Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character or scene or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character or scene or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. ... Look up humor in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Definition

Comic relief often takes the form of a bumbling, wisecracking sidekick. A sidekick used for comic relief will usually comment on the absurdity of the hero's situation and make comments that would be inappropriate for a character who is to be taken seriously. Don Quixote and Sancho Panza unsuccessfully confront windmills. ... For other uses, see Hero (disambiguation). ...

Sometimes comic relief characters will appear in fiction that is comedic. This generally occurs when the work enters a dramatic moment, but the character continues to be comical regardless. Comedy is the use of humour in the performing arts. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ...

Well-received and poorly-received comic relief

The appropriateness of comic relief in some works is debatable, as some find it an annoying or unwelcome addition. A notable example is Jar Jar Binks featured in Star Wars: Episode I. From the time of his inception, the character was widely rejected and often ridiculed by sections of the Star Wars series' fanbase. The ability to speak does not make you intelligent. ...

A more well-received example is seen in the science fiction movie Forbidden Planet. In this film an amusing diversion is provided by the enlisted cook, his quest for contraband whisky, and his encounters with Robbie the Robot. Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... This article is about the 1956 film. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Military service. ... Contraband consists of items of which possession may be illegal, depending on the variety and the country or the age or sex of the possessor. ... For other uses, see Whisky (disambiguation). ... A film poster for Forbidden Planet showing Robby. ...

Change in character status

Sometimes over the course of a series, a character's status regarding comic relief changes. For example, in Star Wars: Episode I, Jar-Jar Binks plays a major role as a comic-relief character, but in Episodes II and III his role diminishes. Conversely, in The Fox and the Hound, the hunter Amos Slade is a mostly serious character, but in the The Fox and the Hound 2 he is turned into comic relief. Film poster for Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002) is the fifth Star Wars science fiction movie released and the second part of the prequel trilogy which began with Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. ... Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is the third episode of the Star Wars film series (but the sixth film to be produced), to be released on Thursday, May 19, 2005. ... The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ... The Fox and the Hound 2 is a direct-to-video midquel to the 1981 Disney animated film The Fox and the Hound. ...

Further examples

Examples in film and television

• One example that is easily understood comes from the original Star Wars trilogy (Episodes IV, V and VI) where Han Solo (played by Harrison Ford) provides humorous scenes in the serious plot. He and Chewbacca continuously add wit and humorous banter to their scenes, releasing some of the tension from the serious plot.
• The droids R2-D2 and C-3PO also serve as comic relief in Star Wars.
• In the first two James Bond films starring Roger Moore, an American sheriff named J.W. Pepper serves as comic relief.
• Tucker from the Nickelodeon series Danny Phantom
• Al Giordino in the movie Sahara
• Scooby-doo and Shaggy Rogers of Scooby-Doo and Alexander Cabot III in Josie and the Pussycats
• Merry, Pippin, Gimli and Gollum/Sméagol in the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy
• Luna Lovegood in Harry Potter book and film series
• Horace and Jasper in 101 Dalmatians
• Michelangelo, Raphael (only in the 1987 series), Bebop and Rocksteady in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise
• Seth Cohen in The OC
• Shenzi, Banzai and Ed, along with Timon and Pumbaa in The Lion King
• Peyton in Chaotic
• Genie and Iago in Aladdin.
• Chazz Princeton in Yu-Gi-Oh! GX During the first season and some of the second Chazz is a main character but slowly over time he played more of a comic relief role as did Alexis Rhodes. Ironically the 2 received many duels through the first 2 seasons but between the 2 they only receive 1 in the third.
• Erik and Flinch in Di-Gata Defenders
• Dory in Finding Nemo
• Kam, Philly Phil, Eddie, and Madison in Class of 3000
• Antoine in Sonic the Hedgehog
• Riley Poole in National Treasure
• Chloe O'Brian in 24
• Greg Medavoy in NYPD Blue
• Reno and Rude in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
• Mater in Cars
• The Amigos (Happy Feet) in Happy Feet
• Orko in He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
• Oon in Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors
• Cousin Dinky in The Littles
• Hugo Reyes in Lost
• Donkey in Shrek
• Carl in Van Helsing

Star Wars is an epic space opera saga and a fictional universe initially developed by George Lucas during the 1970s and expanded since that time. ... This movie poster for Star Wars depicts many of the films important elements, such as Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, X-Wing and Y-Wing fighters Star Wars, retitled Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope in 1981 (see note at Title,) is the original (and in chronological... Movie poster Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is the sequel to the first released Star Wars movie, and the second film released in the original trilogy. ... Movie poster Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, is a science fiction film that debuted in 1983, and re-released with changes in 1997 and 2004. ... Han Solo is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe. ... For the silent film actor, see Harrison Ford (silent film actor). ... Chewbacca (or Chewie) is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe. ... R2-D2 (called R2, or Artoo for short), is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe. ... C-3PO (pronounced IPA: []., often shortened to Threepio) is a fictional character from the Star Wars universe, who appears in both the original Star Wars films and the prequel trilogy. ... Flemings image of James Bond; commissioned to aid the Daily Express comic strip artists. ... For other persons named Roger Moore, see Roger Moore (disambiguation). ... The following is a list of recurring and notable allies found throughout the James Bond films and novels. ... Tuckard Tucker Tuck Foley is a character in the Nickelodeon animated television series Danny Phantom. ... Danny Phantom is an American childrens dbz created by Leopold for Nickelodeon, produced by Billionfold Studios. ... Scooby-doo is also British naval divers slang for civilian sport scuba diver. Scooby-Doo is an important character in animation up to this day Scooby-Doo is a long-running animated series produced for television by Hanna-Barbera Productions from 1969 to 1986, 1988 to 1991, and from 2002... Scooby (left) and Shaggy (right), as seen in Whats New Scooby Doo? Norville Shaggy Rogers is a fictional character in the American animated television series Scooby-Doo, about the adventures of four crime-solving teenagers and Shaggys pet Great Dane, Scooby-Doo. ... Scooby-doo is also British naval divers slang for civilian sport scuba diver. Scooby-Doo is an important character in animation up to this day Scooby-Doo is a long-running animated series produced for television by Hanna-Barbera Productions from 1969 to 1986, 1988 to 1991, and from 2002... Alexander Alex Cabot III is one of the supporting characters in Josie and the Pussycats. ... Josie and the Pussycats is a 2001 comedy film released by Universal Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. ... Meriadoc Brandybuck, usually referred to as Merry, is a fictional character from J.R.R. Tolkiens Middle-earth, featured throughout his most famous work, The Lord of the Rings. ... Peregrin Took (T.A. 2990–?), better known to his friends as Pippin, is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkiens universe of Middle-earth; a Hobbit, and one of Frodo Bagginss youngest but dearest friends. ... Gimli is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkiens Middle-earth legendarium, featured in The Lord of the Rings. ... This article is about the fictional character. ... The Lord of the Rings film trilogy comprises three live action fantasy epic films; The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). ... Luna Lovegood is a fictional character in the Harry Potter book series written by J. K. Rowling. ... This article is about the Harry Potter series of novels. ... One Hundred and One Dalmatians (often abbreviated as 101 Dalmatians) is the seventeenth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon. ... [[Category:Wikipedia articles needing copy edit from July 2007]] Michelangelo (or Mikey, occasionally Mike), is a fictional character, one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT). ... Raphael (or Raph), a fictional character, is one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT). ... Bebop in the TMNT cartoon Rocksteady in the 1987 TMNT cartoon Rocksteady and Bebop in their human forms Bebop and Rocksteady are fictional characters in the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon series and the Archie TMNT Adventures comics. ... The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. ... Information Gender Male Age 24 (flashforward) 19 (last appearance) 15 (first appearance) Date of birth 1988 Occupation Comic Book Artist Spouse(s) Summer Roberts (wife) Anna Stern (ex-girlfriend) Alex Kelly (ex-girlfriend) Episode count 92 Portrayed by Adam Brody, Tristan Price (Flashbacks) Created by Josh Schwartz Seth Ezekiel Cohen... The O.C. ( stands for Orange County) is an American television drama/soap opera program broadcast on the Fox Network. ... Shenzi, Banzai and Ed are a fictional trio of villainous spotted hyenas who first appeared in the 1994 Disney animated film The Lion King. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about Disneys 1994 film. ... Peyton one of the main protagonists of the TV Series, Chaotic. ... Chaotic logo Chaotic is a Danish trading card game and a television program on 4Kids TV (Fox affiliates, nationwide). ... Genie Genie is a fictional character from the Disney animated features canon movie Aladdin, as well as related series and sequels. ... Iago (voiced by Gilbert Gottfried) is a fictional character in the 1992 Disney animated film Aladdin, a talking parrot, he is a Scarlet macaw species who served as a sidekick for Jafar. ... This article is about the Disney film. ... Chazz Princeton, known in Japan as Jun Manjoume ), is a fictional character in the anime series Yu-Gi-Oh! GX (Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters GX in Japan) and the manga series of the same name. ... This article is about the Yu-Gi-Oh! GX anime. ... Alexis Rhodes, known as Asuka Tenjouin ) in the original Japanese language version, is a fictional character in the Yu-Gi-Oh! GX anime and manga series. ... Di-Gata Defenders is an Anime themed Canadian action/adventure, fantasy, animated television series created by Greg Collison with Nelvana Entertainment. ... Di-Gata Defenders is an Anime themed Canadian action/adventure, fantasy, animated television series created by Greg Collison with Nelvana Entertainment. ... Di-Gata Defenders is an Anime themed Canadian action/adventure, fantasy, animated television series created by Greg Collison with Nelvana Entertainment. ... Finding Nemo is an Academy Award-winning computer-animated film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released to theaters by Walt Disney Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution. ... Class of 3000 is an American comedy animated television series on Cartoon Network that is created, executive produced by and stars André 3000 of the hip-hop group OutKast as superstar and music teacher Sunny Bridges, set at Atlanta, Georgias Westley School of Performing Arts. ... Antoine DCoolette is a fictional character appearing in both the Sonic the Hedgehog TV series and comic series. ... Sonic the Hedgehog is an American animated television series created by DiC, also known as SatAM because it was originally aired in the United States on a Saturday morning slot. ... The idea of national treasure, like national epics and national anthems, is part of the language of Romantic nationalism, which arose in the late 18th century and 19th centuries. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see 24 (disambiguation). ... Gordon Clapp as Greg Medavoy Greg Medavoy was a fictional character in the television series NYPD Blue. ... NYPD Blue was an Emmy Award-winning hour long-running American television police drama set in New York City. ... Final Fantasy: Advent Children is a CGI movie, based on the successful game Final Fantasy VII, to be released on DVD and on a UMD disc for the PSP handheld console. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into List of Cars characters. ... Cars can refer to: Cars (film), a Disney/Pixar movie released in 2006 Cars (video game), a cross platform video game based on the 2006 film Cars (song), a hit song by Gary Numan CARS, the acronym The Cars, an American new wave band. ... The Amigos are a group of five fictional adélie penguins in the 2006 animated film Happy Feet. ... Happy Feet is an Academy Award-winning Australian-produced 2006 computer-animated comedy-drama film, directed and co-written by George Miller. ... Orko is a fictional character from the popular Masters of the Universe franchise. ... He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is an American animated television series produced by Filmation based on Mattels successful toy line Masters of the Universe. ... Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors is an French/American/Japanese animated TV show which first aired on September 16, 1985. ... The Littles were the title characters of a series of childrens novels by US author John Peterson, the first of which was published in 1967, that were adapted into a cartoon series by DiC Entertainment 16 years later. ... Jorge Garcia as Hugo Hurley Reyes Hugo Reyes, better known by his nickname, Hurley, is a character on the television program Lost, an ABC adventure series written and produced by J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof. ... Look up lost in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 For other uses, see Donkey (disambiguation). ... This article contains a plot summary that is overly long or excessively detailed compared to the rest of the article. ... // Carl von Linné (Linnaeus) Carl OClaire Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland Carl Brutananadilewski, a character from Aqua Teen Hunger Force. ... Van Helsing is a 2004 American action/horror film about vampire-hunter Gabriel Van Helsing, directed by Stephen Sommers. ...

Examples in books and comic books

• The Human Torch in Fantastic 4
• Captain Haddock in Tintin
• Obelix in Asterix
• Ron Weasley in Harry Potter

This article is on the current Human Torch. ... Fantastic 4 is a Beat-Em-Up style video game based on the 2005 movie of the Fantastic Four. ... Captain Haddock (Capitaine Haddock) Captain Archibald Haddock (Capitaine Archibald Haddock) is a character in the comic book series The Adventures of Tintin. ... Look up Tintin, tintin in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Obelix and his trusty menhir. ... For other uses, see Asterix (disambiguation). ... Ronald Bilius Ron Weasley is a fictional character in the Harry Potter book series written by J. K. Rowling. ... This article is about the Harry Potter series of novels. ...

Examples in theatre

• William Shakespeare often included comic elements in his tragedies; the recurring character Falstaff and the door-keeper in Macbeth are examples. Sometimes his inclusion of puns or jokes in otherwise serious scenes can seem inappropriate to a modern audience.
• Comic relief characters are not that common in opera but the sacristan in Tosca or Papageno in The Magic Flute would be two examples.

Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Adolf Schrödter: Falstaff and his page Sir John Falstaff is a fictional character who appears in three plays by William Shakespeare as a companion to Prince Hal, the future King Henry V. A fat, vainglorious, and cowardly knight, Falstaff leads the apparently wayward Prince Hal into trouble, but he... Macbeth and Banquo meeting the witches on the heath by Théodore Chassériau. ... For other uses, see Pun (disambiguation). ... Tosca is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, based on Victorien Sardous drama, La Tosca. ... Die Zauberflöte, K. 620, (en: The Magic Flute) is an opera in two acts composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. ...

Examples in video games

• HK-47 in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.
• Daxter from the Jak and Daxter series.
• Quina Quen from Final Fantasy IX
• Zell Dincht from Final Fantasy VIII
• Reno from Final Fantasy VII (Japanese version)
• Johnny Sasaki from Metal Gear Solid
• Crispy from Area 51
• Hunter the Cheetah from Spyro
• Sparx from Spyro
• Big Smoke from GTA: San Andreas
• The Prinnies from the Nippon Icchi Games, such as Disgaea

HK-47 is a Hunter-Killer assassin droid from the 2003 video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, its sequel, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, and the Trials of Obi-Wan expansion pack to the popular massively multiplayer online game Star Wars... Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KotOR) is an RPG video game originally for the Microsoft Xbox and later for PCs running Microsoft Windows. ... This article is about the character. ... Jak and Daxter is a video game franchise originally developed by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation 2 that is named after its own protagonists. ... Quina Quen ) is a fictional character from the PlayStation video game Final Fantasy IX. Quinas actual gender is debatable and the character is consistently referred throughout the game as s/he or him. It is a Qu whose master, Quale, wants it to travel the world so that it... Final Fantasy IX ) is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix), and the ninth installment in the Final Fantasy video game series. ... Zell Dincht ) is a main character from Squaresofts (now Square Enix) Final Fantasy VIII. Like Squall Leonhart and Seifer Almasy, Zell is a student at Balamb Garden. ... Final Fantasy VIII ) is a console and computer role-playing game developed and published by Square Co. ... Final Fantasy VII ) is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix), and the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy video game series. ... Johnny Sasaki is a recurring joke character in the Metal Gear video game series. ... This article is about the original Metal Gear Solid released for the PlayStation. ... This article is about the U.S. Air Force installation in Nevada. ... This is a list of characters appearing in the Spyro the Dragon video game series. ... Spyro generally refers to the Spyro the Dragon series of video games, currently owned by Vivendi Universal Games. ... Sparx can refer to: Sparx is the nickname of Sprx-77 in Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! Sparx, a character from the Ace Lightning television programme. ... Spyro generally refers to the Spyro the Dragon series of video games, currently owned by Vivendi Universal Games. ... Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is the sixth video game in the Grand Theft Auto series. ... A stable of Nippon Icchi strategy RPGs, Prinnies are small, blue, pouch wearing penguins found in the various realms and plains of the games. ... Disgaea: Hour of Darkness (魔界戦記 ディスガイア; Makai Senki Disgaea, lit. ...

References