dropped from every iteration of the franchise in animated form and the character had become so toxic that even attempts to market older material with Scrappy in it tried to reduce mention of his role. The 2002 ''Film/ScoobyDoo'' movie (which is not considered {{canon}} with respect to any other ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'' series) was the last time the character appeared in the franchise, and this appearance was entirely intended to disparage the character and his perceived role in ruining the show.

Scrappies come in many different forms. Some of the most commonly hated characters are those that are viewed as very flat, are {{Karma Houdini}}s, [[TheLoad are unhelpful to the protagonists]], {{Invincible Hero}}es, or are seen as overly annoying, arrogant, or abrasive. Characters who change a liked status quo will also often fall under this, as can characters who are seen as getting too much screen time.

Not all Scrappies are doomed to their status. If the writers notice what's happening, they may [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap change the character in order to make sure they are no longer hated]], give them a [[AlasPoorScrappy tragic death scene]], simply [[ShooOutTheNewGuy send them away]], [[AdaptationalVillainy turn them into a villain in a reboot or adaptation and have the more popular characters beat them up]], or at the very least [[TakeThatScrappy show that the other characters are as annoyed by them as the fans are]].

[[caption-width-right:200: '''There he is!''' That's the original Scrappy! '''Kill him''', and make sure it's [[KickTheSonOfABitch slow and painful!]] Oh, and then kill him again, [[DeaderThanDead just to be safe.]]]]

Note that this is not the same as a HateSink, a character intentionally designed to be disliked for actual villainous actions, but who is not necessarily perceived to detract from the work itself -- the audience just wants him to suffer and want a character to root against for a change. Thus, such characters as [[Series/GameOfThrones Joffrey Baratheon]], [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix Dolores Umbridge]], [[Manga/FullmetalAlchemist Shou Tucker]], and [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater Yevgeny Borisovitch Volgin]] -- as universally hated as they are -- are ''not'' considered Scrappies.

This trope is named after Scrappy-Doo from the ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'' cartoon. While popular in the 1970s, the character came to become the face of this trope as the Scooby-Doo franchise fell into decline in the 1980s, with fans pointing to the decline occurring as the franchise began to focus more and more upon Scrappy-Doo, who was intended to be a younger dog character for younger viewers to identify with[[note]]the show was on the verge of cancellation when Scrappy was introduced in a last-ditch effort to save it; existing fans of the show generally didn't hate Scrappy enough to stop watching, and he brought in enough new viewers to more than replace the few who did tune out, raising the ratings and saving the show[[/note]] but ended up annoying them as much as the older fans. When the franchise was later retooled in the 1990s and the character had become particularly notorious, he was entirely dropped from every iteration of the franchise in animated form and the character had become so toxic that even attempts to market older material with Scrappy in it tried to reduce mention of his role. The 2002 ''Film/ScoobyDoo'' movie (which is not considered {{canon}} with respect to any other ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'' series) was the last time the character appeared in the franchise, and this appearance was entirely intended to disparage the character and his perceived role in ruining the show.

* Film

Contrast EnsembleDarkHorse, an unexpectedly popular character, and UnpopularPopularCharacter, a character hated or disliked InUniverse but loved by the fandom. If the scrappy dies or suffers in some painful way where the audience actually starts to sympathize with the character, then it becomes AlasPoorScrappy. Not to be confused with CuteBruiser which is the original meaning of the word scrappy.

[[caption-width-right:200: '''There he is!''' That's the original Scrappy! '''Kill him''', and make sure it's [[KickTheSonOfABitch slow and painful!]] Oh, and then kill it again, [[DeaderThanDead just to be safe.]]]]

Note that this is not the same as a HateSink, a character intentionally designed to be disliked for actual villainous actions, but who is not necessarily perceived to detract from the work itself -- the audience just wants him to suffer and want a character to root against for a change. Thus, such characters as [[Series/GameOfThrones Joffrey Baratheon]], [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix Dolores Umbridge]], [[Manga/FullmetalAlchemist Shou Tucker]], and [[VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite Ghetsis Harmonia]] -- as universally hated as they are -- are ''not'' considered Scrappies.

The opposite of the EnsembleDarkHorse, an unexpectedly popular character, and UnpopularPopularCharacter, a character hated or disliked InUniverse but loved by the fandom. If the scrappy dies or suffers in some painful way where the audience actually starts to sympathize with the character, then it becomes AlasPoorScrappy. Not to be confused with CuteBruiser which is the original meaning of the word scrappy.

Note that this is not the same as a HateSink, a character intentionally designed to be disliked for actual villainous actions, but who is not necessarily perceived to detract from the work itself -- the audience just wants him to suffer and want a character to root against for a change. Thus, such characters as [[Series/GameOfThrones Joffrey Baratheon]], [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix Dolores Umbridge]], [[Manga/FullmetalAlchemist Shou Tucker]], and [[VideoGame/Ghetsis]] -- as universally hated as they are -- are ''not'' considered Scrappies.

Note that this is not the same as a HateSink, a character intentionally designed to be disliked for actual villainous actions, but who is not necessarily perceived to detract from the work itself -- the audience just wants him to suffer and want a character to root against for a change. Thus, such characters as [[Series/GameOfThrones Joffrey Baratheon]], [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix Dolores Umbridge]], and [[Manga/FullmetalAlchemist Shou Tucker]] -- as universally hated as they are -- are ''not'' considered Scrappies.

[[caption-width-right:200: '''There he is!''' That's original Scrappy! Kill him, and make sure it's [[KickTheSonOfABitch slow and painful!]] Oh, and then kill it again, [[DeaderThanDead just to be safe.]]]]

[[caption-width-right:200:OH No! It's the original! Kill it! [[KickTheSonOfABitch Slowly and painfully!]] Then kill it again, [[DeaderThanDead just to be safe.]]]]

[[caption-width-right:200:Kill it! [[KickTheSonOfABitch Slowly and painfully!]] ]]

[[caption-width-right:200:Kill it!]] [[KickTheSonOfABitch Slowly and painfully!]]

[[caption-width-right:200:Kill it!]] [[KickTheSonOfABitch Slowly and painfully!]]]]

[[caption-width-right:200:Kill it!]]
[[KickTheSonOfABitch Slowly and painfully!]]]]