Characters / Dr. Crafty: Doctor Crafty

Dr. Crafty Character Index
The Crafty Crew (Doctor Crafty, Nurse Worse, Pepper & Pickles, Messibelle, Crystelle)
Supporting Characters (Sasha)
Antagonists | Minor Characters

Doctor Crafty, AKA Colin Alexander Crafterson

"Some called me crazy. Others called me mad. The rest kicked me out of art college because apparently, creating a mural of world conquest and burning your foes to ashes doesn't get you a passing grade!"

^{Click to see him in his youth.} 

^{Click to see Dr. Craftette.} 

^{Click to see Dr. Crafty's VTuber model (drawn by Skittlesjuice and rigged by Nezziemonster.} 

Voiced by: Alex Tansley, Elsie Lovelock (As Craftette)

At the center of the castle's chaos is the titular Villain Protagonist himself, Dr. Crafty. A geeky, fun-loving art college dropout who turned to Mad Scientist-themed villainy, Crafty still wishes to pursue illustration on his own terms, making it the crux of not just his YouTube series, but his plan to Take Over the World... Wide Web. While he is indeed a mischievous showman with a mean streak, whatever threat he poses is usually undercut by his childishness, his undeservedly big ego, his ridiculously awful luck, and his reliance on Nurse Worse to complete most of the heavy lifting—both literally and figuratively. For the most part, he's content to experience the thrills his production brings with his cohorts, hoping to provide as much quality entertainment as he possibly can through his eccentric means.

A significant portion of the show is dedicated to exploring Crafty's past—back when he preferred to go by his real name, Colin Crafterson. Though he tries his best to avoid talking about them, he's greatly haunted by memories of some of the darkest points of his life, with his neuroses and an ex-girlfriend who vanished without a trace being at the center of it all. As these issues inevitably grow too prominent for him to ignore, and legitimately villainous foes come to antagonize him and his crew, Crafty's act begins coming apart at the seams. It's during these times that Crafty's inner heart of gold shines brightest, and eventually, he begins letting more of his better qualities shine through his persona—even if it does put his advertised evilness into question.

Notably, thanks to the Super Crown he finds during the third Patreon-sponsored episode, Crafty has a female alter ego that he sometimes uses: Dr. Craftette. Tropes specific to her are discussed in their own section below.

Expectedly, Crafty was designed by—and serves as a social media avatar for—Alex Tansley, and he also serves as a VTuber avatar whenever he streams. Crafty's render in this context can be found on the right.

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A-G

• Absurd Phobia: Crafty has a deep-seated fear of Blob Monsters, from the most harmless of them to the most malicious.
  • During "The Cretinous Critters," Nurse and a reluctant Crafty set about creating Goozie, during which Nurse asks Crafty about his fear. This induces a horrifying flashback in Crafty that consists of a solid minute of Mr. Blobby's antics set to ominous music. This fear gets followed up on several times throughout the show, with Blobby himself showing up now and again to menace the Crew for a few seconds at a time, proving to his coworkers that Crafty has a point in fearing Blobby specifically.
  • When Merry makes him do art involving Mr. Blobby in the first Patreon episode, Crafty desperately (and repeatedly) tries to end the episode. He cues up the show's end card several times, and when that doesn't work, he starts summoning the end-credits sequences of other shows, right up until his editor begs him to stop.
  • "A Well-Slimed Machine" explores Crafty's fear of slime creatures in more detail in two consecutive conversations:
    • Ever since Messibelle became part of the Crew, his outlook on slimes became rather complicated. He discusses this moral conundrum openly with Nurse, where he justifies both his fear of slime creatures and his reasons for keeping Messi around. In doing so, Blobby hears them indirectly talk about him and drops by to intimidate them.
      Nurse: Well, in any case, I’d say you almost seem to be getting over your fear of slime creatures. I mean, you keep Messi around, don’t you?
      Crafty: Well... Messibelle is different. I couldn’t possibly throw her outside—or very bad things would happen.
      [There’s a cut to some footage showing the phone booth death scene from The Blob (1988). The footage returns to Crafty and Nurse.]
      Nurse: I’d imagine that sexy outfit you dressed her up in helps, too.
      Crafty: It helps that she doesn’t look like... him.
      [Blobby himself appears, snarls at the duo, then promptly vanishes. Crafty and Nurse look mortified.]
      Nurse: O-OKAY! Maybe we need to take a break and talk about something else?!
      Crafty: YES. PLEEAASE!
    • After they first talk about Blobby, Nurse reappears wearing giant googly eyes to evoke Blobby and prank Crafty, who screams in response. They then discuss the possibility of him conquering his fear, and he admits to making some progress. He doesn’t stop easing up on his fear, either; by Season 4, he sees Messi as his surrogate daughter, and the feeling is more than mutual.
      [Crafty arrives onscreen alone. Confused, he looks around expectantly for Nurse, who suddenly comes up behind him with Blobby-like googly eyes.]
      Crafty: WAHHHHH!!!! You can't just do that!!
      [Nurse removes the googly eyes.]
      Nurse: *Chuckles*... Okay, sorry. That was really mean. It's just Mr. Blobby! You have to get over your fear sooner or later!
      Crafty: You say 'Mr. Blobby,' I say complete and utter googly-eyed a-blob-ination! ... But, in all honesty, I dare say recent circumstances have convinced me that slime girls aren't so bad after all!
      Nurse: What's up with that, anyway? You like drawing slime, but you're afraid of slime?
      Crafty: Well... Let me put it this way: Seeing a lion in a zoo is fun. Being inside the enclosure and having the same lion tear into your soft belly with its livid, yellow fangs and pulling your intestines free while you scream bloody murder and scramble on the shattered limbs to escape, slipping on the fetid, greasy, brown contents of your stomach and bowels that have been spilled like the exploded can of soup all over the floor... Is not fun.
      [Nurse barely holds back the urge to vomit]
      Nurse: ... O-okay... I think I need help after that.
      Crafty: That makes two of us.
      Nurse: *Chuckles*... Good thing I have a PhD in psychology.
  • Anti-Venom suddenly drops by the Top Ten Tub in "Best Yugioh Monsters," hoping to induct Messi into Mr. Blobby's cult. establishes, has his own dedicated cult of fellow slimes. When Crafty refuses on Messi's behalf, Anti-Venom delivers quite a threat that further proves Crafty's fear of Blobby.
    [Anti-Venom crashes into the room]
    Anti-Venom: Knock knock! Uncle Anti-Venom's in the house!
    Crafty: What in the hell?!
    Anti-Venom: Well, I—shoot! That worked better when I was Venom! ANYWAY! The Society of Blob sends its greetings, Crafty!
    Crafty: Oh, god, no, not the Society of Blob!
    Anti-Venom: I'm here on special request from the Dark Lord and Master Blobby himself.
    Crafty: What're you going to do to me?!
    Anti-Venom: Well, actually, I'm not here for you; I'm here for her! Messibelle! Why haven't you accepted our group invite on Facebook?! We're planning on having scones next week!
    Crafty: No way in hell am I letting her join your society!
    Anti-Venom: Very well, then. The Society of Blob will always be open for you. I know that Goozie is very happy there!
    Crafty: Wait, Goozie?
    Anti-Venom: And Crafty. Keep your eyes open. You know nothing about us, but Blobby knows everything about you. You'll see us everywhere. Even in.... your nightmares.
    [Anti-Venom exits, slamming the door on his way out.]
    Crafty: Why do I mention these things?!?!
    Messi: Uhhh...... a-anyway........
• Alliterative Name: Discounting his middle name, Crafty's real name's parts all start with C's: Colin Crafterson.
• Anti-Hero: Despite touting himself as a villain, being massively egotistical, and acting like a jerk, Crafty sits firmly on the side of good. Past his villainous persona, he’s a kindhearted eccentric who just wants to have fun with the people he loves, even if it means making somewhat questionable decisions to do so.
  • In "The Art of the Con(vention)," Crafty blows a good chunk of the Crew's budget on a spur-of-the-moment convention trip. Nurse appreciates the kind gesture, but she lightly admonishes Crafty for his lack of foresight and careless spending. Crafty, for his part, is so caught up in the moment that he also puts off Pepper's concerns about gaining a new oven for later.
    Nurse: Doctor... As much as I appreciate what you're trying to do, I do think we need to be more responsible with our funds, and perhaps more transparent on when things like this are happening?
    Crafty: Oh, relax, Nurse. I can get the artists to draw us more money.
    Pepper: Then, um... Do you think you could get them to draw me a new oven?
    Crafty: [dismissively] Pepper, ovens don't just grow on trees!
    Pepper: Oh, right... Okay...
    Crafty: But, we can talk more about that later.
  • While he never puts them in any real danger, Crafty sometimes feels the need to mistreat his guest commentators for laughs. If he grows tired of them, he's liable to subject them to some mild punishment to throw them out. "I Ain't Afraid of No Ghost-Type" sees him forcefully escorting Alex Rochon from the commentary with a swarm of Zubat. Alex seems more annoyed by the situation than anything:
    Crafty: Well, Mr. Rochon, it's been lovely having you chat with us! But um... could you... do me one small favor?
    Alex: ... What's that?
    Crafty: Could you... perhaps take... like, two, maybe three steps to your left?
    Alex: Okay, like this?
    [After Alex obliges, he triggers a wild Pokémon encounter, and he gets shoved off-screen by a swarm of Zubat.]
    Alex: AHH!! THERE ARE SO MANY ZUBATS! WHY ARE THERE SO MANY?! I'LL GET YOU, DOCTOR CRAFTYYYYY!!!!
    Crafty: HeheheheheHAHAHAHAHAHA!
  • In "Happy Crafty Day," Nurse reveals that Crafty chose the castle for the two of them to live together after they wanted to start fresh. Of course, they had to steal it from Disgustilda first, something Disgustilda still holds against them. But the episode where this fact is introduced, "I Need a Hero Academia," makes a point to stress the net positive that came out of this decision. Despite making such a questionable choice and regularly making a fool of himself thereafter, Crafty just wants to ensure the security and health of not just himself, but Nurse and the subsequent Crafty Crewmates as well.
• Affably Evil: In "The Dreadful Doctor," Crafty goes out of his way to paint himself as the biggest supervillain around, but he remains cordial with his audience and mostly just seems happy to have company. As foreshadowed in this first episode, the series pokes several holes into Crafty's villainous facade, exposing it as just an act for a deeply troubled, yet legitimately nice person. Through it all, Crafty just wants love and friendship; he's just approaching it in a really weird way.
• Art Initiates Life: Crafty's art can sometimes come to life. In Season 1, the exact mechanics of this ability run on the Rule of Funny. Sometimes, he wills an art piece into coming to life, which is how he gifts Nurse Goozie in "The Cretinous Critters." Other times, as "The Monster, the Sniper and the CLOD" implies, it's completely involuntary, leading to a stockpile of now-sentient art being shoved into Crafty's storage. This leads to the Junkrat drawn in "A lovely day for Meihem!" becoming the show's resident garbage disposal from that point forward. Since then, however, it's strictly voluntary on Crafty's part if an art piece comes to life or not. This ability pays dividends in "The Foreshadow Game," where he combines this skill with the Shadow Realm's rules to create an all-new monster card to defeat Bakura once and for all.
• Astonishingly Appropriate Appearance: Crafty's default outfit consists of oversized clothing. This detail combines with his reedy physique to give him a very cartoonish appearance, something very uncommon among the show's original cast. It's a perfect fit for someone who wants to make his audience laugh first and foremost.
• Badass Longcoat: Crafty sports a long lab coat that reaches the floor, making his form seem far larger and imposing than it actually is. That said, he's not incapable of badass feats, something highlighted in "The Foreshadow Game" when he regains control of his body. He even removes his arms from his coat, letting it trail behind him like a Badass Cape.
• Bad Boss: Crafty isn’t the easiest person to work with; being egotistical and driven by the need to put on a show, he can be ignorant of other people’s feelings. It’s much less severe with his cohosts—rather, his zombie staff faces the brunt of his mistreatment.
  • According to "Crafty Hearts Re: Grouped," Crafty doesn’t even remember their names most of the time. He completely misidentifies Nero, who, after correcting Crafty, insults him profusely under his breath.
  • In "Ad-ORC-Able," Crafty tries urging his zombie writers to expedite the plot so he and Pepper can meet this episode's concoction: a couple consisting of a steampunk scientist and an orc barbarian. The writers take a while to heed his request, and when he implicitly threatens them, the two zombies appear onscreen and growl at him.
    Pepper: It really is a good month to do so, as well! And I think the happy couple will be very excited to meet you.
    Crafty: Yeah, why don't we go ahead and skip to that part?
    Pepper: What do you mean?
    Crafty: I really want to meet them now. Maybe we can tell the writers to hurry it up?
    Pepper: Oh, um... I guess?
    [Crickets idly chirp for a while as nothing happens.]
    Pepper: ... Writers?
    [The writers still do nothing.]
    Crafty: Fine! Be that way! I guess we can wait...
    [At the sound of a ding, both hosts look up in recognition.]
    Pepper: Oh, I uh... I think it's done!
    Crafty: YES! I knew that would work!
    Pepper: Maybe the writers are having pity on you. *Giggles*
    Crafty: Or maybe, they know who's boss!
    [Katy and Michaela appear and stare Crafty down, audibly growling. Crafty looks very nervous.]
    Crafty: I was just kidding!! Please don't erase me!
    [The zombies slowly leave as Crafty smiles at them nervously.]
    Pepper: Let's, um... just go meet the happy couple!
• Bad Liar: In Episode 33, he claimed he had to take a break because a Greninja injured his spleen, but neither Nurse nor Darksilvania bought it, knowing Crafty just wanted to take a nap instead.
• Because You Were Nice to Me: In "I Need a Hero Academia" Part 2, Crafty explains to Class 1-A that he became severely depressed once Sasha suddenly vanished from his life. Hoping to meet her again, he spent weeks waiting at their old meeting spot—where a kind stranger supported him with warmth and food for weeks before she too disappeared. Despite not thanking her in person, Crafty was grateful for her help and didn't blame her for stopping. That stranger was Nurse, who only stopped for reasons out of her control; later, Crafty would unknowingly help her in return by saving her life. Afterward, he started their lives anew—for the absolute better—as the main show-runners of Dr. Crafty. He implicitly suspects that the stranger and Nurse were the same people, and he is proven correct during the final battle in Part 4.
  [After an intense fight with Screw, a tired Nurse hunches over, breathing heavily.]
  Nurse: Crafty... I remember everything now.
  [Nurse stands tall as the smoke around her clears.]
  Nurse: ... I am Greta Franzisca Wunderwurse! I told you I'd check up on you, didn't I? Heheh...
  [Crafty realizes that the girl who helped him in his youth and Nurse are one and the same. Tears well up in his eyes, and he can only whimper happily in response.]
• Berserk Button:
  • Whatever you do, don't mention Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts to him. He pauses his otherwise heartfelt call for Banjo and Kazooie's Smash inclusion in "Smash Newcomers" to explode—figuratively and literally—over the infamous game.
  • Shown in the "Foreshadow Game," Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL and the Link Monsters system are the two aspects of Yu-Gi-Oh that he absolutely loathes. He'll gladly rant about either for a long while, if uninterrupted.
  • As Nurse learns in "LoveCrafty," Crafty hates it when anyone other than Sasha refers to him as "Colin." When Nurse does so while trying to calm him down, he responds with one of his most intense, venomous bouts of anger on the show. Thankfully, it's cut off by his immediate regret. Unlike the other examples, this one is treated with dead seriousness.
    Crafty: NEVER call me that name! YOU DON'T GET TO—
• Best Friend: Even though he's utterly oblivious of her crush on him, Crafty and Nurse have the closest friendship out of the entire Crafty Crew. Much focus is given to how their friendship evolves; both of them gradually come to understand each other beyond their basic functions on the show. In doing so, they start discussing deeply personal matters with each other that they wouldn’t otherwise with anyone else
  • Their friendship began a few months before the show began, according to Crafty's flashback in "I Need a Hero Academia" Part 2. On a night in which Crafty considered committing suicide a second time, he ended up hearing Nurse in peril. When he found her, he immediately set to work saving her life, and she's been his constant companion ever since. In Part 4, Crafty learns in the present that Nurse was a part of his life even before that; she had been helping him through his post-breakup depression, which was so severe that he didn't fully know who she was.
  • After their relationship takes a harsh turn throughout Season 2, "Crafty Hearts Re:Grouped" sees Crafty and Nurse taking the first steps to mending it. They mutually apologize and assure each other that they enjoy each others' company, and their friendship only improves from there. When Crafty seeks help from Class 1-A in "I Need a Hero Academia," Nurse and his other Crewmates' safety are all that occupy his mind. During his time with the Class, he stresses just how important the Crewmates are to him—especially Nurse—in the special's subsequent parts.
  • Metal Crafty's attack on the castle in "Let's. Get. Metal" leads to Crafty and Nurse confining themselves alone in the lab behind sturdy security doors. As they come up with a battle plan during an art session, Crafty feels compelled to remind Nurse just how much she means to him, and that he'll always be there to help her. His love for Nurse, however platonic, is as strong as Nurse's crush on him, enough so that their Infinium Hearts simultaneously glow. He even calls back to an affectionate insult that Nurse gave him earlier in their commentary.
    Nurse: So, Crafty. What's our plan? How on Earth are we going to handle this... Metal Crafty? He could shut down my motor functions almost instantly, and you don't have One For All anymore!
    Nurse and Crafty together: Hmm...
    Crafty: Wait a tick. Your heart was affected by the EMP blast... but mine wasn't! Perhaps if we use our hearts together, we can circumvent the EMP blast?
    Nurse: I don't know. Doesn't that seem a little... dangerous? But on the other hand, we don't exactly have a bunch of options to choose from...
    [By the time Nurse finishes speaking, Crafty has slowly made his way over to her side, with a warm grin across his face.]
    Crafty: Nurse... No matter what happens, this 'donut dork' is going to be there for you. Right next to you. Always.
    [The duo's hearts suddenly start to glow their respective colors, and Nurse coos.]
  • High School Month comes about after the events of "Let's. Get. Metal," during "Late for Crafty School!" Crafty decides that the Crewmates ought to travel to his and Nurse's old high school, in hopes that doing so will trigger a memory in Nurse that could give them some valuable information to use against Mindstein. However, he has clear reservations about this plan; the last thing that he wants to do is enable Nurse's trauma. Nurse expresses her willingness to partake in Crafty's plan despite his concerns, and before they gather up the rest of the Crewmates for the trip, he once again stresses that he'll be with her every step of the way.
    [The episode opening transition plays. Crafty and Nurse slowly walk into position on-screen.]
    Crafty: All right. I think we can all agree that this isn't all fun and games now. Mindstein is probably gonna throw every evil deed in the book at us. Now, we need to prepare ourselves.
    Nurse: Crafty? Might I suggest something?
    Crafty: Oh! Uh, sure. Of course!
    Nurse: Well... Seeing how in Season 3, I was able to retrieve some of my memories and learn about Mindstein, maybe... if we find a way to get more of my memories, we can have a better chance against her?
    Crafty: [genuinely intrigued] That might be crazy enough to work... Let's see, uh... What parts of your memory seem... odd to you?
    Nurse: Other than all of it? Aha-ha... oh, well... I remember seeing you at school?
    Crafty: Wait... that's it! If you remember me that way, you must've gone to the same school I went to! We can go there and see if that'll spark anymore memories!
    Nurse: Sounds wonderful, Crafty!
    Crafty: Though, I find it odd. I... don't recall seeing you when I went to school. But then again, I also didn't know about you helping me, so it should all click into place.
    Nurse: Well then, let's get going!
    Crafty: Nurse, wait.
    Nurse: Huh? What is it, Crafty?
    Crafty: I... don't want you to get hurt again, like when Bill Cipher showed up. It was traumatizing to see you have to go through that.
    Nurse: Crafty... I've grown a lot since then. And as long as I have you with me, we can do this!
    Crafty: Heh... You're right as always, Nurse!
    Nurse: No matter what, I will protect you and the others from my mother, even if it means I have to take a trip down a painful memory lane. I will do it.
    Crafty: We will do it!
    Nurse: Let's go, now!
• Big "WHAT?!": Crafty's go-to response towards some of the weirdest events on his show is a loud "WHAT?!" He says the line repeatedly during "Patreon Palava," when Merry decides to add conflict to her script by introducing a Love Triangle between him, Nurse, and Merry's coworker, Molly. Merry’s antics in the sequel episode, "She’s Back... in Pink," elicits the same response a few more times.
• Brain Bleach:
  • During Episode 27, Nurse talking about anatomy drawing classes causes Crafty to recall when he was in art college. He was scarred by the sight of a model taking off his robe, realizing too late that he was purposefully nude... As he relives the memory, in place of direct visuals, a picture of two apples next to a banana flies past him in the background.
  • In Episode 41, he yells for bleach after witnessing some of the more...animatedly grotesque attempts to render breasts.
• Bully Magnet: Whether it's due to his egotism, impatience, obnoxiousness, or just plain bad luck, Crafty provokes an alarming number of the Castle's guests into beating the crap out of him. His immense defenses granted to him by his Infinium Heart mean that his antagonists can put him through utter hell, yet he'll always live to tell the painful tale.
  • "The Legend of Lonk" closes out with the Hyrule Champions frying Crafty with their divine beasts, all because he had some criticisms for their home game—despite having more positives to discuss than negatives. Crafty is perfectly fine afterward, just blackened and utterly winded from the Champions' combined attack.
  • Skeletor drops by to guest-star in "Blind Hate," and he immediately falls for Garnet, who, in the episode's artwork, is shipped with him. However, when Skeletor exits to try asking Garnet out, internalizing Nurse's confused reactions to his appearance as him having a chance to score a date, Garnet rejects him. He storms back to Crafty and Nurse to take out his aggression on them, and he grows angrier when he doesn't receive his Dr. Crafty goodie bag participation incentive, which Crafty bribed him with to stay on the show earlier despite not actually having one. Now with nothing gained from his visit, Skeletor concentrates his efforts on roughing up Crafty alone.
    Skeletor: YOOOOOOOU!!!!
    Nurse: Me?
    Skeletor: WHY DID YOU LIE TO MEEE?!?!
    Nurse: What?
    Crafty: Nurse, how could you?!
    Nurse: What are you talking about?
    Skeletor: You said I had a chance with the Garnet, but she was already clearly married to herself! A... common, and... natural occurrence, but shocking nonetheless!
    Nurse: I—I have no words...
    Crafty: Sir Skeletor, please, calm down! I'm sure we can work this out!
    Skeletor: There is nothing I can do, I suppose. The lady has made her choice. However, I will take that goodie bag you mentioned earlier!
    Crafty: About that. We actually don't have a goodie bag.
    [Skeletor leans in uncomfortably close to Crafty's face.]
    Crafty: Ummmm...
    [Skeletor abruptly stands back up.]
    Skeletor: WHY IS EVERYTHING IN THIS LAB BUILT ON A FOUNDATION OF LIIIESS?!?!
    Nurse: I'm with you on that one!
    [Skeletor tackles Crafty offscreen, and a beatdown ensues.]
    Crafty: PLEASE NO! OW! OW! MY RIBS! OOWWW! AHH-HA! MY FEMUR! AHH-OW-OW-OW! OW, MY PELVIS! WHY ARE YOU GOING FOR MY BONES SPECIFICALLY?!
    [The beating stops, and Skeletor exits the room. Inexplicably, he now has the falsely promised Crafty goodie bag. Crafty gets up from the floor.]
    Crafty: [wearily] Where did you even get that...?
  • Apparently, Crafty was well-acquainted with this treatment even before his show was conceived. After the Class 1-A students test his endurance by thoroughly handing him his ass in "I Need a Hero Academia" Part 2, he mentions that his college days weren't much different compared to now.
    All-Might: Now then, young Crafty! How was your first day of sparring?
    Crafty: I wouldn't call it a 'spar' so much as a 'hazing.' It's like initiation day all over again...
• Cannot Tell Fiction from Reality: "The Legend of Lonk" opens with Crafty waking up in the world of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. It turns out he’s hallucinating; he has played the game so much that he started daydreaming.
• Card-Carrying Villain:
  • While Crafty’s villainy is merely an act, he is extremely insistent on upholding that act. He groans upon realizing that he acted "accidentally inspiring and sentimental" for a moment in "GEMS! Truly Outrageous," but Nurse talks him into continuing to act that way for the rest of the episode. When she checks in on him later, he admits that he forgot to stay the course, feeling more comfortable behaving as he usually does.
  • As the show progresses, he grows less and less focused on upholding his villainy as much, especially when it nearly comes to bite him in "I Need a Hero Academia." He plainly introduces himself to Class 1-A as the "Internet Villain Extraordinaire," which causes the students to initially mistrust him. Had it not been for All-Might’s compassion and Crafty eventually choosing to be forthright about himself, he likely wouldn’t have gotten the help he needed most.
• Catchphrase:
  • Being the first episode, "The Dreadful Doctor" establishes some of Crafty's most common phrases:
    • He openly discusses his choice of catchphrase while preparing the bust drawing of himself. He decides on "Let's Get Crafty!" (an altered version of which starts most of the episode descriptions), since his original choice—"Watch my show or I'll come to your house and genetically fuse you to your bathtub"—wasn't really marketable.
    • Also starting here, Crafty has a distinct set of cries of indignation. They consist of a scientific figure’s name, oftentimes followed by a zany descriptor. The very first one he uttered in this episode was "Oh, Einstein's Earwax!" Some other notable examples include "By Mendele" and "COPERNICUS" in "Dumb Dingies," in response to Messi's lusting, and "Tesla's tube socks" in "A Pollo Loco Premiere," when he realizes that Pollo just worsened his debt to Linkara.
  • Any time he tosses the Dragon Vicennial, he shouts "Roll for Dragon!"
• Cloud Cuckoo Lander: While Crafty touts himself as a villain, he's a wacky eccentric first and foremost. His weirdness serves as the instigator for many plots on the show, whose equally offbeat sense of humor complements his own.
  • He spends Fakémon Month insisting that his grass-type starter Pokémon is a donkey and not a rhino. He remains staunchly ignorant of his mistake, continuously driving some mild conflict between him and Nurse until the month ends. Even after Nurse literally beats him over the head with a copy of The Wonkey Donkey in "All Grown Up," Crafty still doesn't understand.
  • All the talk of Disney parks in Disney Month culminate in Crafty trying to build a theme park of his own in "Magic Kingdom Mania." As he checks in with his fellow Crewmates, it becomes clear that he has no idea what he's doing because he keeps injecting his eccentricity into the park's designs. His design for Nurse's ride is crudely drawn in crayon, he positions Pepper's food stand close to her ride so costumers who grow sick from the ride will vomit and have room for more food, he designs Messi's waterslide to have slime instead of water, and he supplies Crystelle's museum of oddities with mundane objects discarded from a thrift store. And yet, Crafty is insistent that things will work out—right up until the park inevitably collapses in on itself.
  • By "We're Back! A Crafty Story," Crafty stops committing to his villainous persona so deeply. Consequentially, his mean-spirited sense of humor is downplayed for his zaniness to shine through even more. After Sasha's visit, he starts the episode by hallucinating a grand reintroduction for the show. He later decides to show off how his friends have improved since Season 3 by recording them with a camera in their workspaces. Despite clearly being in the same room as his friends, Crafty acts like he's observing them alone and from a distance. Everyone rolls with it despite their confusion.
• Delayed "Oh, Crap!": Crafty begins "The Foreshadow Game" totally oblivious of Bakura's ensuing takeover. It takes him nearly a minute to realize that Bakura possessed Nurse, and his confusion motivates Bakura to just cut to the chase and send him to the Shadow Realm with his fellow Crewmates. Even after that, it takes Crafty a bit longer to figure out where he's imprisoned.
• Ditzy Genius:
  • Despite being a college drop-out and an utter goofball prone to making stupid decisions, Crafty is smarter than he lets on. He always tries to remain as informed as possible about an episode's subject, but he's often too focused on being funny to really demonstrate his knowledge. In "ORA ORA ORARMS" Crafty starts off his commentary with a well-researched breakdown on why Spring Man of ARMs is a stronger fighter than Little Mac of Punch-Out. However, when he finishes, he leaves most of the insightful commentary to Nurse for the rest of the episode and goes back to making jokes—in doing so, he invites a few gags at his own expense.
  • Crafty's pretty masterful at learning things on the fly; a flashback in "I Need a Hero Academia" reveals how he attempted resuscitating a dismembered Nurse with only a passing glance at an anatomy book. He fumbles a bit with his makeshift defibrillator and shocks himself, but the operation is nonetheless a success, with a healthy Nurse remaining at his side to this day.
  • A couple times in "Dumb Dingies," Crafty makes use of a time machine... to drop pianos on himself with careful comedic timing. In particular, when present-day Crafty's tolerance for Nurse's heartfelt body image conversation bottoms out, he calls upon his future self to knock him out; as if on cue, his command is heeded. Through a non sequitur, a woozy Crafty lets it slip that at least some of this idiocy is intentional:
    Crafty: [dazed] ... Acting like an idiot so I can run away from my problems forever... owww, ohhhh that’s the good stuff.
• Do Not Call Me "Paul": He takes issue with being called his first name since it reminds him of his time with Sasha. In Episode 58, he briefly snaps at Nurse when she referred to him as Colin. However, he just as quickly collects himself and apologizes to her.
• Driven to Suicide:
  • Throughout the show's early seasons, flashbacks show a teenage Crafty almost drowning in the ocean. Sasha happened upon him and brought him back to shore, kickstarting a relationship between them. It wouldn't be until "LoveCrafty" where it's explicitly confirmed that Sasha saved Crafty from a suicide attempt. The fact she left him after all she had done to help him broke his heart, and in the present day, it has yet to fully heal.
    Crafty: Back when I was younger, I was always alone. No matter how hard I tried to stand out as someone greater than before, I just became more and more invisible to the naked eye. Alone in a crowded room... The only people who acknowledged my existence were my parents, and though I had their attention, it wasn't nearly enough for me to be out of the black void I was living in. So, one night... I went to the local cliff. And I... fell.
  • "I Need a Hero Academia" reveals he made a second suicide attempt weeks after he and Sasha broke up. Thankfully, he didn't commit to his choice; a nearby Nurse Worse's cries for help distracted him, and he hurried away from the cliffs to help her. The moment he saw her severe condition, Crafty's mind became fixated on repairing Nurse, and he's forever grateful for her indirectly saving his life.
• Emo Teen: As he himself explains in "LoveCrafty," Crafty was quite a troubled youth, saddled with depression, loneliness, and even some suicidal thoughts. However, he got better over time — his time with Sasha certainly helped, but after she left him, he regressed into a depressive state. However, a flashback in "I Need a Hero Academia" shows him overcoming this new wave of depression, thanks to getting distracted by saving Nurse’s life.
• Everyone Has Standards:
  • While he has a preference for women with voluptuous figures, he draws the line at unrealistic Gag Boobs, especially when they're immensely bouncy. In "Bikini Bodies," he shares Nurse’s disgust and horror over the matter.
  • In "Couples," Crafty includes the Joker and Harley Quinn on the episode's top ten list of his favorite fictional couples. However, he's not seeking to romanticize their abusive relationship—rather, he finds their dynamic to be a well-done warning about such a situation, and he wants it to be recognized as such. Before he discusses the characters, he makes his intentions clear, though a displeased audience knocks him out when he fumbles trying to change the subject. Messi has to elaborate upon his reasoning while he's knocked unconscious.
    Crafty: Okay. Let me make one thing perfectly clear: I do not condone abusive relationships at. All. My putting this pairing on this list should not be taken to mean that I support the dynamic on display, here. If you find yourself in a situation like our number nine pick here, I highly suggest you call your local abuse hotline... Having said that--!
    [The audience boos, and someone tosses a curling stone at Crafty, knocking him out.]
    Messi: Ooooookayyy... I think what the Doc was trying to say—that yes, Harley Quinn and the Joker have indeed become an iconic couple, ever since the lady herself, Harley Quinn, was introduced into the animated Batman series. However, their iconography is that of a highly abusive and manipulative relationship by design. I mean, we're talking about a man who drove a psychiatrist crazy with his made-up sob story and turned her into an easily swayed sidekick. And while they're certainly not role models by any stretch, they are a fantastic character study and a cautionary tale to any young girls who are out there who think that the right girl can fix a damaged man for the better.
• Evil Brit: A born Brit, Crafty's implied to be very prideful of his home country. Apropos of nothing, a British flag appears in the background when Crafty makes a Rousing Speech about first drafts in "Street Frighters." He also derisively refers to Canadians as "discount Brits" in "Dongs Out for Donkey Kong."
• Fat and Skinny: The reedy Crafty, with his egotistical, eccentric personality, is primarily contrasted with the down-to-earth, assertive, and chubby Nurse. Such contrast is also present whenever Crafty works with the introverted, tender-hearted, and much fatter Pepper during the Chara-Cafe segments
• Fainting: Crafty finds himself fainting in fear thanks to the Furry Fandom in "Pros and Comms." He recovers after Nurse tells him someone donated $1000 to his Patreon.
• Fed to the Beast: As a Running Gag, whenever there's an unwanted character around, Crafty sometimes tosses them into a special dungeon. There, a voracious Junkrat—specifically, the one Crafty draws in "A lovely day for Meihem"—eats them alive. This is the most consistently evil thing Crafty does on the show, but he mostly reserves it for any unwanted art that comes to life. He also uses this Junkrat as a punishment for fired employees; the focus tester Crafty creates in "Hyde and Shriek" is shoved into a dark room with Junkrat, and she never comes back out.
• Given Name Reveal: The flashback in "Aqua Marina" reveals that Crafty’s real name is Colin. He himself proudly declares his full name in the climax of "The Foreshadow Game’s" last part: Colin Alexander Crafterson.
• The Glasses Come Off: He takes off his goggles before confronting Bakura in "The Foreshadow Game," helping to signify that he isn’t playing around anymore.
• Goggles Do Something Unusual: As the first episode establishes, Crafty wears Google Goggles, which let him search for reference pictures with voice commands. He decides to switch to Bing after leaving Safe Search off once too many.
• Good Feels Good: In "I Need a Hero Academia" Part 2, Crafty explains to the Class 1-A students that Nurse is secretly his hero; his motivation to help her in the past saved his life. On a night where he contemplated suicide again, he heard Nurse crying for help from an open grave. She had violently fallen apart from a fall, shocking Crafty so much that he became deeply invested in saving her life; in the process, his suicidal thoughts vanished entirely. He never thanked Nurse for her indirect help, but he wants to make up for it today by saving her from Mindstein's captivity. Crafty's thankfulness only grows in Part 4, where he learns that Nurse and the stranger who supported him through his depression before that night were the same person.
• Greater Need Than Mine: After he considerably develops in Season 3, Crafty becomes more comfortable setting his desires and needs aside in favor of his friends', especially if their lives are in danger.
  • When Screw sends him all the way to U.A. High School in "Magic Kindgom Mania," his first immediate concern is about his friends' well-being. He finds a potential source of help in the hero school behind him, quickly setting off for it in the subsequent first part of "I Need a Hero Academia." There, when he and the class grow acquainted with each other, Todoroki presses him to see if he's trustworthy. Crafty responds by laying out exactly what he came to Class 1-A for in an incredibly selfless speech:
    Todoroki: I have just one question, Dr. Crafty, the most important question that we've yet to have any answer to: why were you attacked? From what you've told us, and the information we've been able to find out, there doesn't seem to be any logical reason for why a villain would attack you. You're asking us to charge into unknown territory to take down a villain we know nothing about. I'm not saying we don't want to help. I'm just wondering if it's wise to, given the circumstances. If there's anything you're not telling us—
    Crafty: [eyes cast to the floor] Honestly? I wouldn't blame you if you didn't. I've... never been much of a good person. I'm bitter, narcissistic, egotistical, selfish and cowardly! And a lot of less than pleasant things. But... my friends. Nurse Worse. They've done nothing wrong except stick around with me. I was... powerless to do anything. And somehow, I know this is my fault. So... I'm not asking you to help me. I'm begging you to save them.
    [Crafty looks up at the class before him, genuine tears welling in his eyes.]
    Crafty: Please...! Just save them...! Save my friends!
    All-Might: Young Crafty... we'll—
    Deku: We'll do it! We'll help you save your friends!
    Hanto: Yeah, your show's pretty cool!
    Yuga: I'll gladly lend my twinkle to your stage~!
    Rikido: I wanna get some recipes from that Pepper girl!
    Mina: I wanna hug the slime girl!
    Mashirao: That Nurse of yours has some fine techniques, too!
    Crafty: [with tears flowing] ... Thank you...!
    Todoroki: If we're going to do this, there need to be some conditions. We're gonna need to know everything—about you, your castle, any defenses it has that could be used against us, and anything you can tell us about our enemy here: names, powers, anything and everything! We're not gonna run into this fight blind.
    Crafty: I'll... I'll give you as much as I can.
    [Crafty and Todoroki seal the deal with a handshake.]
    Todoroki: We appreciate the cooperation.
    Crafty: I appreciate you not kicking my ass!
    [All-Might places a gentle hand on Crafty's shoulder to grab his attention.]
    All-Might: All right, now that we're in agreement, you should rest. We have a medic who can help you with your injuries young Bakugo caused...
    Bakugo: [off-screen] F(beep)k off.
    All-Might: ... Then, once you're all patched up, we can start your training.
    Crafty: 'Training?'
    All-Might: That's right! As of this moment, young Crafty, you are an honorary student of Class 1-A!
    Uruaka: Aww, yeah! Do the cheer! Do the cheer!
    Crafty: H-huh?!
    [All-Might whispers something into Crafty's ear to clarify what Uruaka meant. Then, Crafty forms a confused, yet triumphant fist.]
    Crafty: Ohhh, um... Plus... Ultra?
    Most of Class 1-A: PLUS! ULTRA! PLUS! ULTRA! PLUS! ULTRA! PLUS! ULTRA! PLUS! ULTRA!
    [Crafty, though still puzzled, can't help but flash a thankful grin.]
  • "We're Back! A Crafty Story" starts with Crafty and Sasha reuniting in person for the first time in years. After getting some context for why she's suddenly visiting him now, Crafty immediately shifts the subject to the Infinium Heart that she gave him unintentionally. He's clearly more interested in the heart's significance in Mindstein's plan and why he needs to keep it from her. The topic eventually returns to Sasha and how she came to meet Crafty, and when she tries apologizing once more for their failed relationship, Crafty assures her that it's not important right now and thanks her for the heart. It's exactly what he needs to protect his friends and the world. And when a departing Sasha reminds him of the letter that he received in "LoveCrafty," which contains the exact answer for why she left him, Crafty decides to hold off on reading it to focus on starting Season 4 with his friends, granting them much needed levity after such a stressful time.
    Sasha: Colin. I'm so sorry...
    Crafty: Don't be. Not for that, anyway.
    Sasha: Huh?
    Crafty: Whether I had this heart or not doesn't really matter when it comes to this Mindstein character. She was going to do what she did to Nurse either way. If anything, you've given me exactly what I need to protect her from that monster and put a stop to Mindstein's plans. So—at least for that—thank you.
    [Sasha blushes at Crafty's thanks, glancing away. She suddenly returns her gaze to Crafty, who has more to say.]
    Crafty: There's just one more thing I want to know.
    Sasha: A-Anything!
    Crafty: Why? Why did you leave me like you did?
    Sasha: You... didn't read my letter, did you?
    [Crafty remembers that very letter in a brief flashback, right as Sasha gets up from her seat to leave.]
    Sasha: It's okay. We're both still scared about where we stand as... 'us.'
    Crafty: Where are you going?
    Sasha: Don't worry. I'm not going far away this time. I'll still be here when you're ready—when we're both ready.
    Crafty: Will I see you again?
    Sasha: That's a question only you can answer. Get well soon.
    [Sasha's voice wavers as she blushes again.]
    Sasha: ... And... um... I... can't wait for your next episode! Uh... Bye!!
    Crafty: Wait! Sasha!
    [Crafty's too late; Sasha has already left the castle. He looks back in his room to find his lab coat, and in it, Sasha's letter to him. Surprisingly, he doesn't open it then and there; instead, there's a cut to him in his usual attire, making his way to the lab. He passes by the rest of the Crafty Crew.]
    Crafty: Come on, girls! Whaddya waiting for? Can't you see we've got work to do?
    Messi: Work?
    Pepper: Now?
    Nurse: What're you planning to do?
    Crafty: Well, what do you think? It's time for Season 4, baby!
• Green and Mean: Crafty and his promotional materials are strongly associated with the color green, which ties in to his villainous persona's abrasive personality.

H-W

• Has a Type: While Crafty doesn't discriminate when it comes to women, he has a special place in his heart for strong, responsible, and intelligent women.
  • He discusses his tastes in "A Lovely Day For Meiham" when he gushes about Mei. Unbeknownst to him, his praiseful description of Mei describes Nurse as well, something that Nurse herself takes notice of; she soon giddily retreats into her quarters, leaving an oblivious Crafty behind.
    Nurse: So how come you play Mei when your other mains are so unlike her?
    Crafty: What can I say? There's something to be said about a woman of science and intelligence...
    Nurse: [blushing] O-Oh! Y-You, uh... don't say.
    Crafty: Plus she has those healthy curves, and cute glasses, and is clearly capable of responsibly carrying a whole team herself.
    Nurse: G-Go on. Ahuhuhu~...
    Crafty: Not to mention she's clearly a sadist.
    Nurse: Oh, Doctor, I—Wait, what?
    Crafty: Oh yes! Think about it! Her core strategy is freezing her foes solid, which is torture at best, given what it takes to freeze a human body. But then she happily looks into your eyes before launching a three-foot spear of ice through your head, and then just cheerfully waves at your frigid corpse! Quite gruesome, I would have to say. I really love a woman that can be cute and deadly at the same time!
    [The pressure becomes too much for Nurse.]
    Nurse: I'll be in my bunk.
    [Nurse darts away to her quarters.]
    Crafty: Hm. I'll never understand that girl's malfunction.
  • Well before Dr. Crafty even started, Crafty had a brief romantic relationship with Sasha. She makes her official debut in a flashback in "Legend of Lonk" after much build-up, and she turns out to have fulfilled all of Crafty's criteria for what he looks for in a woman. She not only saved his life, but they had some unexpected mutual interests that they indulged in during Crafty's hospital stay. Chief among them was Yu-Gi-Oh, a game that Sasha utterly dominated Crafty in thanks to her deep experience with it. According to the flashback in "LoveCrafty," they later made their relationship official when Colin returned home with Sasha in tow. Even after Sasha soon left him unannounced, leaving his overall outlook on her mixed, Crafty still longs for her to come back into his life.
• Hidden Depths: For someone frequently written off as a moron, Crafty has demonstrated some surprising intelligence outside of art:
  • Various gadgets that appear throughout the series—a machine that creates simple Pokemon OCs in "Original Characterror," a machine that shocks him if he acts lecherous in "Bikini Bodies," and the oven he gifts Pepper in "I'MA VAMPIRE," to name a few—are designed and built by him on a whim.
  • Meanwhile, Crafty can acquire and apply new skills surprisingly quickly. To cap off Season 3, "I Need a Hero Academia" celebrates this aspect of him heavily. In a flashback to his younger years, he completely reassembles a dismembered Nurse after merely skimming an anatomy book, and he creates a functioning defibrillator out of spare cables and random equipment. In the present-day, he inherits Deku's quirk and utilizes it to brutal, epic effect in just one night.
• Hiding Behind Your Bangs: As a teenager, Crafty’s hair concealed much of his face. Symbolically, it represented his feelings of sorrow and loneliness, almost to the point of killing himself. "I Need a Hero Academia" reveals that he lost this hairstyle, and much of his depression, after fixing Nurse Worse—the hair became what it is today thanks to a mild electrical accident.
• Inelegant Blubbering: The topic of Wizardmon in "Original Characterror" causes Crafty to bawl comically. The species is inextricably linked to the one from Digimon Adventure, during which that Wizardmon meets a tragic end. Crafty hasn’t gotten over it.
• I Just Want to Have Friends: In "Love-Crafty," Crafty admits that he was a very lonely child growing up. His attempts to reach out to others and stand out above the crowd to do so never bore fruit. When the pressure of that loneliness became too much to bear, he was Driven to Suicide in his teens, only to be saved by Sasha. He eventually made friends with her, and as an adult, thanks to his show's cohosts, his friend group expanded greatly.
• Iron Butt Monkey: Crafty takes a lot of punishment throughout the series, but usually comes out none the worse for wear. It's revealed in the season 3 finale that this is due to him possessing the last Infinium Heart a relic that is said to hold unfathomable power, that he gained during his relationship with Sasha.
• It's All About Me: Being the host of the show has given Crafty quite an ego.
  • When comparing the images of everyone in swimsuits in "Dumb Dingies," he makes it no secret that only his own chibi drawing matters. He shares his low opinion of Nurse’s, implicitly comparing it unfavorably to the drawing depicting himself. Later, he flat-out declares the image of himself to be better than everyone else’s.
  • Sometimes, he claims that his opinion is superior to others and won't let others talk about subjects in detail for him just because it's his show. A prominent example is his confusion over what constitutes a Blue-Eyes White Dragon in "Black Magic Woman," where he thinks one particular dragon from How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is the Yu-Gi-Oh monster:
    Crafty: Good ol’ Blue-Eyes would’ve been fun to expand upon, especially with the new movie coming out. But I’m a sucker for a good magician story.
    Pepper: Wait... there’s a movie coming out about the Blue-Eyes White Dragon?
    Crafty: Yeah, I’ve been reading about it all over Twitter! Apparently, it’s making an appearance as a love interest in the new How to Train Your Dragon movie. I... thought it was a tad strange, but if it’s what the people want to see, who am I to judge?
    Pepper: ... D-Doctor... No. That’s not the same—oh, good gravy...
    Crafty: Pepper, I know a Blue-Eyes White Dragon when I see one.
    Pepper: I... *sigh*... I guess you aren’t technically wrong...
    Crafty: Obviously! Because I’m never wrong.
    [Offscreen, the Bakura-possessed Nurse chortles at the remark.]
    Crafty: Nurse, I heard that! Get back to work! And take some cough medicine; you sound like you have a sore throat...
  • He often becomes all too focused on joke-telling at deeply inappropriate times, and he can be ignorant of other people’s issues with him in the moment. "We’re Back! A Crafty Story" showcases this aspect of him prominently. He’s so wrapped up in upholding a bit that he doesn’t pay attention to Crystelle’s incredibly concerning warnings about the future.
• Jerkass Realization: Just before his four month coma ends in "Crafty Hearts Re:Grouped," Crafty meets up with Sasha in a dream and starts arguing with her. He eventually provokes her into a speech that calls him out for his selfish outlook on life and how he should recognize the good things that he has. In the moment, Crafty has nothing in response, but it's extremely clear afterward that Sasha's words humbled him. His humbling only continues when Nurse apologizes to him for being so combative with him up until this point. After they finish filming the art production for the episode, Crafty takes Nurse aside and apologizes for how he treated her, recognizing that she isn't the only one to blame for how their friendship was going. From that point forward, Crafty makes a conscious effort to improve himself alongside Nurse; their efforts also positively impact their fellow Crewmates and the other people in their lives.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: In and out of character, Crafty exemplifies the worst qualities a manchild could have, being rude, impatient, and egotistical in ways that impact every facet of his life. But as the show picks apart the facade, he reveals himself to be a deeply troubled but kindhearted person. There are hints of his nicer side dropped throughout the show's first two seasons, but it's not until "Crafty Hearts Re:Grouped" that he starts truly committing to being a better person. After an encounter with Sasha in a dream, Crafty realizes how much of an entitled jerk he's been. He spends the rest of Season 3 actively improving his relationships with his friends, starting his journey by apologizing to Nurse for how he's treated her prior to this episode.
• Kick the Dog: Up until Season 3, when he starts working through his conflicted feelings over their breakup, Crafty's anger with Sasha runs so deep that he acts far meaner towards her than anyone else. He has no qualms with hitting her where it hurts emotionally, even when she's already distressed.
  • As Bakura nears victory during their Shadow Game in "The Foreshadow Game" Part 4, Sasha's consciousness appears with Crewmates' in their Shadow Realm prison. Despite not having lost yet, her life points are so low that she loses control of Crafty's body, which she had hijacked to fight for his and his friends' behalf. Sasha, exhausted and utterly broken, apologizes profusely for failing Crafty once again. Crafty's Crewmates watch on in sympathy while questioning what Sasha is talking about as Crafty cradles her against him... But after a while, Crafty starts growing annoyed with her distress. He reminds her that she still has some life points left, then suddenly makes a passive-aggressive remark implying that his relationship with Sasha was a mistake. Nurse, disgusted by Crafty's callousness, snaps at him and gains control of the conversation just before Sasha completely falls apart.
    [Above the Crewmates, Sasha's spirit fades into view, wailing.]
    Crafty: Sasha!
    [Sasha's spirit plummets to the ground, and Crafty hurries over to prop her up against himself.]
    Crafty: Sasha, Sasha! Come on, talk to me! What's going on?!
    Nurse: ... Sasha?
    Messi: Okay, what? Who's that?
    Pepper: S-Someone we know...?
    Sasha: [addressing Crafty, between broken sobs] I'm... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry. I can't beat him... I don't have the strength to fight back anymore! I've failed you again!
    [The camera fades to each of the different Crewmates' reactions as Sasha continues.]
    Sasha: It's over... It's all over. You're all going to be trapped here because I couldn't help you AGAIN!
    [Sasha clasps her face in shame, unintelligibly crying all the while.]
    Crafty: Sasha...
    Messi: What is she talking about?!
    Pepper: Do you have any clue what's going on, Nurse...? Nurse...?
    [Nurse remains silent. Sasha suddenly pauses to take a breath, choking out her next few words.]
    Sasha: This... This is what I get... What I deserve, for what I did to you... So why am I still crying? Why does it still HURT?!
    [Crafty's flashbacks from across Season 2 depicting his time with Sasha briefly appear as Crafty takes in Sasha's words.]
    Sasha: I... I wanted to win... I wanted to save you... And now... you're about to lose everything again... I ruined your life... I-I was always afraid I would.
    Crafty: You still have life points, right?
    Sasha: *Cough*... What...?
    Crafty: You've still got some life-points left. So the duel's not over. We can still win.
    Sasha: But... I can't. I—
    Crafty: You can't. But I can.
    Sasha: No, you can't... I've exhausted your body too much from the shadow game. If you try to fight, you'll—
    Crafty: [coldly] 'Make another stupid mistake?' Yeah. Wouldn't be the first time, right?
    Sasha: ... I... I...
    Nurse: CRAFTY!
    [The camera cuts further away from Sasha to show everyone present in the scene. Everyone has reacted to Nurse's outburst with alarm... except for Crafty. His gaze is fixated on Sasha, and it is intensely bitter; it takes him a moment to release it as Nurse explains her newest proposition.]
  • During the opening of "Crafty Hearts Re:Grouped," Crafty shares a dream with Sasha. The dream is one of many like it, where they appear out at sea and Crafty tries talking to Sasha but doesn't get a response. This time, however, Sasha speaks, leading to a tense conversation about how their relationship turned out. It culminates in Crafty tauntingly asking Sasha if he should throw himself off a cliff again to get her to return to his life for good. At this, Sasha completely loses her composure as she sobbingly calls him out on his selfish outlook on their breakup, and as she does, Crafty quickly realizes that he went too far.
    Crafty: ... So... not gonna say anything like always?
    [Sasha looks away, ashamed. Crafty finally turns to look at her.]
    Crafty: Fine. I’ll talk, then. It’s always been the same thing, every single night for fifteen friggin’ years. We both sit here, not saying a word to one another. Then all of the sudden, you show up in my life again years later! And even then, here we are again. I guess some things never change, right?
    Sasha: ... Colin... I—
    Crafty: Oh, so now you wanna chat, do you?!
    Sasha: ... Colin, please! You don’t understand.
    Crafty: Of course I don’t understand! You ran off without a word all those years ago, then show up out of the blue and expect me to understand?!
    Sasha: Colin, you were in danger. I had to—
    Crafty: Ohh, I see! Didn’t want someone else stabbing me in the back like you did, huh?! That’s a deed only you’re qualified to do, is that it?! So glad I understand that!
    Sasha: No... It’s... not like that!
    Crafty: Oh really now?! Seems all it takes for you to come swooping back into my life is for me to be in mortal peril!
    Sasha: Colin, please, listen for once!
    Crafty: Maybe I ought to just fall off that cliff again and see if that gets you running back, huh?!
    Sasha: STOP IT!!
    [A crack of thunder sounds in the distance, and the shock of both it and Sasha’s outburst knocks Crafty flat on his back. Thankfully, he’s still on the boat. Sasha, meanwhile, has lost her composure.]
    Sasha: This! This is why I had to leave! Because I couldn’t stop what you were doing to yourself! You almost threw your life away that day we met. And I saved you that day when no one else would. There were so many wonderful times after that. Knowing you... Being with you... Falling in love with you. All these... All these wonderful feelings and emotions I’ve never experienced before. But then... I could see what was slowly happening to you, the things you were doing to yourself. You were going to throw your life again, I wouldn’t be able to save you this time – because, it was going to be my fault...
    [Sasha takes a moment to choke back tears.]
    Sasha: ...If I had stayed, you’d be making another stupid mistake! I was scared, Colin. In the near-infinite numbers of years I existed, I’ve... I’d never experienced fear. I didn’t know how to save you from yourself, so... I did the only thing I felt I could: I ran. I ran and did everything in my power not to turn back, no matter how much my heart was screaming at me that I should stay. And every day since, I wallowed in regret and heartache because of how much I still adore you.
    [The camera pans over to Crafty, taking in every word Sasha is saying and clearly feeling regret over snapping earlier.]
    Sasha: But... look at you. You’ve grown so much. Every time I see your show, seeing you create what you have... I feel a warmth in my heart knowing you’ve become a stronger person, with friends who support you... love you... Even if it meant being without me, I don’t think I can ever be forgiven for what I did. So if you can’t, I understand. I never wanted to hurt you. But I’m so, so sorry for the scars I left on your precious heart. But... if you find it in your broken heart to forgive the terrible things I’ve done to you, I swear that I will never let another wound like that ever be inflicted on you – not from me, or anyone else!
    [Sasha pauses to let her words sink into Crafty.]
    Sasha: ...The sun’s coming up soon.
    Crafty: Huh?
    Sasha: So, wake up. Have a good life. And... and maybe... think of me... if you want. I’m always going to be thinking of you.
    Crafty: Wait, Sasha!
    Sasha: [whispering] And Colin...? I love you...
    Crafty: SASHAAAAA!!
  • Crafty wakes up in the beginning of "We're Back! A Crafty Story" to find Sasha stirring him awake to talk with him in person for the first time in years. The scene is set up as though Crafty will tear Sasha down, just as he had before... but while he remains firm and somewhat distant as they talk, he's much calmer than he was at the beginning of Season 3. Even with how concerning the matter is to him, he's no longer fixated on his breakup from Sasha. In fact, he's more interested in how his Infinium Heart and its related relics will impact him and his Crewmates in the long run, especially now that Mindstein is after them. After Sasha fills him in and the conversation briefly returns to their breakup, Crafty makes her feel better about things by thanking her for the heart, the perfect tool to help him defend against Mindstein's attacks. Then, without any malice whatsoever, Crafty plainly asks Sasha why she left him, and the rest of their conversation paves the way for them to possibly work things out in the future.
• Lame Pun Reaction: There are times where a pun is bad even for Crafty, and he’ll be very vocal about his displeasure. For example, in "Dumb Dingies," he demands to know why Messibelle would lust after her own chibi drawing. Her response straight-up offends him:
  Messibelle: [coquettishly] Because... chi-bi dead sex-seh~...
  [The camera zooms in on Messi and emphasizes every syllable in her sentence with on-screen text. When she finishes, the camera zooms out to show Crafty stewing in offended silence.]
  Crafty: ... COPERNICUS! That's the worst pun I've ever heard, and it's not even mine!
• Large Ham: In addition to having a surprisingly strong Evil Laugh, Crafty has quite the exuberant, outspoken personality. Everything he says is laced with a dramatic flair that implies a deep investment and passion in whatever he’s talking about. "The Legend of Lonk" shows off his trademark energy diversely as he discusses his accolades and criticisms of Breath of the Wild.
• Laughably Evil: His commentating style tends to be focused on joking around and snarking, especially early on in the show. Of course, his unending streak of bad luck and massive ego means he also invites many kinds of gags unintentionally. "Dumb Dingies," for example, has him slam himself with time-traveling pianos, and him shamelessly commercializing his artwork earns him the scorn of his coworkers, who finish the episode by chasing him out of the lab as he lets out a goofy scream.
• Lean and Mean: Crafty is pencil-thin and quite the disagreeable person, with many characters growing annoyed with his entitlement and childishness throughout the show. The leanness of his design is in stark contrast to his cohosts, who range from curvy to very heavy-set. However, he becomes far less mean as his story progresses, especially during Season 3, when he acknowledges the tangible effect that his behavior has on others and works to improve himself.
• Leitmotif: Crafty shares a theme song with Nurse Worse: the main show's intro tune. It's a mischievous jazz piece lead by brass instruments, with electronic elements backing them up to give the tune a scientific flair. It plays triumphantly after Crafty's victorious duel with Mindstein in "I Need a Hero Academia's" climax.
• Let's Get Dangerous!: With or without assistance, Crafty can be a legitimate force to be reckoned with in combat. It’s best shown throughout "I Need a Hero Academia," where he confidently and competently leads the charge against Mindstein to take his castle back while putting Deku’s loaned quirk to exceptional use.
• Lightning Bruiser: Contrary to what his spindly frame would suggest, Crafty is quick, hard-hitting, and sturdy. It's all thanks to the Infinium Heart within his chest. However, the show places the most focus on his endurance, as Crafty leaves most of the fighting to the similarly blessed Nurse.
  • "I Need a Hero Academia" reveals Crafty's Infinium Heart and explores all the benefits that it brings.
    • In Part 1, The Class 1-A students immediately see that something is up when Crafty survives a point-blank explosive from Bakugo. After the two parties introduce themselves, the students spend the next day in Part 2 attacking Crafty with everything they have, just to test the limits of his endurance. While Crafty is utterly terrified—to the point where he refuses to put up a fight—he survives each and every one of the attacks.
    • During Crafty's and Class 1-A's raid against Mindstein in Part 4, Crafty deals some considerable, quick damage and survives several lethal blows. His offenses are bolstered by Deku's borrowed quirk and by his Infinium Heart overcharging for the very first time during his showdown with Mindstein. When Mindstein spots the Heart glowing within Crafty's chest, she cites several of the show's slapstick gags that should have killed him, but didn't as telltale signs of an Infinium Heart's nigh-invulnerability. She wonders aloud how Crafty never drew any kind of conclusion from them.
  • Confronted by Metal Crafty in "Let's. Get. Metal," Crafty comes up with the idea to combine the power of his Infinium Heart with Nurse's. In doing so, they receive a hefty power boost on all fronts. Up until this reaction between the Hearts teleports them into a terrifying void, they gain the upper hand and overwhelm Metal Crafty in seconds, leaving him in critical condition.
• Lying to Protect Your Feelings: Up until she learns of her origins, Nurse is under the impression that she was created by Crafty, just as he had told her. He's very keen on upholding that idea until "I Need a Hero Academia."
  • Two scenes in Season 2 foreshadow the idea of Crafty fabricating Nurse's origins. Both times, Nurse mentions the topic, which spooks Crafty into hurriedly changing the subject.
    • In "Dumb Dingies," Nurse realizes how accurately sized her clothes are and what that says about Crafty, who made her outfits. She makes a very specific remark about him being the one to put her together... and Crafty gets antsy.
      Nurse: You know, you've always been able to design an outfit for my measurements without having to actually tape them. You're really familiar with my body shape.
      Crafty: ... Uhhh-huh.
      Nurse: But then again, it's not like you weren't the one to put me together or anything like that, so of course you'd know it more than anyone else, right?
      [Crafty becomes visibly nervous]
      Crafty: Well.... uh... This piece is done!
      Nurse: Huh?
      [The scene abruptly transitions over to the finished Nurse Chibi drawing, which the duo focuses on entirely thereafter.]
    • Before they start on the artwork for "Something Weird This Way Comes," Nurse finds Crafty trying to understand how Zorc came back to life to antagonize the Crew during Yu-Gi-Oh Month. When she tries helping him out, she once again brings up her origin and provokes the same nervous reaction from Crafty.
      [Nurse kicks down Crafty's locked door and storms into his room, irritated but mostly worried.]
      Nurse: Crafty!
      Crafty: WAH!
      [Crafty tosses aside the journal he was reading, sending it crashing into something off-screen.]
      Crafty: Nurse, you startled me! I was... just... reading.
      Nurse: Reading? What, exactly?
      Crafty: Well, while we've been doing these episodes, I haven't been able to get the Shadow Game out of my head. I need to find out who did this to us!
      Nurse: So... you're reading.
      Crafty: I'm looking up leads to try and figure this all out...
      [The scene fades to some flashbacks showing events from The Foreshadow Game and Yugi Vs. Sakura.]
      Crafty: Zorc was already defeated, so why was he back? And that package with the Millenium Ring—who sent that?
      Nurse: Well, Crafty, if it helps any, the package said 'Mother' on the tag...
      [The flashbacks end as the scene returns to the present.]
      Nurse: ... Which... I don't see how that would make any sense, because you made me, Crafty.
      Crafty: [nervously] Right, that's weird! A-Anyway, um, let's go to the set and get recording! We're already five minutes past airtime! Aheheh, heh... heh....
      Nurse: Uh... okay... Good to see you eager!
      [Nurse moves on ahead. Crafty takes a moment to collect himself before following her.]
  • The truth about Nurse's origins and the circumstances behind her current role are both revealed in "I Need a Hero Academia." As Crafty himself explains to Class 1-A, he did not create Nurse—he simply found her in a critical state and saved her life. In doing so, Nurse lost some of her memory, and she was clearly distressed before and after her repairs. Crafty felt that telling Nurse the truth would only make her feel worse, so he crafted her Nurse Worse persona on the spot to not only distract her but give her a new lease in life. Nurse herself learns of her true origin thanks to her first conversation with Mindstein in the same special. She does not hold Crafty accountable for lying to her; she feels that he ultimately changed her life for the better compared to how she would've fared under Mindstein.
• Mad Scientist: Crafty dresses like a cartoonish mad scientist villain, and he pushes the theming hard throughout every facet of himself and his show. At the end of the day, he's just an illustrator in costume; he merely uses the aesthetic for branding purposes. He lives in a spooky castle in the Florida Everglades, he calls his art pieces "concoctions" as though he were a fantastical chemist making potions, and he surrounds himself with Cute Monster Girls as his primary coworkers, providing the image of a mad scientist working alongside his creations. He and his Crewmates occasionally mention some of his rare experiments—presenting an active volcano at a children's science fair sometime before "The Dubious Duo," and successfully creating mecha-hamsters with Nurse sometime before "Gotham Girls' Night," to name a few—but that's the extent of his act. Unlike Mindstein, Crafty would never extend into true villainy.
• Manchild: Almost every aspect of Crafty’s life in the present-day—whether the show is airing or not—hinges on his elaborate game of Dress-Up, as he's upholding a Mad Scientist shtick 24/7. He’s consequentially quite petty, entitled, and bad-tempered.
  • His commitment to his act is highlighted as early as "The Cretinous Critters." Even though his goggles are interfering with his perception of color, he petulantly refuses to take them off.
  • A lot of his tastes in character design are influenced by what his inner child enjoys most. "Super fighting monsters! MEGAMON" houses a microcosm of this child-like glee:
    Darksilvania: Mega Manectric just looks like something the artist’s 9-year-old child drew.
    Crafty: What a load of bollocks! Look at that cool lightning bolt!
    Nurse: I always thought you were twenty-nine going on nine!
  • "Socialising is Arcane" shows off an extremely direct sign of his childishness: he not only collects toys, but he also roleplays with them. His sessions show off some creativity that is as cuckoo-bananas as a literal child’s imagination. Nurse lightly pokes fun at this activity at first, but Crafty later holds a session with her to cheer her up after her mood suddenly dives.
• Mean Character, Nice Actor: Because of his deep-set insecurities, Colin is the only Crewmate who feels compelled to put on an act, whether the camera is rolling or not. He's far from perfect, but when acting as Dr. Crafty, he takes some of his worst traits, amplifies them, and adds some new ones to make him seem that much more like a bumbling, jerkish cartoon villain. By contrast, the man behind the act is rather kindhearted, something that continuously grows more apparent as he gradually lets his better qualities shine through his Crafty persona. Eventually, he starts feeling comfortable with dropping the act entirely at key moments.
  • The first time in which Colin outwardly acknowledges this dichotomy is in "Crafty Hearts Re:Grouped." After filming is wrapped up, he takes Nurse aside and breaks character to deliver a genuine apology for bickering with her so much before this episode. It's in response to Nurse's own apology over the matter earlier; he realizes that he too holds some blame over what happened between them, and he's finally ready to hold himself accountable. He's noticeably awkward and deliberate with his words, as though he hasn't opened up to someone like this in a long time.
    Crafty: Nurse, wait a moment.
    Nurse: Hm? Yes, Doctor?
    Crafty: I um... I didn't want to say this on-camera—it's a little embarrassing—but um... I'm... I'm sorry, too. I've... taken you for granted. And I wanted to apologize. You... You're probably the best partner a silly manchild like me could ever ask for. So... Thank you.
    [The two silently, warmly smile at each other before Crafty's nervousness gets the better of him.]
    Crafty: W-Well, um... I'm going to work on next week's art, yes yes, um, talk to you later? Okay?
    [Crafty retreats to his bedroom.]
    Nurse: [softly] Hmhm... I love you.
    [Crafty suddenly returns]
    Crafty: What?
    Nurse: [panicking] NOTHING~~!! GO BACK TO SLEEP!
    [Nurse punches Crafty back into his bedroom and runs off.]
  • In "LoveCrafty," Crafty narrowly misses a chance to see Sasha again and snaps at Nurse far harsher than ever before. The shock of what he had done convinces Crafty to drop all pretense and open up about himself again. Unlike "Crafty Hearts Re:Grouped," he does so during filming, and he reveals more about himself than ever before. Through an art therapy session with Nurse, he candidly elaborates on some personal issues from his past and allows the audience to listen in, not even bothering to maintain his act. From that point forward, Crafty slowly becomes more comfortable expressing his true self beyond basic interests, allowing him to create an even stronger rapport with his crew that transcends his show.
  • When Mindstein goes on a tirade against Nurse for her loyalty to Crafty in "I Need a Hero Academia's" final part, she attacks Crafty for not being a genuine villain, only acting as one for branding purposes. It's all but outright stated that this is the one aspect of Crafty's character she respects the least.
    Mindstein: How DARE you! I. Gave you. EVERYTHING! I birthed you! I raised you! I gave you a form that's powerful beyond comprehension! I spent so many years crafting you, planning to make you my greatest creation! One that would surpass all others! And you're throwing it all away for... for... That wretched waste of skin and bones over there?!?! He's not even a true villain!! Just an ignoramus playing dress-up for his stupid show!
  • Even after his immense Character Development, there is still a part of Colin that insists on keeping up villainous appearances as Crafty. In "Butch Hartman. That's the Joke," he grows noticeably offended when Stylene introduces him in a way that downplays his villainy to Danny Fenton.
    Danny: You guys did an amazing job on this superhero makeover!
    Stylene: Anothah satisfied customer of yours truly!
    Danny: ... You guys aren't villains, right?
    Crafty: [nervously] O-ohhh, of course not! We're just a couple of fashionista circus performers!
    Danny: I ran into some troublesome circus performers. One of them sounded like the guy from Superman 4.
    Stylene: [stifling a giggle] Not even close! He's far less evil, but way more bumblin'!
    Crafty: [quietly, sarcastically, and seethingly] Thank. You. Stylene...
    Stylene: Any time, Doc.
• Meaningful Name:
  • In regards to his Dr. Crafty persona, Crafty is a mad scientist who regularly dabbles in arts and crafts. His literal craftiness, meanwhile, often leaves a lot to be desired.
  • The root word of Crafty's real name, Colin, is the Scottish Gaelic word for "whelp." While the term typically refers to puppies, it doubles as a disparaging remark for immature young men such as Crafty.
• Megaton Punch: Despite lacking a muscular physique, he’s able to perform an uppercut strong enough to launch people into the stratosphere. The heavyset Disgustilda receives such a punch in "Fighting Game Characters," and it’s the only punch Crafty needs to take her down.
• Minor Injury Overreaction: In "Those Wascally Wabbids," he's left overreacting after Mario grazes him with a gunshot wound, tearfully requesting a glow-in-the-dark band-aid for it.
• Morally Ambiguous Doctorate: Crafty isn't really a villainous doctor; he just acts the part for an ego boost. In fact, his degree in viticulture (the study of grapes) doesn't correlate with his profession at all. Nurse reveals as much in "The Dubious Duo," where she also explains that the degree is stolen. Crafty had swindled the degree from its original owner after he got him drunk on Crafty's own supply of wine. It's strongly implied that he obtained this degree just for the sake of having one, to give his stage title more (but not legitimate) merit.
• Never My Fault: Sometimes, if things go wrong thanks to him, Crafty briefly blames someone else without thinking. However, he’s quick to accept blame when he immediately faces the consequences.
  • A small example of this tendency occurs in "The Beachles," where he offhandedly blames Nurse for not bringing sunscreen for their beach trip. She points out that it was he who forgot, and in the succeeding commentary segment, he gets a bad sunburn and acknowledges that it’s his fault.
  • Unfortunately, this mindset bleeds into some of his deeper issues, namely his outlook on Sasha. When they reunite in Crafty’s dream in "Crafty Hearts Re:Grouped," Crafty effectively blames Sasha for his worsened mental state, never taking into account that she wasn’t equipped to help him with his issues at the time. While both agree that Sasha shouldn’t have run out on him without a word, Crafty doesn’t see the other side of the argument in full until Sasha emotionally enunciates her points. Afterward, Crafty still holds some resentment towards Sasha, but he recognizes that he holds some of the blame for what happened and sets out to improve himself throughout the rest of Season 3.
• Nice to the Waitress: In "New Season, New Friends," Crafty recalls the time he met Pepper, which was back when she was working as a waitress at the Fish'n'Fish. Just by looking at her, he could tell she was restricted and miserable in her position, so Crafty decided to hire Pepper to work under him. This time, however, he hired her to work as a chef once more. The moment is notable as an early demonstration of Crafty's inner kindheartedness.
• Oblivious to Love: Crafty spends much of the show in near-total ignorance of Nurse's crush on him.
  • It's a trend established as early as "The Dubious Duo," where he briefly comments on his appearance and unintentionally arouses Nurse, yet he genuinely can't put a finger on why she's reacting the way she is. It remains that way in several similar gags in subsequent episodes, to the point where it becomes a point of concern for Messi in "Crafty Hearts Re:Grouped." She recognizes that Crafty's obliviousness about Nurse's feelings for him stem from his obsession with Sasha, and she's worried that Nurse is only setting herself up for heartbreak.
  • After the events of "I Need a Hero Academia" solidified their friendship, there are a handful of times where Crafty does acknowledge Nurse's crush on him, and he seems deeply unsure of how to react. During the art segment of "Roses are Red, Black, White and Blue," Crafty notices how Nurse would absolutely relate to Atlissa the Red Queen, due to both being physically strong women. He lets his admiration for Nurse show when she calls both her and Atlissa perfect, which elicits a warm compliment from Nurse as she blushes. It catches Crafty's attention, but he doesn't seem willing to confront the matter, abruptly changing the subject and making it seem like he was strictly talking about Atlissa.
    Crafty: Out of all the characters there, I can definitely see you relating to the Red Queen.
    Nurse: Is it because she's large and in charge~?
    Crafty: Well, yes, but also, she can literally flex her enemies to death. So, y'know... she's perfect~.
    Nurse: [blushing] Aww, Doctor! That's so sweet!
    Crafty: [shocked, speaking hurriedly] What? Oh yes, the character design is sweet. Anyway, ahem, moving on...
• Oh, Crap!: In Episode 19, he grows apprehensive upon realizing the trick-or-treaters dressed up as witches on Halloween aren't actually witches. It's justified because he used them to "keep the fireplace warm" (read: used them as kindle).
• Old Flame: Before the show, he and Sasha used to be an item. Despite them being separated for fifteen years, he still has romantic feelings for her, something he makes all too clear in the final moments of "The Foreshadow Game." However, succeeding episodes highlight how his outlook on her is more complicated than mere longing.
• Only in It for the Money: While initially hesitant to let Merry co-host the first Patreon episode, he later changes his mind when he hears he'll get paid for doing the episode (complete with dollar sign Wingding Eyes for added emphasis). However, he puts up an effort to resist when Merry returns with a fresh check for a second episode...only to give in when she threatened to commission Shadman instead.
• Parental Substitute: Messibelle, despite being born a young adult, is effectively Crafty’s daughter, being a sentient mixture of cleaning chemicals that Crafty poured down his sink. Having no one else to turn to, Messi slowly starts regarding him as her father, starting with "Crafty Fan Characters." Both of them are fairly uncomfortable with the idea at first, but they quickly come around to it by "Disney Characters," where Crafty briefly banters with Messi over her allowance. Even so, they treat each other as peers most of the time.
• The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: Despite being a self-proclaimed diabolical scientist, he never does any real schemes, plotting, or any supervillain-related activities. He just seems content with doing his web series.
• The Power of Love: Crafty proves time and time again that he is somehow, despite his lanky frame, Made of Iron. It turns out there is a very good reason for why he's this way: his body contains a completed Infinium Heart, and it was apparently created when he and Sasha made love, as they figured out in "We’re Back! A Crafty Story." The heart gives Crafty incredible durability; when he's under great stress derived from his friends being in danger, it can boost his physical prowess as well.
• Pungeon Master: A huge portion of the show’s humor comes from Crafty’s pun-cracking. Though, when his co-hosts get into the pun-making, he sometimes gets annoyed, even if their puns happen to be no better than his. Among those in the main cast, Pepper’s jokes receive Crafty’s disapproval the most. "Best Skullgirl" shows what happens when she tries salvaging her attempts with more weak puns:
  Crafty: I've been... dying to get started on this one. Pepper, take it away!
  Pepper: Abs-SKULL-loutely!
  Crafty: ... Really?
  Pepper: Ehehe... Sorry. That joke didn't have a ghost of a chance at landing, did it?
  Crafty: Just... just get to the art.
  Pepper: R-right away!
• Screw the Rules, I Make Them!: In "Yugi (Yugioh) vs. Sakura (Cardcaptors)," even though he and Nurse end up tying for the final Death Debate score, Crafty feels he can declare himself winner by default to break the tie, all because Dr. Crafty is his show.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: During Season 2, Crafty and Nurse's friendship becomes rather combative, and with Nurse's increasingly violent responses to his childishness, Crafty often opts to run for the hills. In "A Fresh Starter," Crafty jumps the gun and assumes that Nurse is about to break out into singing "Sister Suffrage" again, which ultimately lead to her causing trouble with some visiting monster girls in "A Well Slimed Machine." He threatens to leave the show if she does, but she wasn't even planning to. She even points out that the show is his, so he can't quit without taking it down with him.
• Seen It All: He's seen so many weird things throughout the series that the sudden appearance from Team Rocket in Episode 34 doesn't even phase him.
• Small Name, Big Ego: Throughout the first two seasons, Crafty loves to talk himself up, almost always boasting about his accomplishments and wanting to be the center of attention.
  • After Darksilvania spends nearly two minutes talking about the various starters throughout the Pokemon series, Crafty coldly snaps at him, reminding Dark that this is his show,
  • He openly compares his work to Picasso’s in "The Beachles." Nurse points out how meaningless the comparison is; the two artists have vastly different artistic approaches.
  • Season 3 explores this aspect of his character, revealing it to be a ploy to boost his spirits; "LoveCrafty" reveals that his actual self-esteem is abysmal. After talking things out with Nurse in that episode, Crafty makes a point to ease up on his ego.
• Sore Loser: "Yugi vs. Sakura" ends Fighting Month's Death Debate episodes with Crafty and Nurse's bets coming to a draw. Crafty simply can't accept the results even after Nurse thoroughly explains their justification, so he claims himself the winner by default, just so he and Nurse wouldn't be tied. This causes Nurse's temper with him to boil over once again, and she ends the episode chasing him down. According to Messi in "Best Yugioh Monsters," this violent argument lasted for quite a while, with tons of shouting and banging that could be heard all throughout the castle.
  Crafty: All right! The winner has been decided! Nurse will you please read the results from that conveniently placed envelope?
  Nurse: Yes. The winner is.... Sakura!
  Crafty: WWWWHAAAAAAT?!?!
  Nurse: It's true, Doctor. Sakura's deck of cards is much more versatile in the types of magic it can cast and isn't as limited in use as Yugi's. While Yugi and Sakura both have many counters to each other's cards, Yugi's cards are almost all single-uses, while Sakura can reuse cards. Yugi's deck is built around creating defenses with spells and traps, and then having his monsters power through. He's often been pushed into a corner by opponents, but found a way around their strategies. However, in this case, he's dealing with an opponent with a much wider offensive arsenal that can wear Yugi's limited defense down.
  Crafty: B-B-BUT, but-but, but that's—!
  Nurse: Then there's also the bit that shouldn't be ignored: Yugi's deck, while formidable, is still based around the rules of Duel Monsters, which restrict and prohibit what he can do with them. Sakura's Cloud Cards are under no such restrictions, meaning she can use them however she pleases and cast them whenever she needs to!
  Crafty: But... she's a TINY CHILD!
  Nurse: Hmph! Do not underestimate her! Sakura is also more physically athletic than Yugi is, having outsped the Fly Card's airspeed in roller skates, and even climb a vertical reach to get on top of it—and this was only when she had the Windy Card on hand to combat it with.
  Crafty: I am speechless.... Nurse Worse, bring out the scoreboard.
  Nurse: Very well!
  [The Death Debate scoreboard descends from the ceiling, and Yugi and Sakura arrive onscreen as well.]
  Crafty: Let me just say that this has been an honor to meet the both of you.
  Yugi: While I am a little stunned at the results, you can't win them all!
  Sakura: It was a pleasure dueling you!
  Yugi: Likewise!
  Crafty: Yes, of course... But, actually, it's come to my attention that the results are wrong! Yes! Very wrong indeed! And this week's winner is actually you, Yugi! I used my veto power to determine that you deserve this medal of honor!
  Everyone Else: Wait, what?!
  Crafty: Well, Nurse and I can't very well be tied. Someone has to win. So, if it means satisfying the audience—and myself—I think I can just let this one slide.
  Nurse: Ohhhhh, no. Nononono. Ohhhh no. You are not going to do this, Doctor! This girl won fair and square!
  Crafty: Did she, though? It's my show, so I get to say what goes!
  Nurse: I am DONE dealing with this! COME HERE, YOU!
  Crafty WAIT, NOOOO!!
  [Crafty makes a run for it off-screen as Nurse closes in on him. Cartoonish beating noises play from offscreen. Yugi and Sakura watch the altercation.]
  Yugi: You should really come by my grandpa's card shop soon! I would love to meet you and your friends.
  Sakura: Sure thing! I'll see you around, Yugi! I have to go meet them, actually. Isn't friendship awesome?
  Yugi: It's the best! Too bad for these two, though.
• Spiky Hair: His current hairstyle is a fluffy, unkempt one, fitting in with his Mad Scientist look. He reveals in "The Dreadful Doctor" that he keeps his hair styled this way with his own homemade shampoo. It’s revealed in a flashback in "I Need a Hero Academia" that his hair became this way while reviving Nurse. He mishandled his makeshift defibrillator and shocked himself, causing his hair to billow out into what it looks like now. It’s implied that he liked the look enough to keep and maintain it thereafter.
• Summoning Artifact: Crafty's typical weapon of choice is the Draconian Vicennial (which he always introduces with "ROLL FOR DRAGON" whenever it's used), a die that he uses to summon a dragon to take care of a threat or unwanted visitor. The history behind it is covered in "The Little Purple House." The die has existed for several millennia and can summon a single dragon to assist the person who used the die. However, there's a chance the dragon won't be obedient to its summoner, and the die can randomly fail to summon anything. With these risks, Crystelle advises that the user should be careful using the die... but Crafty very much isn't; he happens to sprint past Crystelle while being chased by a dragon from the die before she moves on to the next question.
• Suspiciously Specific Denial: In "All Grown Up," Crafty indirectly lets it slip that he watches Glee. A shocked Darksilvania asks to confirm what he just heard, but Crafty declines with a peculiar excuse:
  Crafty: What? No! Of course not! I just... watch it for the commercials in between!
• Third Eye: Crafty has a concealed third eye, one that appears right before he finishes off Bakura in "The Foreshadow Game." As "I Need a Hero Academia" reveals, it's because he has the Infinium Heart within him, and the eye appears whenever he taps into its power.
• Token Human: He's the only member of the crew that's fully human, with everyone else being some sort of monster.
• Too Dumb to Live: In "Aqua Marina," He makes several bad ink puns despite knowing full well that Nurse would hurt him for doing so. At that moment, his worst decision is repeatedly singing "ink" in time with the musical buildup and payoff of Tommy Walker's "Charge..." right after Nurse beat the hell out of him. And she continues beating him up over the puns he continues to crack throughout the episode.
• Took a Level in Badass: From "The Foreshadow Game" onward, Crafty's a little more willing to participate in fights. Thanks to the combined efforts of Sasha and the co-hosts, he was able to defeat Bakura in a completely one-sided battle, thus boosting his confidence on that front greatly.
• Took a Level in Kindness: After a massive wake-up call from Sasha in "Crafty Hearts Re:Grouped," Crafty realizes how big a jerk he's been to his cohosts, who he very quickly starts regarding as friends. Thus, he apologizes to Nurse for how he's acted, and since then, he's made a conscious effort to be nicer to everyone. Notably, he stops going out of his way to provoke Nurse, becomes more patient and praiseful towards Pepper, and even bonds with Messibelle like a father to his daughter. And in general, he's much quicker to apologize for his mistakes.
• Tragic Keepsake: Crafty is oddly attached to his green turtleneck sweater, even though it is far from appropriate attire for Florida's humid climate. His concerned coworkers, such as Nurse in "The Dubious Duo" and Stylene in "A Pollo Loco Premiere," occasionally comment on this problem, but Crafty just brushes off their concerns. And when Crafty briefly slips out of the sweater in "GEMS! Truly Outrageous," he puts it back on, claiming that he feels most like himself that way. "Happy Crafty Day" explains why he is so insistent on wearing the sweater: It Was a Gift from Sasha. It was the first remnant of Sasha that Crafty had after she left him, with it being his strongest reminder of their failed relationship.
• Trauma Button: The mere mention of his old life-drawing class in "New Season, New Friends" causes him to fearfully flashback to seeing a naked model. The same reaction returns in "Bikini Bodies" because Nurse unknowingly mentions the trigger again. Both times, the issue is Played for Laughs.
• Vocal Evolution: In Crafty's earliest appearances, the slight exaggeration that distinguishes his voice from his voice actor's natural cadence wasn't quite as prominent. This leads to him bearing a somewhat colder, calmer disposition than what his voice would become by Season 2, when that exaggeration fully manifests.
• The Wonka: Crafty has a strange approach to life. He spends his days dead-set on satisfying his childish whims, all while acting like a bumbling supervillain. Consequentially, he starts out being somewhat difficult to work with; his rudeness and lack of common sense occasionally clashes with his cohosts, especially Nurse. Yet it's still apparent to his friends that those eccentricities come from a genuine place, even more so after "Crafty Hearts Re:Grouped." There, a dream conversation with Sasha helps Crafty put things into perspective about how he's handled his life since they last met. Taking Sasha's words to heart, he starts changing how he expresses himself to cultivate stronger relationships with his coworkers, who he quickly starts viewing as friends. Through a Dr. Crafty anniversary party, those same friends celebrate how much of a positive impact that Crafty has had on them during "Happy Crafty Day!"

Tropes Specific to Craftette

• Anime Hair: Craftette takes Crafty’s hair and makes it longer and fluffier. It’s so fluffy that the Super Crown doesn’t weigh it down one bit.
• Attractive Bent-Gender: Nurse Worse swoons at the sight of her in "Here We Go," and she smoothly flirts with Craftette without even trying in "Fly Me to the Sailor Moon."
  Nurse: Aw, Crafty! That was beautiful! I mean, um, Craftette!
  Craftette: *Chuckles*... Oh, Nurse. You can call me whatever you want.
  Nurse: How about mine?
  Craftette: What?
  Nurse: [blushing] What?
  [Both hosts awkwardly walk offscreen.]
• Blessed with Suck: Craftette often struggles to return to normal after she's done getting in touch with her feminine side.
  • When she first gets the crown in "Here We Go," she tries to remove it by taking damage. But since the Crown is a Mercy Mode power-up, she just ends up floating over the bottomless pit she wanted to fall into.
  • The crown still proves to be troublesome to remove by "Fly Me to the Sailor Moon," when Craftette wishes to return to normal. Nurse ends up subjecting her to a bit of pain while trying to get it off, but it refuses to budge even after several minutes of punching.
• Gender Bender: She's Crafty turned female.
• Large Ham: Believe it or not, the doctor is even hammier as a woman than she was as a man!
• Noblewoman's Laugh: She makes one after using the dragon die on Nurse in "Here We Go!" It's surprisingly more over-the-top than Crafty's normal Evil Laugh.
• Noodle People: Even the added feminine curves don't do much to her pencil-thin physique.
• Pink Means Feminine: All of Crafty's greens are replaced by pinks.
• This Looks Like a Job for Aquaman: Beyond the Super Crown discussions in "Here We Go," Craftette isn't much use for Crafty. However, he does start to find uses for it throughout Season 4.
  • In "Fly Me to the Sailor Moon," Crafty finds it most comfortable for him to discuss Sailor Moon in the form, as it removes his unwanted but internalized concern that enjoying the show diminishes his masculinity. And while he has no interest in remaining as Craftette in the long term, he likes that she allows him to reconcile with his feminine side.
  • Craftette reappears one final time in "Crafty Horror Picture Show" to sing a parody of "Sweet Transvestite" and to emphasize the feminine aspects of the character she's dressed as, Dr. Frank N. Furter.
• Transformation Trinket: The super crown of Super Mario Bros. fame is what allows Craftette to exist.

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