I’ve always been a mischievous person. In every story I read, watch, listen to, etc., I’m drawn to the trickster archetype. Some of my favorite trickster figures in popular cultura are Sherlock Holmes, E.T., Set from Egyptian Mythology, The Doctor from Doctor Who (who also defeated a character called the Trickster), The Fool from King Lear, Q from Star Trek: The Next Generation, Pan from Greek mythology, Loki from Norse Mythology/Marvel, Hanuman from Hindu mythology, Maui from Hawaiian myth, Amelie from the French film, and of course, the trickstery trickster of all time, Bugs Bunny.
Tricksters are always the ones who speak truth to power, with a glint in their eye, their hand behind their back, and readiness to weaponize their intellect and wit.
Tricksters don’t play by society’s rules, and they really don’t give a fuck how important you think you are. Nobody is above scrutiny or mockery from the trickster.
Below is information I’ve put a list of tricksters I’m compiled below.
Let me know if I missed anyone!
What is a Trickster?
Various definitions of the trickster from various sources. (Which I’ll add soon, so people get their due)
TRICKSTER: a trickster is a character in a story (god, goddess, spirit, human, or anthropomorphization) who exhibits a great degree of intellect or secret knowledge and uses it to play tricks or otherwise disobey normal rules and defy conventional behavior. (Wikipedia)
Archetypal Agent of Change: Tricksters can be cunning or foolish or both. The trickster openly questions, disrupts or mocks authority. They are often male characters, and are fond of breaking rules, boasting, and playing tricks on both humans and gods. (Wikipedia)
All cultures have tales of the trickster—a crafty creature or being who uses cunning to get food, steal precious possessions, or simply cause mischief. (https://www.akpress.org/trickster.html)
The trickster, in later folklore or modern popular culture, is a clever, mischievous person or creature, who survives in a dangerous world through use of trickery. An archetypical example is the fairy tale of the King who puts suitors for his daughter to the test. No brave and valiant prince or knight succeeds until a simple peasant arrives. Aided only by his natural wit, he evades danger and triumphs over monsters and villains without fighting. Thus the most unlikely candidate passes the trials and receives the prize. Modern examples of this type are Bugs Bunny and The Tramp (Charlie Chaplin).(https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/6602865)
In Lori Landay’s words, Tricksters “are fantasy figures who do what we cannot or dare not, and they call our attention to where we draw the lines that separate what is appropriate and shocking, possible and impossible.” From asking (or at least reading) a bunch of different people, here is the list of characteristics I [the author, not me] deduce you can generally expect to find in a Trickster and their tales:
– Emphasis on cleverness and trickery as dominant traits
– Moral ambiguity and self-motivation: they’re neither wholly good nor wholly bad, though they may swing in the direction of protagonist or antagonist depending on what happens
-Magic and shapeshifting (which can tie into gender fluidity/ambiguity)
-Contradictions: just as they’re kind of good and kind of bad, they’re also a mess of paradoxes. The archetypal Trickster is a a selfish culture-hero, a clever dumbass, a sympathetic bastard, and a sacred figure who regularly does really profane things (see “dirty jokes”)
-Liminality: Tricksters exist on the fringe, outsiders in their story-world in some way
-Boundary crossing: connected to the above point, Tricksters have an ability to cross borders—be they social, physical, magical, spiritual, etc.
-Agents of change: they use their trickery to make a mess of pre-established systems and power structures (we’re getting into this today)
-Dirty jokes. No, really. It’s usually written as “scatological humor” or “breaking of taboos around sexual conversation,” but basically Tricksters are known mythologically to be horny and always ready with a poop joke. ((https://theafictionado.wordpress.com/2018/12/20/the-trickster-archetype-in-pop-culture-part-one-down-with-the-system/)
Trickster Hit List!
Here’s a list of Trickster figures across all cultures and media.
Caveat/Notes:
-Defined media as TV, Film, Plays, Books, Fables, Comics, Mythology, Video Games, RPGs, Music, Fashion, Apps, Basically Anything, etc.
-Listed what they are known for, but stories can be adapted for every medium known or unknown to us.
-If a character is from an eponymous piece, I’ve left that info off.
-Tried to include as many different names/avatars/etc. of these folks, but they can be infinite.
-Hyperlinked to their Wiki pages for ease of digging in. Suggest you go to primary sources on your favorites.
-Tried to list as many “female” tricksters, but as you may or may not know, Tricksters are often portrayed as genderfluid, taking on various identities depending on their needs. I’ll list what they’re most known for. They are often Gay Coded.
1. Aang from Avatar: The Last Airbender/Legend of Korra (TV Animation)
2. Ace Ventura [Jim Carey] (Film)
3. Ame-No-Uzume-No-Mikoto, Goddess (Shinto/Japan/Anime)
4. Amelie [Audrey Tautou] (Film)
5. Anansi, the Spider (African, Fables/Books/TV)
6. Andy Kaufman (Real Comedian/TV)
7. Ariel from The Little Mermaid (Film) Not sure!
8. Ārohirohi, Goddess of Mirages (Maori)
9. Até, Goddess of Mischief (Greek)
10. Bacchus/Dionysus, God of Wine, Insanity, Partying (Greek/Roman)
11. Bart Simpson (TV Animation)
12. Baubo, Goddess of Mirth (Greek, TV)
13. Benjamin Franklin (Real Politician)
14. Betelgeuse / Beetlejuice (Film/TV Animation)
15. Bugs Bunny (Animated TV/Film)
16. Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean (Film)
17. Catherine Tate (Real Comedian, TV/Film)
18. Cheshire Cat From Alice In Wonderland (Literature/Film)
19. Coyote (Native)
20. Crow (Native, Aboriginal)
21. Curupira (Brasil/Folklore)
22. Dave Grohl (Real Musician)
23. David Bowe (Real Musician)
24. Deadpool (Marvel Comics/Film/TV)
25. E.T. (Film)
26. Edgar Allen Poe (Real Author)
27. Edward Bloom from Big Fish (Film)
28. El-Ahrairah from Watership Down (Literature/Film)
29. Eleggua/ Eshue/Legba, Deity of Roads (Yoruba/Caribbean/Latin America)
30. Erin Brockovich (Real Person/Film)
31. Eris, Goddess of Strife/Discord (Greek)
32. Evelyn Waugh (Real Author, Influenced Monty Python)
33. Everyone In Animal House (Film)
34. Faunus/Fauna (Roman)
35. Felix The Cat (TV)
36. Ferris Bueller (Film)
37. Flynn Rider from Tangled (Film/TV)
38. Frank Zappa (Musician)
39. Fraus, Goddess of Treachery and Fraud (Roman, also Mercury)
40. Fred And George Weasley from the Harry Potter Series (Everything)
41. Glooscap/Gluskap (Algonquin/Wabanaki)
42. Great Gazoo [Harvey Korman] from The Flintstones (TV Animation)
43. Gollum from The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings (Literature/Film/TV)
44. Hanuman (Hindu/Sikh/Jain/Buddhist, South Asia, Thailand, Mythology/Folk Tales, Religion, Film/TV)
45. Harley Quinn (DC Comics, Film/TV)
46. Hermes/Mercury/Turms, God of Communication, Trickery, Thieves, Commerce, etc. (Greek/Roman/Etruscan).
47. Huehuecóyot (Aztec)
48. Iktomi (Lakota)
49. Jabuti (Amazon)
50. Jack Nicholson (Real Actor)
51. Jack Skellington from A Nightmare Before Christmas (Film)
52. Jaco Pastorius (Real Musician)
53. Jacob Collier (Real Musician)
54. Jareth, The Goblin King From Labyrinth [David Bowie] (Film Character)
55. Jasmine (Aladdin)
56. Kaulu (Hawaiian)
57. Kitsune (Japan)
58. Kokopelli (Hopi)
59. Krishna (Hindu Vedic Scriptures)
60. Kuekuatsheu Aka Wolverine (Innu)
61. Kuku Lau (Polynesian)
62. Kurt Vonnegut (Real Author)
63. Kutkh [Raven] (Russia)
64. Larry David (Real Actor/TV)
65. Laverna (Roman)
66. Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead (Musician)
67. Les Claypool of Primus (Musician)
68. Loki (Norse/Marvel Comics/Film/TV/Games)
69. Lugh (Celtic)
70. Manuel from Fawlty Towers (TV)
71. Mark Twain (Real Author)
72. Matilda (Literature/Film)
73. Maui (Hawaiian)
74. Megan from Bridesmaids (Film)
75. Mickey Mouse (Everything)
76. Miles Davis (Real Musician)
77. Mister Mxyzptlk from Superman (DC Comics)
78. Monty Python aka The Pythons (TV/Film/Books)
79. (Dr. Jekyl) and Mr. Hyde (Everything)
80. Mr. Miyagi [Pat Morita] from The Karate Kid (Film)
81. Mushu the Dragon from Mulan (Film Animation)
82. Mystique (Marvel Comics)
83. Narada (Hindu)
84. Naruto (Anime)
85. Nyarlathotep, Deity/Demon (Lovecraftian Literature)
86. Olivia Colman (Real Actor/Crusher Of Awards Speeches)
87. Pan (Greek/All Media)
88. Papagayo (Latin America)
89. Peter Pan (Everything)
90. Petyr Baelish (TV)
91. Prometheus
92. Puck (Shakespeare
93. Puss In Boots / Puss ‘n Boots (Fables/Film/TV)
94. Q from Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV)
95. Rabbit/Hare (African-American)
96. Raven (Native)
97. Recitatif
98. Reynard, The Fox (French)
99. River Song from Doctor Who (TV)
100. Robin Hood (Everything)
101. Rocket/Azeban (Abenaki/Native)
102. Rumpelstiltskin (German, Fables/Tales/TV/Film)
103. Satan (Everything)
104. Set, God of (Egypt, Everything)
105. Scheherazade from 1,001 Arabian Nights (Literature)
106. Sherlock Holmes (Everything)
107. Silenus, Drinking Buddy/Wingman for Dionysus (Greek)
108. Sinbad (Arab, Film/TV)
109. Spock from Star Trek (Film/TV/Books) Maybe?
110. Starscream
111. Tengu (Japan)
112. The Cable Guy
113. The Doctor (Doctor Who)
114. The Fool (Shakespeare)
115. The Gingerbread Man
116. The Grinch (Film Character)
117. The Joker (Cd Comic Book Character)
118. The Mask (Film Character)
119. The Pink Panther (TV Animation)
120. The Tramp [Chaplin] (Film)
121. The Yellow Woman (Laguna, Books)
122. The Yule Goat (Scandinavian)
123. Thundercat (Real Musician/and now Star Wars Actor)
124. Tinkerbell
125. Tom Petty (Music/Music Videos)
126. Tom Sawyer (Literature)
127. Tony Stark/Iron Man (Comics/Film/TV)
128. Tyler Durdin from Fight Club (Literature/Film)
129. V from V For Vendetta (Comics/Film)
130. Veles/Volos, God of Music, Trickery, and Magic.(Slavic/Russia)
131. Victor Wooten (Real Musician)
132. Virginia Woolfe (Real Author)
133. Walter Sobchak from The Big Lebowski (Film)
134. Wile W. Coyote (TV Animation)
135. Willy Wonka from Alice in Wonderland (Literature/Film)
136. Wisakedjak (Cree/Algonquin/Books/Film).
Also referred to as “Whiskey Jack” in Neil Gaiman’s American Gods
137. Woody Woodpecker (TV Animation)
138. Yoda from Star Wars (Film/TV/Comics)
139. Yun Harla from Star Wars, Part Of Yuuzhan Vong (Film)