Idiot Hero

The "idiot hero" is a protagonist who makes up for the lack of brains with heart & talent.

Why This Trope Rocks

 * 1) Similar to anti-heroes, idiot heroes are shown to be quite relatable.
 * 2) They represent the fact that everyone has their own shortcomings and we can all make up for them with our own positive qualities.
 * 3) With that said, the way these kinds of characters are written often shows how you are able to root for the dimmest characters around.
 * 4) This trope also adds comedic effect to the characters' personalities with their stupidity, silliness and/or obliviousness.

The Only Bad Qualities

 * 1) It can be overused, especially in anime, specifically when it comes to shonen protagonists.
 * 2) Some idiot heroes can be quite unlikable, unfunny and/or unsympathetic because of how obtuse they can be.

Examples of well-written idiot heroes

 * Asta (Black Clover)
 * Crash Bandicoot (Crash Bandicoot)
 * Dudley Puppy (T.U.F.F. Puppy)
 * Earthworm Jim (Earthworm Jim)
 * Ed (Good Burger)
 * The Tick (The Tick)
 * Freakazoid (Freakazoid) [a lunatic who is rather street smart, but not quite as book smart and is usually scatterbrained, manic and acts like a doofus most of the time.]
 * Bullwinkle J. Moose (Rocky & Bullwinkle)
 * Jack Skellington (The Nightmare Before Christmas) [Not an idiot by intelligence, but naive and sometimes too excitable to use common sense]
 * Johnny Bravo (Johnny Bravo)
 * Greg Heffley (Diary of a Wimpy Kid) [a kid who can be smart at times, but otherwise dumb in a naive, inexperienced way]
 * Homer Simpson (The Simpsons)
 * Jimmy Neutron (Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius/The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron:Boy Genius) [being a "Ditzy Genius", having very little common sense despite having high intelligence]
 * Michelangelo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)
 * Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece)
 * Naruto Uzumaki (Naruto) [not too much of an idiot, but rather a redeemable troublemaker than anything]
 * Natsu Dragneel (Fairy Tail)
 * Po Ping (Kung Fu Panda) [being a goofball who can be insightful and wise rather than just an idiot]
 * Son Goku (Dragon Ball)
 * SpongeBob SquarePants (SpongeBob SquarePants)
 * Usagi Tsukino (Sailor Moon)
 * Timmy Turner (The Fairly OddParents) [not as much of an idiot but rather a naive butt-monkey all things considered]
 * Yusuke Urameshi (Yu Yu Hakusho) [A teenager who is street-smart but is not book-smart due to skipping school]

Examples of poorly-written idiot heroes

 * Bubsy T. Bobcat (Bubsy)
 * Coconut Fred (Coconut Fred's Fruit Salad Island) [Being a SpongeBob rip-off]
 * Gord Brody (Freddy Got Fingered) [Being more of an idiotic, maniacal manchild aside from just than an idiot]
 * Johnny Test (original series) (Johnny Test) [A kid who makes poor choices that lead to comedically detrimental results]
 * Kei Kurono (Gantz)
 * Oscar the Sharkslayer (Shark Tale) [A fish who is actually cunning and street-smart, but otherwise makes a lot of dumb decisions, especially when it comes to get-rich-quick schemes]
 * Reggie the Great Turkey (Free Birds)
 * Sheen Estevez (Planet Sheen)