Search/Recent Changes
DBTropes
...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!

Thin-Skinned Bully

 Thin-Skinned Bully
type
FeatureClass
 Thin-Skinned Bully
label
Thin-Skinned Bully
 Thin-Skinned Bully
page
ThinSkinnedBully
 Thin-Skinned Bully
comment
See that big hulking brute in the playground? The one constantly stealing your lunch money, giving routine poundings, and making everyone in his presence absolutely terrified of him? Well, that kid half his size flicked him on the nose, and he ran away like a punk.
Bullies are cowards. They pick on those weaker than them. However, in media, this tends to be set to such a level that Dirty Coward doesn't even cut it. Fictional bullies are the undisputed kings of Glass Cannons, being buff and blustering, but reduced to screaming infants begging for mercy the moment their prey even remotely implies they're Not Afraid Of Them Anymore and stand the slightest chance of fighting back. The local school bully will run screaming for mommy the instant his victim fights back. The ruthless Domestic Abuser will be left neutralized with a single Groin Attack. The Big Bad that Kicks The Dog is a mere Harmless Villain.
This trope can be misleading, particularly if it encourages children to believe that challenging bullies carries no risk. While it's Truth in Television that bullies are generally acting out of some kind of insecurity, many are sufficiently accustomed to violence that it doesn't scare them. It can't be assumed that all bullies, or even most, would be frightened off by fighting back.
Sub-trope of Paper Tiger, a character who isn't as tough as their physical appearance and/or personality suggests. Compare Miles Gloriosus, a character who puts on a brave act but is usually an incompetent coward in the face of real danger. Might overlap with Easily Embarrassed Youngster. Often the result of someone Challenging the Bully, and it can overlap with Swiper, No Swiping! if being told not to bully is what makes them resign.
 Thin-Skinned Bully
fetched
2024-02-06T12:16:15Z
 Thin-Skinned Bully
parsed
2024-02-06T12:16:15Z
 Thin-Skinned Bully
processingComment
Dropped link to AnimalJingoism: Not an Item - FEATURE
 Thin-Skinned Bully
processingComment
Dropped link to Heel: Not an Item - FEATURE
 Thin-Skinned Bully
isPartOf
DBTropes
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_12300cc3
type
Thin-Skinned Bully
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_12300cc3
comment
Exaggerated in the backstory of Watchmen: As a boy, Rorshach was taunted by a bully because his (Rorshach's) mother was a prostitute. After taking it for a while, Young Rorshach attacked the bully, biting his face and stabbing him in the eye with his own lit cigarette. This turned the bully into an innocent victim in police reports, with no mention of the initial bullying.
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_12300cc3
featureApplicability
1.0
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_12300cc3
featureConfidence
1.0
 Watchmen (Comic Book)
hasFeature
Thin-Skinned Bully / int_12300cc3
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_13b6da8c
type
Thin-Skinned Bully
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_13b6da8c
comment
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog has Captain Hammer, an utter douchebag of a Smug Super who bullies the titular wannabe super-villain, and who happens to be Nigh-Invulnerable. At the climax of the story, Doctor Horrible's malfunctioning Death Ray explodes and a very little piece nicks Hammer's skin. Hammer, who has never felt pain before, is so shocked at his First Time Feeling it that he runs off whining like a little boy and literally begging for his mother or "someone maternal"
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_13b6da8c
featureApplicability
1.0
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_13b6da8c
featureConfidence
1.0
 DoctorHorriblesSingAlongBlog
hasFeature
Thin-Skinned Bully / int_13b6da8c
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_17293dfa
type
Thin-Skinned Bully
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_17293dfa
comment
Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony has Miu Iruma, whose less-sympathetic traits boil down to this. She generally acts very abrasive and has no problem throwing insults at anyone and everyone she comes across, usually in the form of Virgin-Shaming or giving immature and usually obscene nicknames. However, if anyone stands up to her (or insults her back, as Kokichi does), Miu will immediately back offnote then again, she's also shown to be a masochist who gets off on being insulted, hence insulting people so they insult her back.
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_17293dfa
featureApplicability
1.0
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_17293dfa
featureConfidence
1.0
 Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony (Visual Novel)
hasFeature
Thin-Skinned Bully / int_17293dfa
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_27617023
type
Thin-Skinned Bully
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_27617023
comment
Deconstructed by molesworth:
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_27617023
featureApplicability
1.0
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_27617023
featureConfidence
1.0
 molesworth
hasFeature
Thin-Skinned Bully / int_27617023
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_2e2efbf9
type
Thin-Skinned Bully
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_2e2efbf9
comment
Back to the Future: Biff Tannen is a bully of Marty McFly's father from his high school years, that continues to demean him in the present. When George stands up for himself and punches Biff out for trying to date rape Lorraine, he never bullies him again and ultimately becomes submissive to George in the present day.
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_2e2efbf9
featureApplicability
1.0
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_2e2efbf9
featureConfidence
1.0
 Back to the Future
hasFeature
Thin-Skinned Bully / int_2e2efbf9
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_3f3abe9
type
Thin-Skinned Bully
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_3f3abe9
comment
In the Rick and Morty episode "Meeseeks and Destroy", Mr. Jellybean turns out to be a vicious child molester who attempts to have his way with Morty. When Morty snaps and brutally retaliates, he fails to remotely fight back against the wimpy teen, and is still dazed and sore when Rick finishes him off.
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_3f3abe9
featureApplicability
1.0
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_3f3abe9
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rick and Morty
hasFeature
Thin-Skinned Bully / int_3f3abe9
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_529fd746
type
Thin-Skinned Bully
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_529fd746
comment
Ed, Edd n Eddy's Big Picture Show: Eddy's brother. Years of extreme physical abuse on children does you no good against a flying door. Granted getting knocked out by a flying steel door only looks 'weak' in a series like this one.
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_529fd746
featureApplicability
1.0
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_529fd746
featureConfidence
1.0
 Ed, Edd n Eddy's Big Picture Show
hasFeature
Thin-Skinned Bully / int_529fd746
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_5612c44a
type
Thin-Skinned Bully
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_5612c44a
comment
One of the Nickelodeon Clickamajigs involves a kid confronting and beating up the school bully. After just a few hat-pulls, belly-blows, and eye-pokes, the bully is weeping and turns around so you can give them a wedgie.
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_5612c44a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_5612c44a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Nickelodeon Clickamajigs (Video Game)
hasFeature
Thin-Skinned Bully / int_5612c44a
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_6d6ccc60
type
Thin-Skinned Bully
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_6d6ccc60
comment
Moongobble and Me: Peter and Thomas, the two local bullies in Pigbone, like taunting and harassing Edward. When he's traveling through town with Moongobble though, they prove too afraid to come near the old man.
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_6d6ccc60
featureApplicability
1.0
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_6d6ccc60
featureConfidence
1.0
 Moongobble and Me
hasFeature
Thin-Skinned Bully / int_6d6ccc60
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_755d59cb
type
Thin-Skinned Bully
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_755d59cb
comment
Heimdall from God of War Ragnarök. He's unbearably condescending but deservingly so as, thanks to his precognitive abilities, he's virtually untouchable. In fact, said smugness is primarily the reason Kratos can work around his foresight abilities, as rather than pragmatically dodging any projectiles shot at him, Heimdall goes the extra mile to demonstrate his superiority and always catches the missile to taunt his opponents. When said projectile is the Draupnir Spear, however, it allows Kratos to quite literally blow this tactic up in his face to get the drop on him. When Kratos finally manages to get the upper hand on him, Heimdall loses his cool, going into a Villainous Breakdown as Heimdall realizes that his Story-Breaker Power isn't going to work, which means he has nothing to fall back on. By the final phase of the fight, Heimdall is Blinded by Rage, completely losing his precognition in favor of swinging wildly at Kratos in a blind fury. Not long after, Kratos kills Heimdall by choking him out.
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_755d59cb
featureApplicability
1.0
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_755d59cb
featureConfidence
1.0
 God of War Ragnarök (Video Game)
hasFeature
Thin-Skinned Bully / int_755d59cb
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_914ba844
type
Thin-Skinned Bully
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_914ba844
comment
The Wizard of Oz. When Dorothy first meets the Cowardly Lion he starts insulting and threatening her, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodsman, and even Toto. After she slaps him on the nose, he engages in some Inelegant Blubbering and admits he's a coward.
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_914ba844
featureApplicability
1.0
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_914ba844
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Wizard of Oz
hasFeature
Thin-Skinned Bully / int_914ba844
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_9168dcbf
type
Thin-Skinned Bully
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_9168dcbf
comment
How Bad Can A Little Gossip Be: Mr Ricci, the Big Bad of the fanfic, acts more as a playground bully than a grown man, being him completely unable to manage his anger, trying to hurt (or worse, murder) Alberto (a young adult) and cowering in fear when someone who exercises more authority than him (like Massimo) calls him out on his cruel behaviour and stands up to him.
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_9168dcbf
featureApplicability
1.0
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_9168dcbf
featureConfidence
1.0
 How Bad Can A Little Gossip Be (Fanfic)
hasFeature
Thin-Skinned Bully / int_9168dcbf
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_94bfa327
type
Thin-Skinned Bully
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_94bfa327
comment
Sgt Blob of The Dreamstone is a traditional Drill Sergeant Nasty, but a Miles Gloriosus on the battlefield. The Noops' one loss in "The Dream Beam Invasion" also was a result of converting into a Knight Templar variant of this trope.
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_94bfa327
featureApplicability
1.0
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_94bfa327
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Dreamstone
hasFeature
Thin-Skinned Bully / int_94bfa327
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_9887078c
type
Thin-Skinned Bully
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_9887078c
comment
SpyBoy: Butch is The Dragon of the Barbaric Bully Schweitzer but is as skinny as the wimp Alex Fleming, being more of an informant bully. When Alex converted into SpyBoy and beat the crap out of them, he and Butch were captured by The Gourmet and the latter relied on Alex to save him since then.
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_9887078c
featureApplicability
1.0
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_9887078c
featureConfidence
1.0
 SpyBoy (Comic Book)
hasFeature
Thin-Skinned Bully / int_9887078c
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_9f1766e4
type
Thin-Skinned Bully
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_9f1766e4
comment
In The Brady Bunch a boy Peter's age bullies Cindy for having a lisp. ("Baby talk, baby talk, it's a wonder you can walk.") Peter snaps and pushes the bully down, knocking his front teeth out, so now he has a lisp.
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_9f1766e4
featureApplicability
1.0
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_9f1766e4
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Brady Bunch
hasFeature
Thin-Skinned Bully / int_9f1766e4
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_a0500a06
type
Thin-Skinned Bully
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_a0500a06
comment
Angelica Pickles of Rugrats often cowers whenever a larger infant comes along and routinely runs away crying the instant she hurt herself in any way. In one case, she was able to foil another bully this way, who despite being established as even crueler and more terrifying than her, ran away screaming for his mom after she pushed him once, causing him to graze his elbow.
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_a0500a06
featureApplicability
1.0
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_a0500a06
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rugrats
hasFeature
Thin-Skinned Bully / int_a0500a06
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_a15e269a
type
Thin-Skinned Bully
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_a15e269a
comment
In A Christmas Story, Ralphie and his friends are constantly on the receiving end of beatings from Skut Farkus and his little friend. When Ralphie finally has enough, it results in Ralphie giving him a No-Holds-Barred Beatdown. Skut's friend is casually pushed aside by Ralphie and he immediately runs and threatens to call his dad. Meanwhile, Skut is left a crying mess in the snow after his lopsided beating. Decades later, we learn that this buttkicking actually helped set Scut on the path to becoming a good man in his adulthood.
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_a15e269a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_a15e269a
featureConfidence
1.0
 A Christmas Story
hasFeature
Thin-Skinned Bully / int_a15e269a
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_b54df0a6
type
Thin-Skinned Bully
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_b54df0a6
comment
An episode of Scaredy Squirrel revolves around the titular character being bullied by a huge muscular dog. When anyone who is capable of fighting back opposes him, he Screams Like a Little Girl and runs away.
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_b54df0a6
featureApplicability
1.0
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_b54df0a6
featureConfidence
1.0
 Scaredy Squirrel
hasFeature
Thin-Skinned Bully / int_b54df0a6
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_d4caf593
type
Thin-Skinned Bully
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_d4caf593
comment
This is Defied by the Bullies clique from Bully. As noted above the misconcepion that challenging bullies carries no risk part, while they will pick on anyone weaker than them they are not afraid of picking a fight with a non-nerds clique who can easily hand their rears to the ground, especially if any of them wander into their turf — the parking lot.
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_d4caf593
featureApplicability
1.0
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_d4caf593
featureConfidence
1.0
 Bully (Video Game)
hasFeature
Thin-Skinned Bully / int_d4caf593
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_d9c602eb
type
Thin-Skinned Bully
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_d9c602eb
comment
Eric Cartman of South Park is an incredibly sociopathic case of a bully for comedic media, but still routinely presented as an utter wimp in the face of physical assault. In one episode, he repeatedly threatens to beat up Kyle. After Kyle relents to a fight and reluctantly taps him on the cheek, he's left bawling indignantly for a lengthy amount of time. The breast cancer episode takes this to eleven, as he cowers to, and gets his shit beaten in by Wendy of all people.
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_d9c602eb
featureApplicability
1.0
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_d9c602eb
featureConfidence
1.0
 South Park
hasFeature
Thin-Skinned Bully / int_d9c602eb
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_e936047a
type
Thin-Skinned Bully
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_e936047a
comment
Harold of Hey Arnold! was similarly depicted as this, constantly attempting to intimidate other students but left whimpering when anyone so much as did something confusing around him. By later seasons this became so evident the actual bully aspect of his personality faded in favor of Character Development concerning his awkwardness and hidden sensitivity.
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_e936047a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_e936047a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Hey Arnold!
hasFeature
Thin-Skinned Bully / int_e936047a
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_ea4f62db
type
Thin-Skinned Bully
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_ea4f62db
comment
Most of the Griffins in Family Guy are usually treated this way (albeit to varying degrees depending on Rule of Funny), being high order comedic sociopaths but still cowering when they themselves are the target of abuse. This is especially evident in the odd cases when Meg, their favorite punching bag, finally snaps.
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_ea4f62db
featureApplicability
1.0
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_ea4f62db
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Guy
hasFeature
Thin-Skinned Bully / int_ea4f62db
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_ec25a849
type
Thin-Skinned Bully
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_ec25a849
comment
Roger Klotz of Doug was frequently hinted to be this, such as when he was shown to have an irrational fear of a perfectly harmless dentist or when he was as afraid to graduate as Doug was.
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_ec25a849
featureApplicability
1.0
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_ec25a849
featureConfidence
1.0
 Doug
hasFeature
Thin-Skinned Bully / int_ec25a849
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_fb27829b
type
Thin-Skinned Bully
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_fb27829b
comment
Fantastic Mr. Fox: The coach's son makes Ash eat mud in retaliation for Ash's father causing the whole neighborhood to be destroyed. Ash's cousin Kristopherson comes to his rescue by using his karate training to kick the bully in the nose. The bully cries then leaves Ash alone after that.
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_fb27829b
featureApplicability
1.0
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_fb27829b
featureConfidence
1.0
 Fantastic Mr. Fox
hasFeature
Thin-Skinned Bully / int_fb27829b
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_ffb43795
type
Thin-Skinned Bully
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_ffb43795
comment
Cobra Kai: Yasmine decides to get in Aisha's face once too often and gets a frontal wedgie for her troubles. She limps away from the gloating crowd in response.
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_ffb43795
featureApplicability
1.0
 Thin-Skinned Bully / int_ffb43795
featureConfidence
1.0
 Cobra Kai
hasFeature
Thin-Skinned Bully / int_ffb43795

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Thin-Skinned Bully
processingCategory2
The Bully
 Thin-Skinned Bully
processingCategory2
The Jerk Index
 A Possible Encounter for a Phantom (Fanfic) / int_24442dd4
type
Thin-Skinned Bully
 Everyday Life with Ultimate Girls (Fanfic) / int_24442dd4
type
Thin-Skinned Bully
 How Bad Can A Little Gossip Be (Fanfic) / int_24442dd4
type
Thin-Skinned Bully
 American History X / int_24442dd4
type
Thin-Skinned Bully
 molesworth / int_24442dd4
type
Thin-Skinned Bully
 Moongobble and Me / int_24442dd4
type
Thin-Skinned Bully
 Of Mice and Men / int_24442dd4
type
Thin-Skinned Bully
 Oliver Twist / int_24442dd4
type
Thin-Skinned Bully
 Jake and Amir (Web Video) / int_24442dd4
type
Thin-Skinned Bully
 Oglaf (Webcomic) / int_24442dd4
type
Thin-Skinned Bully
 Boy Girl Dog Cat Mouse Cheese / int_24442dd4
type
Thin-Skinned Bully
 Ego Trip / int_24442dd4
type
Thin-Skinned Bully
 Fantastic Mr. Fox / int_24442dd4
type
Thin-Skinned Bully
 Scaredy Squirrel / int_24442dd4
type
Thin-Skinned Bully