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.
 * 5) They inspired the audience to face our obstacles without overthinking, which develops great courage and determination.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) It can be seen as a cliche, 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

 * Ash Ketchum (Pokémon)
 * Asta (Black Clover)
 * Bullwinkle J. Moose (Rocky & Bullwinkle)
 * Boyfriend (Friday Night Funkin')
 * Crash Bandicoot (Crash Bandicoot)
 * Dexter (Dexter's Laboratory) [An example of "Ditzy Genius", being a boy genius who makes a lot of dumb decisions]
 * Dudley Puppy (T.U.F.F. Puppy)
 * Earthworm Jim (Earthworm Jim)
 * Ed (Good Burger)
 * Finn Mertens (Adventure Time)
 * 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.]
 * Fred Figglehorn (Fred)
 * Goofy (Disney)
 * Gumball Watterson (The Amazing World of Gumball) [Although he became more intelligent as the show went on]
 * 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)
 * Jack Skellington (The Nightmare Before Christmas) [Not an idiot by intelligence, but naive and sometimes too excitable to use common sense]
 * Jaune Arc (RWBY) [Not too much of an idiot, more of a naive underachiever]
 * Jimmy Neutron (Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius/The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron:Boy Genius) [Another example of a "Ditzy Genius", having very little common sense despite having high intelligence]
 * Johnny Bravo (Johnny Bravo)
 * Kazuma Kuwabara (Yu Yu Hakusho) [Has a lot of common sense, but can be dense at times, just like Yusuke]
 * Katarina Claes (My Next Life As A Villainess!)
 * Michelangelo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)
 * Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece)
 * Naruto Uzumaki (Naruto) [not too much of an idiot, but rather a goofy and redeemable troublemaker than anything]
 * Natsu Dragneel (Fairy Tail)
 * Otis the Cow (Back at the Barnyard)
 * Patrick Star (SpongeBob SquarePants)
 * Po Ping (Kung Fu Panda) [being a goofball who can be insightful and wise rather than just an idiot]
 * Rango (Rango) [More of a scatterbrained goofball than a downright idiot]
 * Riley Freeman (The Boondocks) [Not exactly too much of an idiot and is actually street-smart, but is just a kid and can be reckless and impulsive at times.]
 * Ron Stoppable (Kim Possible)
 * Sheen Estevez (Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius/The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron:Boy Genius) [Before Planet Sheen, he was not too much of an idiot, but rather a comedic & redeemable troublemaker than anything]
 * Son Goku (Dragon Ball)
 * SpongeBob SquarePants (SpongeBob SquarePants)
 * The Tick (The Tick)
 * Timmy Turner (The Fairly OddParents) [not as much of an idiot but rather a naive butt-monkey all things considered]
 * Tommy Pickles (Rugrats) [not all that much of an idiot and fairly intelligent, but is still a baby, and can be reckless & naive at times]
 * Travis Touchdown (No More Heroes)
 * Usagi Tsukino (Sailor Moon)
 * 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) [Everything can go wrong, as always]
 * 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]
 * Jake Spidermonkey (My Gym Partner's a Monkey)
 * Reggie the Great Turkey (Free Birds)
 * Sheen Estevez (Planet Sheen)