History WesternAnimation / TheEmperorsNewSchool

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

Yzma wants to usurp Kuzco's throne which, given her controlling personality, wouldn't be good and thus schemes to prevent Kuzco from passing his classes--at first by [[BalefulPolymorph transforming him]] into all sorts of different animals. In Season 2, she finds an evil hall of evil machinery. Luckily for Kuzco, he has Malina -- straight-A student, cheerleader, and "Hottie-Hot-Hottie" -- as well as his foster family of Pacha, Chicha, and the kids to help him out. Occasionally [[MinionWithAnFInEvil Kronk]], too.

* BalefulPolymorph: It is (initially) Yzma's intention to use this trope to turn Kuzco into something useless in order to get him to fail school (and thus, lose the kingdom). It never works out, no matter how often she tries.

* ItOnlyWorksOnce: In one episode, Guaca is declared emperor and therefore, the one Yzma must get rid of in order to become empress. When she tries to get rid of him the same way she tried with Kuzco, Guaca sees through the trick because he knows about the previous attempt.

* NotADate: This was a running gag. Whenever Kuzco and Malina would end up doing something together, Kuzco would call it a date, and Malina would tell him "it's not a date." In the series finale, they finally go on an actual date and become an official couple.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/EmperorsNewSchoolsmall_1199.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[AesopAmnesia New school, same Kuzco.]]]]

* MisplacedWildlife: Red-eyed tree frogs are native to Central America and thus out of place in a series set in what is now Peru. Of course, the series isn't really concerned with accuracy, so it's forgivable. Plus it makes for a catchy song.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[AesopAmnesia New school,same Kuzco.]]]]

[[caption-width-right:350:[[AesopAmnesia Well, of course, he’s still kind of a dick.]]]]

* AvertedTrope: One episode has the RunningGag of Yzma telling Kronk to [[CatchPhrase "pull the lever"]]. Usually the lever is pulled and something comical regarding Yzma happens. In one episode nothing happens, as in literally nothing; they take the stairs instead. Another episode, rather then physical harm to Yzma, the fire alarm gets set off.

** "The Emperor's New Home School" features two both aimed getting Kuzco back into regular school. Yzma arranges a field trip and pairs Malina with Ramon to make him insanely jealous. Meanwhile, since Kuzco's just lazying about the house, Chicha deliberately becomes an overbearing EducationMama to make him want to leave.
** "Graduation Groove": with Kuzco guaranteed to finally graduate, Yzma aims to get him to abdicate instead. She poses as the Royal Record Keeper and goes on at length to Kuzco about all the boring tasks and responsibilities that come with being emperor. As herself, she then offers Kuzco a potion that will turn him into a chicken with no responsibilities. [[spoiler:It almost works, but Malina and Kronk manage to find Kuzco and help him set things right]].

* BitchInSheepsClothing: Princess Lalala.
* BrainlessBeauty: Subverted. Malina and the other cheerleaders all get straight-A+s and don't want to coast by on their looks.

* DeanBitterman: Surprisingly subverted with Principal Amzy (Yzma in disguise). Aside from plotting against Kuzco, Yzma actually seems to make a decent principal.

* DickDastardlyStopsToCheat: There are plenty of assignments that Kuzco would have been doomed to fail without Yzma interfering, yet Yzma still feels the need to scheme on getting him to fail said assignment which results in him passing because of her plan.

* ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything: Yzma is Kuzco's head royal advisor, but doesn't actually give him any advice--she's initially under the impression that, since Kuzco has to graduate high school in order to officially become the Emperor, she doesn't have to do her job until then. She's told otherwise by a board of people in charge of reviewing her work in "Take My Advice."

* PopularIsDumb: Averted--Malina's one of the most popular kids in school, but is said to be a straight-A student. Also, it would seem that the cheerleaders at Kuzco Academy are required to maintain straight-A averages.

Kuzco, the main character, is still an obnoxious self-centered emperor (in spite of how TheMovie [[AesopAmnesia ended]]) who has been temporarily dethroned and must attend [[HighSchool The Kuzco Academy]] and pass all his classes to become Emperor, as you can't become one without finishing school. The Kuzco Academy is run by Principal [[SdrawkcabAlias Amzy]], a PaperThinDisguise for Yzma, [[HarmlessVillain the series villain]], which fools no-one except her [[BrainlessBeauty handsome but dim]] lackey [[BumblingSidekick Kronk.]]

!!''The Emperors New School'' provides examples of:

* PaperThinDisguise: Yzma as Principal Amzy. Kronk is the only one that can't figure it out and she has to repeatedly remind him.

Yzma wants to usurp Kuzco's throne which, given her controlling personality, wouldn't be good and thus schemes to prevent Kuzco passing his classes--at first by [[BalefulPolymorph transforming him]] into all sorts of different animals. In Season 2, she finds an evil hall of evil machinery. Luckily for Kuzco, he has Malina -- straight-A student, cheerleader, and "Hottie-Hot-Hottie" -- as well as his foster family of Pacha, Chicha, and the kids to help him out. Occasionally [[MinionWithAnFInEvil Kronk]], too.

* ThePoorMansSubstitute: It's pretty obvious that J. P. Manoux sounds like David Spade doing a very bad impersonation of David Spade doing a...you get the idea

* DidntThinkThisThrough: Kuzco wants nothing more than to graduate and be emperor, but in the finale, he starts thinking about losing his friends and all the responsibilities that come with the big job.

* NiceMeanAndInBetween: The main trio of Kuzco, Malina and Kronk, Kronk serves as the nice and goofiest of the trio, Kuzco is the mean, as he's the brattiest and selfish out of them, leaving Malina as the in-between, she is the OnlySaneWoman of the trio, she always has her kindness, but can be a little unstable at times.

* OpenSecret: Everyone knows that Yzma and Principal Amzy are the same person, despite her (very bad) attempts at hiding. Also, Malina reveals in the series finale that everyone knew that Kronk worked for Yzma, [[MinionWithAnFInEvil but he's such a nice guy everyone is friends with him anyway.]]
* OperationJealousy: "Auction Action" opens with a bachelor auction headlining the male students. Malina was actually going to bid on Kuzco, until he offended her with another egotistical fit, so she bids on Kronk out of spite. Kuzco pleads with Yata to bid on him in order to save face, as well as make Malina jealous. Both couples end up going to the same restaurant (because Kuzco asked Kronk where he was taking Malina), so passive aggressive sniping ensues. Eventually, Kronk and Yata get so sick of it that they leave and go on their own date.

*** During that episode's end credits, Kuzco has to remind the audience that Yzma's not really that nice.
* ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything: Yzma is Kuzco's head royal advisor, but doesn't actually give him any advice--she's initially under the impression that, since Kuzco has to graduate from high school in order to officially become the Emperor, she doesn't have to do her job until then. She's told otherwise by a board of people in charge of reviewing her work in "Take My Advice."

* SeriesGoal: Kuzco must graduate in order to resume being emperor, with Yzma schemes and his own laziness standing in the way. [[spoiler:He finally succeeds in the last episode]].

* AesopAmnesia: Kuzco just wouldn't be Kuzco without his personality. He's still a jerk who thinks of himself first, others five hundredth.

* MeritBadgesForEverything: The Junior Chipmunks.
* MoodDissonance: [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments The "Kuzco Mambo,"]] a cheery [[AudienceParticipationSong sing-a-long]] with flashy colors and praise about how awesome Kuzco is. Right after Kuzco was bemoaning how few friends he had and got captured by Yzma.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Once when Kronk pulls the lever and a gigantic bust statue of Yzma falls on top of her, he says "I found your big bust."
** Malina, under the effects of a love potion, gives us this radar-busting gem of a pick up line: "you, me, biology homework! Only, let's skip the homework."

--> '''Pacha''': "I'd be more surprised if you did."

** "Last Ditch Effort": Mr. Puruturu (voiced by Creator/BenStein) calls class attendance, so he keeps asking, "[[Film/FerrisBuellersDayOff Kuzco? Kuzco? Kuzco?]]"

** YouMeanXMas

* YouMeanXmas: Giftmas (and Kuzcoween and whatever other holiday they feel like parodying). The most painful is that in the Christmas episode a kid's wish is to see snow...and Kuzco freezes to near-death in the same episode.

* VillainDecay: yzma's plots usually involve Kuzco failing a class instead of trying to kill him with a few exceptions and she even has a few moments where she will [[EnemyMine team up with Kuzco]] or [[PetTheDog save his life]].

* {{Tsundere}}: Malina. Especially Towards Kuzco

* PlayingSick

* PurelyAestheticEra

* SpellingSong