Tropedia

  • All unique and most-recently-edited pages, images and templates from Original Tropes and The True Tropes wikis have been copied to this wiki. The two source wikis have been redirected to this wiki. Please see the FAQ on the merge for more.

READ MORE

Tropedia
Farm-Fresh balanceYMMVTransmit blueRadarWikEd fancyquotesQuotes • (Emoticon happyFunnyHeartHeartwarmingSilk award star gold 3Awesome) • RefridgeratorFridgeGroupCharactersScript editFanfic RecsSkull0Nightmare FuelRsz 1rsz 2rsz 1shout-out iconShout OutMagnifierPlotGota iconoTear JerkerBug-silkHeadscratchersHelpTriviaWMGFilmRoll-smallRecapRainbowHo YayPhoto linkImage LinksNyan-Cat-OriginalMemesHaiku-wide-iconHaikuLaconicLibrary science symbol SourceSetting
Ed-Edd-n-Eddy 9211

From left to right: Edd, Ed and Eddy.


Cquote1

Eddy: People used to try to be cool, but now it's hot! We're hot!

Edd: Do you feel hot, Ed?

Ed: Nah, I'm half-baked.
—The Eds, in "Pop Goes The Ed"
Cquote2


Three friends, one name, and barely a clue amongst them: that's the concept behind Cartoon Network's Ed, Edd n Eddy, a show about the misadventures of some not-so-ordinary kids in an ordinary suburban cul-de-sac. The show was created by Canadian Danny Antonucci (creator of MTV's short-lived series The Brothers Grunt) during The Renaissance Age of Animation. It lasted from January, 1999 to November, 2009. A total of 65 regular episodes, 4 specials, and a television film.

Ed is a lovable lug who possesses superhuman strength, subhuman intellect, and an odd obsession with chickens; he also enjoys drinking gravy and the odd spot of buttered toast, with a strict diet of b-movies sandwiched in. Edd aka "Double D" is a nerdy Neat Freak who collects insects, labels everything in his room, and communicates with his ever-busy parents via sticky notes. The group is rounded out by Eddy, a smug con artist who manipulates his enemies (and friends, in many cases).

In most episodes, the title trio tend to twist and trounce the truth in order to scam the other kids of the cul-de-sac into giving up their hard-earned allowances in the name of purchasing comically oversized jawbreakers (the holy grail of candies, of course). Because of this, the Eds frequently run afoul of the other kids in the neighborhood.

No characters outside the core twelve appear, though they are frequently mentioned. This was especially silly once the Eds and their friends were shown going to school in the final season; even though it was supposed to be swarming with teachers and other students, we never see anyone apart from the characters (unless in exceptional conditions, where they are still Faceless Masses).

Much of the humor is character/situation-driven, based on the absurdity of the situations the Eds and the rest of the kids find themselves in. A mix of slapstick, word play, and surrealism, the series ended up becoming the channel's longest-running series in terms of years on-air.

Recap pages are now beginning construction, starting with the pilot, the second episode, and third episode.

Tropes used in Ed, Edd 'n' Eddy include:
Cquote1

 The Eds hear Jimmy screaming:

Edd: Oh dear! A shriek of terror!

Ed: Dad's home!

Cquote2
    • This could be a throwaway joke, however, as Ed smiles when he says this, and in another episode Ed says, "Oh no! Sarah will tell Mom and Mom will tell Dad and Dad will say "Not now, I just got home from work!"
    • Not to mention their levels of punishment.
Cquote1

 Eddy: What happened to the stairs?!

Ed: My parents took them away cuz I am grounded!

Edd: That's disturbing.

Cquote2
  • The Ace: Though he is never actually seen, Eddy's brother is strongly implied to be this... only for the movie to reveal that he's actually a sadistic bully who enjoys beating up Eddy for kicks, and that Eddy made up everything he said about him...
  • Actually Pretty Funny: In “Boys Will Be Ed”, Edd scolds the boys, including Ed and Eddy, for Jimmy’s misfortune with his sandwich and Victor the goat. However, Edd soon… well this.
Cquote1

 Edd: I fail to see a comedy in Jimmy's tragedy, Eddy. There is nothing funny about being chased around the yard, then (starts sn****ring) unintentionally slipping on a (starts giggling) slice of luncheon meat! (He bursts into laughs)

Cquote2
    • In "If It Smells Like an Ed", Edd is laughing all right the crowd after Eddy gives Jimmy a wedgie.
  • All Crimes Are Equal: Sometimes, Eddy's antics will net Ed and Edd the same punishment/retribution, no matter if they were unwitting accessories or if they tried to stop him. This is why some fans don't like the other kids.
  • Ambiguously Brown: Johnny, though he's probably black.
    • Rolf.
  • Aluminum Christmas Trees: As strange as it seems, Eddy is actually correct about a sovereign can be elected. Where is that? The Vatican City: the Pope is both the sovereign and the leader of the Catholic Church. You heard right. The Vatican City is the only known country where a sovereign is elected since a new Pope is appointed by his peers. This video explain how the Vatican City works while this video explains the process. Though the show isn’t endorse any “religion” but pay attention to with Eddy during his reasoning.
  • Ambiguous Disorder: Ed and Double-D
  • Ambiguously Gay: Jimmy exhibits a lot of stereotypically gay behaviors, the most memorable being in the Christmas special, where he bakes gingerbread sailors on shore leave. Then again, he was jealous of Double D when Sarah had a crush on him.
    • Played for laughs in one episode, where Kevin blackmails Eddy into making out with Double D.
    • In the episode "Key to My Ed", Ed is dancing around while Rolf's playing music. He grabs Eddy and slams him into Double D, the two catching each other in a dancing position. Double D's only remark is a smirk and, "What? No flowers?" (Although he could have been being sarcastic.)
  • Ambition Is Evil: The source of Eddy's bad luck. Inherited from his scheming brother.
  • Amusing Injuries: Lampshaded in the movie with Eddy commenting that he is getting tired of slapstick after getting injured yet again. They receive no more injuries before Eddy's brother comes out. See below.
    • Notably, in the movie, the kids who fell for the Noodle Incident scam end up keeping their injuries for the first portion. It still didn't wear them down a bit, which is concerning considering Rolf was missing large chunks of flesh, and Jonny had a Bear Trap clamped onto his head.
      • Subverted later in the movie, in that Eddy being beaten up by his brother is treated very seriously and the cul-de-sac kids witnessing this and Eddy's subsequent breakdown leads them to finally accept the Eds.
    • Jimmy gets horribly injured several times each show, yet is still able to speak and think competently.
  • And Now for Something Completely Different: "The Eds Are Coming", which is considerably Darker and Edgier than is normal for the series, with some hearty doses of Nightmare Fuel thrown in for good measure.
  • And I Must Scream: Ed sufferred from this in Rock-a-Bye Ed, during his "trial" about if he was guilty of bugging Sarah. This however was only a nightmare.
  • Arc Number: 62
  • Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking:
Cquote1

 Ed: The school will tell Sarah, and Sarah will go tell Mom, and Mom will go tell Dad, and Dad will just SIT THERE AND WATCH TV!

Ed: It's Sarah! We are so doomed! Help me, guys! She'll tell Mom and Mom will tell Dad and he'll say "Not now, I just got home from work!

Cquote2
  • Art Evolution: Early on in the series, the characters looked somewhat less human (notably, their jaw shapes being more exaggerated) and the color scheme was duller. The lines were also somewhat less thin and wriggled a bit less, as well.
  • Audience What Audience: Jonny at the end of the movie. Which is weird, considering his Companion Cube Plank has Medium Awareness.
  • Bad Mood As an Excuse: In "Little Ed Blue", Ed gains a bad mood, becoming aloof, violent and outright intimidating to everyone, even Sarah. This is stopped when Johnny pulls off his shoe, revealing a pebble inside, and Ed is blissful again.
  • Bait and Switch: In "A Town Called Ed", it clearly seems a row of lockers will fall on Eddy. They don't.
  • Bamboo Technology: Edd's scrap-made inventions. He makes whole cities and theme parks out of cardboard - and they may or may not work.
  • Ed, Edd n Eddy Can Breathe In Space: The first time was with Eddy's stilt shoes, the second time when the Eds wound up on the moon.
  • Bavarian Fire Drill: Attempted and failed in the opening of one episode, where Eddy runs up to Johnny and orders him to start doing random things seemingly as part of a game (such as catapulting marshmallows into a tuba or popping the balloons holding Ed aloft). When he gets to "Put a quarter in the jar, quick!", Johnny says "Nice try!" and walks off.
    • Used more successfully in an earlier episode where the Eds want to steal Johnny's spot at the swimming hole. While Eddy plots, Edd just pulls out a whistle and blows, causing Johnny to jump up and dive as if he were trying out for swim team.
  • Berserk Button: Everyone has one.
    • Ed will become the opposite of his Gentle Giant self if he has a pebble in his shoe, which is kind of like an animal going berserk if it has a thorn in its paw. And it would be foolish to mess with his sister or his pals.
    • Edd is a Neat Freak, so sneezing on him would be one of the worst things you could do to him.
    • Do not call Eddy short. Do not take money from him. And do not ruin his scams.
    • Do not harm Jimmy when Sarah's around.
    • Jimmy's was pressed twice: he gets jealous when Sarah falls for Edd, and when Eddy gave him a wedgie, well, things turned ugly. Really ugly.
    • Only the Eds have been known to push Kevin's buttons, whatever they are.
    • If you take Plank away from Jonny, it can get really ugly.
    • Nazz will get preachy and defensive if you've done something wrong.
Cquote1

 Nazz: Where do you get off?! You guys are totally acting like jerks! Why don't you leave poor Jimmy alone? He's younger than you, you know, and Blah Blah Blah...

Cquote2
    • Rolf takes pride in his customs. Do not tarnish them, or he will beat you.
    • The Kankers have 2 of them: the first one is if their "boyfriends", the Eds, are paired with someone else outside of the girls' intentions. The other? Don't take their Ship-Inna-Bottle.
  • Beware the Nice Ones:
    • Jimmy has planned up schemes so brilliant that even Eddy considered them to be too diabolical. Jimmy also beat the living mess out of Double D and left him with his finger tied to his arm and his leg tied to his...other leg. Don't forget he bit a chunk out of Double D's tongue.
    • Edd himself proved to be just as dangerous anytime he has a emotional meltdown.
    • Ed angry is so scary it frightens Sarah.
Cquote1

 Sarah: Ed! You can't throw me out, I live here too!

Ed: SO MOVE!!!

Cquote2
    • Nazz falls into this category so many times.
    • Don't piss off Plank. He has back-up.
    • Rolf is arguably the friendliest of the cul-de-sac children, and he's not someone to be trifled with either, if you don't want to have a four-foot fish smack into your face.
  • Big Ball of Violence: Most fight scenes.
  • Big Brother Instinct: Played straight for Ed and Sarah at times but BRUTALLY subverted for Eddy and his brother.
  • Big Eater:
    • Ed, period. An episode focuses on him eating the entire Cul-De-Sac's food supply.
    • Rolf is capable of eating half of his weight in meat. Maybe even more.
  • Bittersweet Ending: A lot.
    • "Knock Knock, Who's Ed?" - Ed finally gets to see his 8-hour movie marathon, but his friends don't really like what they see.
    • "Dear Ed" - Jonny and Plank are back together, but Eddy doesn't get his quarter, though the Eds and Jimmy ends the episodes with some dancing.
    • "Rent-A-Ed" - Even though Ed destroyed Jonny's house, the Eds actually get away with the money.
    • "X Marks the Ed" - Rolf makes Eddy's zit disappear, but it makes his head really small.
    • "Ed Overboard" - Edd and Eddy manage to save Ed from the Kankers with the Urban Rangers' help, but shortly after, the rangers take Ed away after they get covered in make-up.
    • "Stiff Upper Ed" - the Eds got to be in Sarah and Jimmy's Rich Club, but they're slaves.
    • "Run For Your Ed" - the Kankers actually leave the Eds alone, but the cul-de-sac is still in ruin, and Eddy gets his finger stuck in a faucet after the Eds hid in Edd's kitchen sink.
    • "The Good, The Bad, and the Ed" - Eddy loses the challenge to get The Hairy Chest of Resilience Badge, but he gets a badge as a consolation prize, although it's the embarrassing "Crybaby Boo-Hoo" Badge.
      • Which is really unfair given what he had to go through. It included jumping off a cliff and getting hit by a passing train as well as many other impossible or stupidly dangerous tasks.
    • "A Fistful of Ed" - Eddy loses all respect he's accumulated, but he manages to get the Kankers to go away.
    • "May I Have This Ed?" - Edd gets to dance with Nazz, but the Kankers ruined the dance.
    • "The Day the Ed Stood Still" - The Eds manage to stop Ed's rampage, but the entire Cul-De-Sac is understandably enraged.
    • "An Ed too Many"- The Eds manage to get Jimmy and Sarah back together, making Sarah forget about her crush on Double D and thus getting her to leave them alone, but Eddy, blaming the four leaf clover they found at the beginning of the episode for the events, throws it away. It is subsequently found by Johnny, who has a sudden string of good fortune, much to Eddy's chagrin. Oh, and Ed's still hungry.
    • "Virt-Ed-Go"- The Ed's treehouse for their club scam is taken over by the Kanker Sisters, but the treehouse was poorly-made and looked like it could fall at any moment.
  • Black Comedy Rape: Done frequently by the Kankers to the Eds. For instance, in the ending of The Movie, the Kankers dragged Eddy's unconscious brother into his mobile home to give him "mouth to mouth."
  • Blah Blah Blah: In The Rashomon episode, how Ed remembers Double D's dialogue.
  • BLAM Episode: "1 + 1 = Ed". A string of questions from Ed lead to reality falling apart in surreal ways, such as exploiting their drawn lines or Ed eating the sun.
Cquote1

 Ed: Hello light.

Cquote2
  • Blazing Inferno Hellfire Sauce: The "Honor Thy Ed" episode starts with the Eds having set up a taco stand selling "tacos" made of paper plates, grass, and shredded crayons. After Ed, Extreme Omnivore he is, eats several crayons thinking they are flavors, Edd humors him and takes a bite of one. He is disgusted and needs water, but the closest thing is Eddy's Brother's Armenian Secret Hot Sauce. He guzzles part of it and seems unfazed at first. Ed also consumes some. Eddy thinks the sauce didn't work and also eats some. It's at that moment the effect takes hold, however. We see a Discretion Shot from down the street as a tower of flame erupts from the stand and the Eds sticking their mouths on a sprinkler.
  • Blinding Camera Flash: There's an entire episode revolving around this.
  • Blonde, Brunette, Redhead: Sort of, being that one of them has blue hair. May, Marie, and Lee.
    • In addition, most fanarts of the Eds done in realistic or anime style tend to portray Edd as blonde, Eddy with black hair, and Ed as a redhead. Ed being redheaded is canon since in one episode, when he combed his hair, it turned out to be red. That makes sense, as his sister Sarah is a redhead.
  • Breaking the Fourth Wall: In a quite literal example, the trio ends up getting shot into the air, where they proceeded to crash into the sky from a viewpoint of them crashing into the television screen. The sky begins to shatter, revealing television snow behind it.
    • "Does this guy sleep through the whole show?"
    • "Oh, yeah! Didn't we win an Emmy for that episode?" "Hardly."
    • When Sarah locks them out of the house during a monster movie marathon:
Cquote1

 Edd: We could just go to our house, Eddy.

Eddy: What, and ruin the plot?

Cquote2
    • "End of first sequence and fade to black!"
    • "Rolf finally feels safe enough to appear in this episode."
    • "This show needs subtitles."
    • "I'd swear but standards won't let me."
    • "Who writes this guy's stuff anyway?" (Eddy, on Edd)
    • "But Eddy, Kevin isn't even in this episode!"
    • During the deleted scene of "Take this Ed and Shove It", Eddy blatantly smashes the fourth wall.
Cquote1

 Eddy: This is some kind of joke. This is one of those stupid done-to-death cartoon nightmares. [shouts to the sky] Okay you can wake me up now Mr. Cartoon Director... HEY ANTONUCCI, WAKE ME UP!!!

Cquote2
    • The entire plot line of the episode "One + One = Edd" basically revolves around this.
Cquote1

 Edd: Hello, an original screen transition, interesting.

Cquote2
    • "Prepare to meet your maker!" "Antonucci?"
    • "Makes you wanna throw up, don't it? Lemme take that for ya so you don't contaminate those badly drawn fingers."
    • "My feet will regain feeling after this commercial break, Double D."
    • During The Movie, this gem of a moment occurred while the Eds are reading the following instructions on an emergency kit:
Cquote1

 Edd: In case of movie, break glass?!

Eddy: BINGO!

(Eddy breaks open the case and pulls out a peanut)

Eddy: ...a peanut?

Ed: Cheap movie.

Cquote2
    • At the end of the same film after the Eds have finally become popular, Double D gleefully notes that "it only took 140 episodes, 4 specials, and a movie, Eddy!"
  • Break the Cutie: The Movie does this to everyone.
  • Bubble Pipe: When Nazz is babysitting at Eddy's house and he believes that it's a date. Edd notes it makes him look ridiculous.
  • Bunny Ears Lawyer: While Ed is typically very stupid, he is incredibly resourceful/crafty in many situations in the series.
    • Eddy's plans would work if the rest of the cast weren't so Genre Savvy and/or terrible stokes of luck happened to smack them in the rear.
  • Butt Monkey: All three Eds.
    • Jimmy is a bigger example. Jonny also qualifies if the subject is his big head - literally!
  • Camera Abuse: Just after Edd sets the camera angle straight in the opening sequence, Ed and Eddy's rough-housing cause the three to be knocked into the lens, resulting in television snow.
  • Can't Get Away with Nuthin': The Eds always fall into this.
  • Cartoon Juggling: Eddy juggles a variety of items that Ed throws at him, from chairs to Double D, in order to entertain Sarah while babysitting. It goes fairly well until Ed throws him a cactus.
  • Catch Phrase: For Ed: "Buttered toast!" and "Gravy!"
    • In a Brick Joke, Sarah serves Ed "buttered toast" and "gravy" for dinner when he's grounded.
    • Lampshaded in a Spin-the-Bottle/Truth or Dare episode, where they're forced to switch personalities. Edd, posing as Ed (obviously), says "gravy" and "buttered toast" all the time, causing Ed to protest that he doesn't say them that much.
    • Eddy often says "Wait until I get my hands on you!" whilst chasing someone. (Usually Ed.)
    • Eddy will also often say "What's with you?" as a recruting shoutout to Moe Howard's "What's the matter with you?" catchphrase.
  • Cerebus Retcon: The series finale reveals that the reason Eddy is such a jerk is that all the years he endured with his big brother were in fact torture, and not as cool as he claimed to everyone in the cul-de-sac.
  • Chain of Deals: "Who, What, Where, Ed!"
  • Chaos Architecture: The environment decides whether or not to grow steep hilltops in some episodes or if the alleys are big enough to support a cardboard city.
    • In addition, the Eds' theme park.
  • Characterization Marches On: Ed and Double D in the later seasons are almost unrecognizable in personality in the later seasons compared to how they were earlier. Ed was presented as a slightly smarter, but more absentminded teenager than outright stupid or infantile like he is later, not to mention he initially lacked the Super Strength that became a major part of his character. Double D was also much more relaxed and low-speaking, and far more willing to go along with Eddy's scams--contrast to how neurotic he is later on, as well as being the "Moral Compass", so to speak, of the trio. Eddy was also nowhere near as short tempered, greedy and bombastic in the early episodes as he is later on.
    • Sarah becomes a lot more of a Deadpan Snarker as time goes on, especially in season five.
  • Chew Toy: Jimmy, but especially the Eds.
  • Christmas Episode: "Fa La La La Ed", where Ed thinks it's Christmas in July, and the Christmas Special "Jingle Jingle Jangle".
  • Clip Show: Toyed with. While we do see some props from previous episodes, all of the flashbacks are new stories. Near the end of the episode, Eddy flat out states that he hates clip shows, and starts beating the others with his Dueling Fish.
  • Cloudcuckoolander: Rolf, Ed, and Jonny on occasion.
  • Companion Cube: Plank!
    • And Ed's lucky (and really stinky!) piece of cheese, Sheldon until Eddy chucked him into the creek.
  • Continuity Nod: The show is positively loaded with these, the most being in The Movie. One example includes Ed getting shocked and getting into costumes and forms he had in several past episodes.
    • Also from the movie, upon Edd figuring seemingly figuring out that Eddy's Brother has something to do with the Lemonbrook gag factory, Eddy references the mascot episode, "Tight End Ed".
    • "It Came From Outer Ed" has a cameo of the Masked Mumbler porta-potty booth from "Tag Yer Ed".
    • "The Good Ol' Ed" revolved around making a time capsule, which featured many devices from previous episodes, including the Eddo puppet from "Honor Thy Ed", the hypno-wheel from "Look Into My Eds", the Canadian Squirt Guns and hat from "Know It All Ed", the Fad Freak costume from "Its Way Ed", the ice pack from when they destroyed Jonny's house in "Rent-A-Ed", and the weapon fish from "Dueling Eds". It also references the rocket car from "Ready, Set, Ed!", the chain of deals from "Who, What, Where, Ed?", and the time they painted a spatula gold to pass it off as jewelry in "High Heeled Ed".
    • In "Out with the Old, In With The Ed", Johnny can be seen playing with the Whiz-Whaz toy from "Its Way Ed".
    • There's also Ed's sleepwalking in "A Glass Of Warm Ed", which comes back to explain how the Eds got the Kankers' ship-in-a-bottle in "Run For Your Ed" three seasons later.
    • "A Glass of Warm Ed" has a "blink and you'll miss it" nod to a previous episode, with the "Enogee drink" stand from "Over Your Ed" making a reappearance.
    • "Dueling Eds" features the giant piggy bank from "Fa-La-La-La-Ed", rotting in the junkyard.
    • "Three Squares and an Ed" features cameos of the Newspaper Machine and the Elevator Boots from "Read All About Ed" and "A Pinch to Grow An Ed".
    • The clubhouse from "Virt-Ed-Go" makes a sudden reappearance as a refuge from Monster Ed in "The Day The Ed Stood Still". It's even still painted pink and says "Club Kanker".
    • The "Hive Bee Gone" overalls from "Pop Goes The Ed" reappear in "To Sir With Ed".
    • "My Fair Ed" references Ed tearing up Double D's screendoor in "Button yer Ed".
    • Double D's steel guitar from "Avast Ye Eds" reappears in "Rambling Ed", "Brother, Can You Spare an Ed?" and "Out with the old...In with the Ed".
    • In "May I Have This Ed?" Ed produces a "lucky cheese chunk" he calls Sheldon Jr., a reference to his lucky cheese chunk Sheldon from "Thick as an Ed".
    • This exchange from "Stuck in Ed", where Eddy convinces Jimmy to help him think up a scam, and Edd brings up the events of the episode "Ed in a Half-Shell":
Cquote1

 Edd: Have faith, Eddy. After all, you did teach Jimmy everything you know.

Eddy: Oh yeah! Didn't we win an Emmy for that episode?

Edd: Hardly...

Cquote2
    • Several scenes in the junkyard show inventions from previous episodes (i.e. the swinging-chair ride from "Eds-aggerate").
    • The video game, "Ed, Edd n Eddy the Mis Edventures", has the El-Mongo stinkbomb from "Fool on the Ed", return as portable weapons.
    • Rolf's TV from an early episode pops up again as a plot device in one later episode.
    • "A Fistful of Ed" has Jimmy's snake tattoo from "Urban Ed" reappear. Eddy also makes reference to the episode where Eddy turned Jimmy into a sumo wrestler.
  • Contrived Coincidence: In "Who, What, Where, Ed" (the Chain of Deals episode), the Eds need some clams but are having no luck. Just when they're about to give up, Johnny pops out of the sewer wearing SCUBA gear and holding a bucket full of clams. Edd remarks "That was convenient."
  • Cosmic Playthings: Double D's only explanation as to why the trio can't get free jawbreakers in the episode "Don't Rain on My Ed".
    • For clarification, everything from a piano falling on them to a stampede of chickens during a freak thunderstorm try to prevent them from getting some candy.
      • Actually, Kevin dropped the piano on Eddy because Eddy accidentally swallowed Kevin and his bike.
  • Covered in Kisses: Whenever the Eds are caught victim of the Kanker Sisters.
  • Crack Pairing: Edd and May, Invoked by Sarah and Jimmy (as cupids) in the Valentine's Day special. The other Eds and Kankers both found it strange. Then, through random arrow firing, we also got Eddy paired with Plank, and Ed with a sandwich.
  • Cue Card: Edd holds up cue cards for Ed to read while he talks with Johnny. Despite screwing up, he manages to find Johnny's problem.
Cquote1

 Ed: Sit down and say "Hello, Johnny!"

Johnny: Uh... hello?

Ed: Ask him how he is!

(Johnny is confused, Edd holds up a sign saying "How are you?")

Ed: I'm fine. Well, okay, a little hungry.

Cquote2
  • Cut Lex Luthor a Check: The Eds constantly attempt (and often fail) to make money by scamming the kids - although they never think of getting a regular allowance from their parents nor doing chores to get the money.
    • Ed's dad is too busy, Edd doesn't get compensated for chores, and Eddy... uh... probably wants more money.
  • Darker and Edgier: The Movie, due to the kids' obsession with hunting the Eds down and killing them. Not to mention the reveal that Eddy's brother is physically abusive.
  • A Day At the Bizarro: 1 + 1 = Ed.
  • A Day in the Limelight:
    • Kevin and the kids get an episode to themselves: "See No Ed".
      • It gets so weird for the cast that they start searching for the Eds. Some are worried, some are curious, and Kevin is just getting increasingly paranoid that the Eds are up to something. Turns out that the Eds were trying to set up a scam, but they couldn't find Ed's helmet.
    • The movie easily doubles the characterization and depth of relationships for the cast, but Kevin and Nazz' relationship especially.
  • Deconstruction: Arguably The Movie, which shows some of the characters in a more complex light. For example, Eddy is probably the most flawed character in the series, having an inferiority complex caused by his brother. Overall the movie plays things a bit more realistically than the rest of the series, though the film also puts a lot of emphasis on comedy and the relations between the characters.
    • The Movie also deconstructs the Amusing Injuries trope, with Eddy's brother's beatings on Eddy having resulted in his inferiority complex and jerkassery. It wasn't rare for the cul-de-sac kids to pick up on the Eds, but considering they were the same age and had more-less comparable chances, but Eddy's brother is definitely older and physically stronger than Eddy. The cruel way he beats him up just because he asked for protection from the enraged neighborhood kids revolts even Sarah and the Kankers.
  • Digging to China: "For Your Ed Only" - Johnny hits the ground so hard he pops up in China. "Just like in the cartoons!"
  • Domestic Abuse: After over 100 episodes, Eddy's Brother is revealed to be a Jerkass who beats Eddy to a pulp when he asks for a little protection from the neighborhood kids. This turns nasty when you realize that Eddy is only 12, his brother has to be in his 20s, and he probably practiced the same level of abuse for the entire time he lived with his parents.
  • Downer Ending: "If It Smells Like An Ed".
    • The endings to most episodes, actually, in the vain of Married... with Children. And they are always played for laughs.
    • In general, the only episodes that ended with the Eds not getting beaten up, getting their scam ruined, or otherwise humiliated are "A Glass of Warm Ed", "Run for your Ed", "The Day the Ed Stood Still", "A Fistful of Ed", "May I Have this Ed", the valentine's special, and The Movie.
  • Dreadful Musician: In "Pain in the Ed", Ed is forced to take violin lessons, and is so bad at it that it causes the bark to peel off trees, and Kevin's bike to crumple up. This is curious, since Ed is later shown to be superb at playing the flute.
  • Dream Within a Dream: "Rock-a-bye-Ed".
  • Drool Hello: Monster Ed pulls this on Eddy in "The Day The Ed Stood Still".
  • Early Installment Weirdness: The early shorts had much cruder animation, Double D was much more relaxed than he is later on, Eddy is more of a heckler than a flat out greedy jerk, and Ed wasn't stupid so much as he was an absentminded teenager. Also, there was the first episode, where they actually did get their jawbreakers--sort of.
  • Earn Your Happy Ending: After "130 episodes, four specials and a movie!" of physical, mental and social humiliation, the series ends with the Eds well liked by the cul-de-sac (and finally getting jawbreakers).
  • Embarrassing Middle Name: Eddy's middle name is Skipper, and Edd's is Marion. Also revealed in one other episode that Ed's middle name is Horace, even though he has the least embarrassing middle name of the trio.
  • Enemy Mine/Go-Karting with Bowser: Before the ending movie, the Eds and the other kids do team up with each other from time to time, most notably in the Alien Invasion special.
  • Epic Fail: Several of the Eds' scams, most notably, the Ancient Egypt scam. The episode "Once Bitten, Twice Ed" cranks this trope up to 11 after Johnny keeps ruining the arcade and they insist on running the arcade even after people saw through the scam.
    • In "Pain in the Ed", Eddy's armpit hair (made of blue carpet) is so obviously fake that even Ed sees right through it.
  • Establishing Character Moment: Eddy's Brother beating the utter crap out of his little brother, and then admitting he's been doing it to Eddy for years, with no signs of regret.
  • Even Evil Has Standards: Nearly all the kids of the cul-de-sac have beaten and/or humiliated the Eds badly on occasions. Especially towards Eddy, but in The Movie, all of them were appalled by Eddy's beating from his brother. Even Sarah and Kevin.
  • Even the Subtitler Is Stumped: The subtitler for The Movie's premiere broadcast in the United States registered everything Rolf says as (unintelligible) ...even though the things he was saying were very clear.
  • Evil vs. Evil: Although it's debatable how "Evil" he is, Eddy may be a sneaky con-artist who will stoop to any measure to get what he wants, but the kids he's scamming aren't exactly saints either. Also, Eddy whenever he encounters the Kankers, who want to love them... whether they like it or not. So technically, its the Eds' evil (scamming the kids for money) versus the other kids' evil (being unnecessarily cruel to the Eds and themselves most of the time) versus the Kankers' evil (terrifying the local populace because they think Victim Falls For Rapist).
  • Evil Plan: Jimmy, of all people, in "If It Smells Like an Ed".
    • Basically, after Eddy (and ONLY Eddy) gave Jimmy a wedgie, everyone else laughs at him. To get revenge, Jimmy then targets all three Eds by framing them for stealing several neighborhood items. Unfortunately, the Eds are unable to clear their name and are forced to choose between getting beaten up by the other kids or getting attacked by the Kanker Sisters. They choose option A as the Lesser of Two Evils, end up getting both options because Jimmy DIDN'T THINK THEY SUFFERED ENOUGH.
      • Well, he did make a deal with the Kanker Sisters in order to pull the whole thing off, and his end of that deal was the Eds' Option B. He even said "I have a deal to complete" right before the sisters showed up.
      • Given that they also completely destroyed his Friendship Day celebration (something he was rather passionate about) and has put up with a hefty amount of abuse from the Eds (and several others) throughout the course of the series, the wedgie seemed more like merely the straw that broke the camel's back.
    • On the bright side, karma catches up with him, depending on whether you count slipping on a banana peel full punishment (Being Jimmy, that probably counts as a serious casualty).
  • You Are Grounded: "Three Squares and an Ed". Eddy and Edd attempt to bust a grounded Ed out of his house. They get caught and are all grounded in the end. Ed and Eddy are grounded for unknown periods of time, while Edd gets off easier because he gets 3 days, which is plenty of time to spend with his thousands of ants.
    • In "A Case of Ed", Kevin, for unknown reasons, has been grounded, and Eddy is not above taking advantage of this to torment him throughout the episode. However, Kevin gets off early for good behaviour, and uses this to get even with Eddy.
  • Executive Meddling: The Movie aired in Asia and parts of Europe months before it did in the US, for reasons unknown.
  • Extreme Omni Goat: Victor.
  • Eye Scream: A humorous, cartoon-y variation in "Your Ed Here" during the wax dummy scam when Ed puts Jonny's eyes on the wax Jonny.
Cquote1

 Ed: Am I an artist, or what?

The kids laugh hysterically

Jonny: Where'd everybody go?!

Edd: (deadpan) Ed, give Jonny his eyes back.

Ed: Right-o, Jim Bob!

Cquote2
  • Face Heel Turn: In The Movie, Jonny 2x4 and Plank go from Captain Melonhead and Splinter the Wonder Wood to The Gourd and Timber the Dark Shard. Not that they'll get to do anything about it, since the movie was over.
  • Fake Video Camera View: "An Ed Is Born" is almost entirely from the viewpoint of a camera. First there's a scene to set it up, then the rest of the episode is all seen through the camera.
  • Failure Is the Only Option: Pretty much all of the Eds' scams and efforts backfire in some form or another. Even if they get away with it, their rewards are usually either lost or destroyed.
    • In "Don't Rain on My Ed", their efforts to get to the candy store before Customer Appreciation Day ends are frustrated in increasingly arbitrary and silly ways, finally culminating in a fierce thunderstorm and an apparently random "chicken drive" blocking their path to the candy store.
    • One episode, during which they turn Jonny's house into a sauna, seemed to end with them escaping and keeping the money. They get away by breaking a fire hydrant and riding the geyser-like jet of water into the air, while still holding on to the money. Even Kevin comments "Hey, the Ed-weirdo brothers aren't too bad!" as the episode ends.
  • Flanderization: Pretty much everyone on the show.
    • In Ed's case, it got so extreme that the writers had to reverse the trend, and made him a little smarter again. At least, he regained the ability to speak in coherent sentences. Similarly, Eddy got meaner and meaner, then got nicer again in the movie and later on in Season five.
    • A showcase of Flanderization within the show can be found in the episode "All Eds Are Off", where the Eds, Kevin, Rolf and Jonny place a bet on who can keep off their most annoying habits. Their habits are basically what they're Flanderization culminated into, with the exception of Jonny who has to stop listening to Plank, which is his whole character.
  • Flash Forward: The second act of "Take This Ed and Shove It".
  • Foot Focus: "FOOTSIES!!! AAAAAAAHHH!!!"
    • "Clammy."
  • Foreshadowing: "Man I'm getting tired of slapstick." Right after the last injury the Eds take before meeting Eddy's brother.
    • A bit of a Fridge Brilliance version of this, but The Wizard of Oz Shout-Out is this; later on after it, Eddy is revealed to have a Jerkass Facade, Edd was the first to call out Eddy's brother, and Ed did something actually smart to take him down.
      • Said Oz Shout-Out is in one scene where Eddy remarks to Ed "Get a brain", Ed replies "Come on, Eddy, have a heart!", and Edd comes following behind them saying courage multiple times.
  • "Friend or Idol?" Decision: In "Don't Rain on My Ed" the Eds rush to get free jawbreakers from their local candy store. Just a stone's throw from reaching it, they're beset by an out of the blue storm and a chicken drive (don't ask). Double D is swept in the flood of poultry and begs Eddy, who managed to get out, for help. In a rare subverted case, Eddy goes for the jawbreakers. But the store closes and he loses his "idol" anyway.
  • Funny Background Event: In "Fa La La La Ed", while Jimmy is complaining to Sarah about the pain of smashing his piggy bank, we see Ed falling over as he tries to prop up some Christmas lights.
  • Genre Savvy: In "The Eds are Coming, The Eds are Coming" (The CN invaded special), the implication of an actual alien invasion leads Double D to research Ed's comic books to produce countermeasures against it.
  • Getting Crap Past the Radar: an entire page's worth of it.
  • The Ghost: All the parents, Eddy's older brother (up until the Grand Finale), and Rolf's nana.
  • Giant Foot of Stomping: In Ed's bedtime story he was telling to Johnny.
  • Girly Bruiser: Sarah is a rare villainous example.
  • Going Commando:
Cquote1

 Ed: (matter-of-fact) I forgot to wear underwear, guys.

Cquote2
Cquote1

 Eddy's Brother: Do Mom and Dad know you're here?...

Eddy: As if.

Eddy's Brother: Does anyone know you're here?

Eddy: Only these losers.

Cquote2
  • Here We Go Again: "The Ed-Touchables", "Ed, Ed, And Away", "Luck of the Ed", and "Thick As An Ed" all end this way.
  • He Who Fights Monsters: Subtle suggestions are made throughout the show that Kevin's Jerkass behavior is a result of constant harrassment from the Eds. In "See No Ed" he becomes increasingly suspicious after the Eds dissappear for an extensive period time, to the point of becoming a paranoid wreck convinced of the Eds preparing to scam him at every turn. His point of view changes after witnessing Eddy's own Freudian Excuse in The Movie however.
Cquote1

 Kevin: COME OUT, EDDY, SO I CAN POUND YA!!!

Cquote2
  • He Who Must Not Be Seen: Eddy's brother.
    • Averted when Eddy's Brother finally appears in the movie.
  • Hidden Depths: May, according to the Valentines day episode.
    • Eddy was revealed to have these in The Movie.
    • In one episode, Nazz surprises everyone by quoting the Workers Rights Act, saying "A babysitter's gotta know these things!" afterwards.
  • High-Pressure Emotion: In "Oath to an Ed", Sarah drives Eddy into this when he is trying to earn a badge.
  • Hold Up Your Score
  • Humongous Mecha: Double D has successfully built at least two of them--one in "One of Those Eds", and a T-Rex mecha in one of the flashback sequences in "The Good Ol' Ed".
  • Hypno Fool: In one episode, everyone but the Kanker Sisters and Jonny. Yes, even Plank.
  • Hypocritical Humor: The first scene in "Know It All Ed", where the Eds find a box of turkey basters, er, I mean, Canadian squirt guns:
Cquote1

 Eddy: (holding up a turkey baster) What we have here is a squirt gun.

Edd: Please, a squirt gun?

Eddy: What? Yeah! A Canadian squirt gun!

Ed: Canadians are weird!

Eddy: Watch and learn, boys. Just fill...

Edd: Even if they were Canadian, Heaven forbid, I don't think they're...

Eddy: (squirts Edd) And squirt! Canadian style!

Cquote2
    • The hypocrisy comes from the fact that this show was made by Canadians.
    • Keep in mind Antonucci, the creator of the show, is an Italian immigrant to Canada.
    • One episode focuses on Eddy trying to prevent Kevin from revealing his Embarrassing Middle Name (Skipper). After it's outed, Edd tries to comfort Eddy by saying that he has an EMN too (Marian). As soon as he learns it, Eddy shouts it out for all the cul-de-sac to hear.
  • Idea Bulb: "High-Heeled Eds". While trying to think up a way to scam Sarah, Nazz and Jimmy, Eddy gets one, though it flickers out briefly until he adjusts it.
    • Also in "It Came From Outer Ed". Ed gets an idea for a scam and holds up some turf over his head while saying, "Boing! It's a light bulb!"
  • Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: Every title is a play on a popular phrase, or the title of a related work, with "Ed" replacing at least one syllable.
  • Idiot Ball: Everyone's held it at least once, but Eddy's the one who usually holds it.
  • Impossible Leavening: In "An Ed Too Many", the Eds make pizza. Eddy ignores Edd's instructions for how much yeast to use for the dough, pouring in the entire container. The thing rises so much that Eddy's fist gets caught in the thing when he tries to punch it down. They have to have Ed bellyflop on the thing to press it down enough.
  • Iron Butt Monkey: Whoever's the Butt Monkey of the week becomes this, but it's usually the Eds.
  • It Amused Me: The reason why Kevin popped the bubblegum bubble that Ed, Eddy, and Jonny were riding in at the time in "For Your Ed Only". He gets a minor comeuppance later on when the Eds tie him to a tree after he eavesdrops on them over Sarah's diary.
  • I Wished You Were Dead: G-rated variant in "See No Ed", where the Eds seem to have disappeared:
Cquote1

 Jimmy: I have a confession: I've wished for this every birthday. Might it have come true?

Cquote2
  • Jerkass Facade: Eddy, who reveals in the movie that he was only acting like a jerk because he thought he'd be cool if he acted like his brother.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Eddy is this at times. He's greedy and arrogant as all hell, but he does have his moments where he shows he genuinely cares about his friends.
    • Likewise, Bratty Half-Pint Sarah may be a total jerk towards the Eds (And downright abusive/manipulative towards Ed), but she shows genuine kindness and concern over her friend Jimmy. She does care about Ed deep down, such as one episode where the Eds were trapped in a "haunted" house and pretending to be attacked by ghosts, she squeals, "Somebody save my idiot brother!"
      • And Kevin seems to have been somewhat of a not-so-nice nice kid either. However, towards the Ed of the movie, he finally forgives the Eds and starts acting nicer towards them. Plus, he's good friends with Rolf, and will lend him a hand when needed. And with three exceptions, he seems to be pretty generous with the mountain of jawbreakers in his garage.
      • And in a couple episodes, Kevin can be seen getting along with Double D, such as when Kevin strikes up a conversation with Double D while fixing his bike (albeit calling him "Dork" when he sees that Double D has disappeared), and Double D accidentally-on-purpose dropping the key to Eddy's house so Kevin can get revenge on Eddy for tormenting him while he was grounded (and so Double D could also get revenge on Eddy for making him think he had a fatal disease).
  • Kaiju: Ed's a small-scale one of these in "The Day The Ed Stood Still", with some Xenomorph for flavor. The Mis-Ed-Ventures game would later feature a level with Ed's monster "form" playing this straight.
  • Karma Houdini: The Kids and the Kankers can pretty much do anything they wish to do and only sometimes get punished for it.
  • Kids Are Cruel: Everyone on the show has been known to treat each other like total crap. No one on the show is safe from teasing, bullying, getting beat up or even sexual harassment (which is always from the Kanker sisters).
    • This is taken to the nadir in "Out With the Old, In With the Ed" when Rolf chops down Edd's door with an axe, and the kids rob his school supply closet bare. What The Hell, Neighborhood?
  • Kidanova: Eddy tries, as does Kevin, who's only slightly more successful.
  • Knight Templar: The kids in The Movie, especially Jonny.
  • Lampshade Hanging: And how!
    • In response to Edd's suggestion to go to his house to watch a movie, Eddy responds with "What? And ruin the plot?"
Cquote1

 Eddy: You're supposed to be the smart one, Double D; you're messing up our group dynamics!

Cquote2
    • After slipping on a banana peel in another episode:
Cquote1

 Kevin: Man that's old!

Cquote2
  • Large Ham:
    • Ed has shades of this in Season 5 and the movie, though he still retains his Funny line generator.
    • How is Rolf not under here yet? Just listen to him! He's as a large a ham as a ham can get.
    • It's not just these two characters. Everybody on the show had at least one Large Ham moment each throughout the series.
  • Laser-Guided Karma: The Eds get struck down by this nearly all the time.
  • Lead In: Every episode.
  • Leitmotif: Not a music example, but the makers seem to like giving Eddy the sound of someone shuffling across a basketball court when he's running.
    • Ed sounds like a horse galloping most of the time when he runs. When he's not sounding like a car with a faulty clutch. Actually, Ed makes a lot of horse sounds come to think of it...
    • Sarah tends to get wildcat noises, especially when enraged.
  • Lightning Bruiser: Kevin is perhaps the fourth physically strongest character in the series, but his prime trait is riding his bicycle at ludicrous speed.
    • Ed as well in Mis-Ed-Ventures when using Batter-Ed.
  • Literal Metaphor:
Cquote1

 Eddy: Keep your shorts on, Ed! No seriously, keep your shorts on. (pulls up Ed's trousers)

Cquote2
  • Long Bus Trip: This is how the episode with Ed's imaginary friend Jib is resolved.
  • MacGuffin: Jawbreakers.
  • Made of Iron: Every single character are able to survive things from being crushed by a house to having their own face ripped off.
    • Averted with Eddy's Brother. He delivered a pretty sickening No-Holds-Barred Beatdown on Eddy and Eddy survived with bruises and marks. In his brother's case, one hit with a door and he was out cold.
  • Malaproper:
    • In one episode, Ed pretends to be Eddy, Edd pretends to be Ed, and Eddy pretends to be Edd, with hilarious results. Trying to use a larger vocabulary like Edd, Eddy has a few of these.
    • In another episode:
Cquote1

 Ed: Allow me to re-irritate.

Cquote2
  • Mattress Tag Gag: In one episode, Eddy torments goodie two shoes Double D by ripping a tag off his mattress (while Double D's hat was tied to the cieling light).
  • Mickey Mousing: Almost every episode does this, often uninterrupted in its entirety.
    • Played with in one scene of "Brother, Can You Spare An Ed?", where Edd provided Mickey Mousing on his pedal-steel guitar until Eddy told him to knock it off.
  • Middle of Nowhere Street: The cul-de-sac.
  • Mind Screw: "Don't look now, but there's a cow hovering just overhead..."
  • Minimalist Cast: One of the longest-running series (animated or otherwise) to have one!
    • Finally ended in The Movie/Series Finale with Eddy's brother.
    • There's also Jib, if he counts.
  • Misery Builds Character: After the Eds wrongfully accuse Jonny of being a "serial toucher" and sentence him to rolling down a hill in a giant tire, Eddy justifies it by citing the trope. Given his rather shocking history of abuse from his older brother he might justifiably believe it.
  • Misplaced Retribution: Frequently done by the cul-de-sac kids. No matter which of the Eds have wronged them, they are almost always punished as a group. Sarah excuses this at least once:
Cquote1

 Sarah: Double D looked so innocent, but it's like they say, give 'em an inch, and they'll take a mile.

Cquote2
  • Mouth Cam: In one of the episodes, they're filming a video, Ed randomly swallows the camera (shouting "Man the helms! DIVE, DIVE!"), ending up in a shot from inside his stomach as Edd digs it back out.
  • Multi Character Title
  • Muscles Are Meaningless: Ed, Sarah, and Rolf have virtually no muscles but are incredibly strong, but Rolf does when he flexes or becomes enraged.
  • Naked People Are Funny: Happens a lot.
  • Name, Name and Name
  • Nausea Fuel: In-Universe: when Ed gobbles all the food in the Cul-De-Sac, Eddy makes a scam of selling it back to the hungry neighbors: he roots around in Ed's stomach and yanks out the requested item. Edd is noticeably sick.
  • No Export for You: The Movie, which didn't reach the United States until November 8th, 2009.
    • Inverted, then, as this is an American show. (Well, it's made in Canada, but it doesn't air over there, which is another inversion I suppose.)
  • No Fourth Wall: If the series didn't drive this home, then The Movie most certainly did, with a glaring example at the start of it: When the Eds try to escape from the kids in the beginning, they find a emergency glass in Eddy's brother's room, reading "Break Glass in Case of Movie".
Cquote1

 Double D: In Case Of Movie, Break Glass?!

Eddy: Bingo! My bro's always prepared!

(Item turns out to be a peanut. Beat)

Eddy: A peanut?

Ed: "Cheap movie."

Cquote2
    • Done again in The Movie at the end when Edd, commenting on how they finally got a favorable outcome, says it only took them "a hundred and thirty episodes, four specials and a movie" to do so.
      • Let's sing a song!
    • And before that, references are made to the time left in the movie and getting to the Eds/Eddy's Brother before it runs out.
    • Also, during The Stinger, Plank tells Jonny they can't go through with their revenge scheme because there's no time left in the movie.
    • An example in which Edd referred to the events of "Ed in a Half-Shell", in which Eddy "took Jimmy under his wing". Eddy's response? "Oh yeah! Didn't we get an Emmy for that episode?"
    • Played insanely straight in the episode "One Plus One Equals Ed", where the trio finds multiple quirks about the animated scenery before turning into some major Nightmare Fuel.
    • Near the end of "Momma's Little Ed", Eddy blames his rudeness on Kevin, despite being told by Edd "Kevin wasn't in this episode, Eddy."
    • Oddly averted in an early episode where Eddy loudly declares "This ain't a cartoon!" after Ed drops an anvil.
    • In 'Brother, Can You Spare an Ed?' Edd asks, "O, what dastardly seed have we sown?" leading Eddy to comment, "Who writes this guy's stuff?"
      • Earlier in that same episode, Eddy offers to take some money off of Ed's "poorly-drawn fingers".
    • In "Ed Overboard", the Urban Rangers are enlisted in rescuing Ed from the Kanker Sisters, but they ask that the Eds be temporarily sworn in, leading to the line:
Cquote1

 Eddy: I'd swear, but Standards won't let me.

Cquote2
    • Then there's this funny line:
Cquote1

 Ed: PREPARE TO MEET YOUR MAKER!

Jimmy: Antonucci?

Cquote2
  • No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: The climax of The Movie.
  • No Name Given: Eddy's Brother is never given a name even in the movie, where credits even state him as "Eddy's Brother".
    • Actually in an interview, Antonucci was asked specifically what Eddy's brother was named and he gave an actual name. He called him simply Mathew/Matthew
  • Noodle Incident: The plot of The Movie centers around this.
    • Also, whatever Plank did in the election episode.
  • Not Allowed to Grow Up: Subverted in "Take this Ed and Shove It" which implies that the entire series is childhood memories being told by aged versions of the Eds. While playing cribbage, no less.
Cquote1

 Old Ed: CRIBBAGE GIVES ME GAS!

Cquote2
    • Interestingly, that episode was originally meant to be the series finale, but ultimately wound up as just another episode.
  • Not So Harmless: Crybaby Jimmy turned out to be quite the Magnificent Bastard after being trained by the Eds.
    • And let's not forget how badly he pwned Edd in "A Fistful of Ed".
      • Doesn't say much, considering Edd is a weakling himself and thought it was only a stage fight.
        • But the other kids didn't know that at the time.
    • Jimmy in 'If It Smells Like an Ed' constructs quite the Evil Plan seemingly on the fly.
Cquote1

 Jimmy: Yes! It was me! And I'd do it again!

Cquote2
  • Not-So-Imaginary Friend: There are times when it seems that Plank is more than just a piece of wood.
    • Ed's imaginary friend Jib is a straighter example. No one believed he existed until he beat up Eddy.
  • Oh Crap: Double D gets one immediately after the reveal of Eddy's brother as a jerk and then everyone else gets one when Eddy's brother uses Eddy to beat Double D. And that "everybody" includes Ed, all of the Cul-De-Sac kids and the Kanker Sisters.
    • And before any of that, Eddy gives one when His brother asked him to play Uncle.
    • In an earlier episode, where Rolf gives his cursed phone to Eddy, a runaway ice cream cart bursts into his room, bounces off a chair, bounces off the ceiling, and lands squarely on Eddy. The look on his face before contact can only be described as this.
  • Older Than They Look: Sarah and Jimmy are apparently old enough to attend middle school.
  • Once Per Episode: Jimmy has a bandage in a different spot in EVERY episode. This is to show (outside of the episodes) that he's extremely accident prone.
    • Every episode opens with one or more of the Eds doing something strange, or some sort of scam, that has almost nothing to do with the rest of the episode and only occasionally setting up a completely different plot.
  • One Steve Limit: As we can see in the episode title, this has been averted, leading to:
  • Only Known by Their Nickname: "Double D" (Edd)
    • Although in a single instance in the first episode, Eddy does say Edd's name as announced in the title, when complaining about having to wear bunny slippers into Edd's room.
  • Only One Name: Other than the Kanker Sisters and Nazz, whose surname and middle name are revealed in the movie, none of the characters seem to have surnames.
  • Oven Logic: In "Oath to an Ed", Eddy did this with a microwaveable burrito, five seconds after he'd already delegated the task to The Smart Guy. It ended up imploding on them. No burrito merit badge for them.
  • Pass the Popcorn
Cquote1

 Eddy: What do I look like, some popcorn fairy!?

Cquote2
    • In an earlier episode, where Ed sleepwalks and eats the entire Cul-De-Sac's food supply.:
Cquote1

 Eddy: Take a seat Sockhead, to the greatest show on Earth! *whips out some popcorn*

Edd: ...Are you gonna share those?

Cquote2
Cquote1

 Rolf: Behold the potato! Bow to this fruit of the earth, and then peel it as if it were the last task of your miserable life!

Cquote2
  • Perspective Magic "One + One = ED".
  • Piano Drop: To get to the candy store, Eddy takes a shortcut through Jimmy's yard and runs under a ladder. Jimmy's "garden in the sky' then falls but misses Eddy. Eddy then starts to run, only to have a piano fall on him.
Cquote1

 Kevin: That's for gobbling all over my bike, dork!

Cquote2
  • Power Trio
  • Prank Injuries: in The Movie when the trio were in the gag factory.
  • The Rashomon: The Ed's attempting to explain to Jonny how they wound up trapped inside his wall. Eddy's version has him rich and successful, while the other kids are crude caricatures (except for Nazz). Double D's version is in a pristine world where his crazy friends always screw things up and he has to lecture them. Ed's is just... bizarre to say the least.
    • The funniest thing about it was Ed's was the most realistic... aside from the Kankers anyway, because everyone looked closer to their personalities. There was no abnormality of anyone's personalities, most especially Jimmy. Eddy made him a diaper boy with crude utensils around his mouth, Edd imagined him without his brace, and Ed saw him as the legit limp and dramatic boy he is. "Farewell cruel world!"
  • Retraux: One part of the hide and seek episode had Ed hiding inside a tv, where he winds up in a 1920's silent cartoon-Ed himself is even drawn to look like an old cartoon character in that brief scene. This even gets a "blink and you'll miss it" shout out in the movie.
  • The Renaissance Age of Animation
  • Revival: The show was originally ended at 52 episodes, but fan backlash lead to the making of four specials, 2 more seasons, and a Made for TV Movie.
  • Rewind, Replay, Repeat: Played for Laughs; Ed presses down on Edd's head, causing Edd to rewind his statement about fruitcake and Christmas, especially the Christmas part.
  • Road Apples: An aversion:
Cquote1

 Rolf: What no-nothing would dimple the cookie-biscuit with the doohickey of a rabbit?

(Beat)

Kevin: Those are raisins, dude.

Rolf: Same thing!

Cquote2
  • Rubber Man: The characters are able to stretch their cheeks and arms.
  • Rule of Three: Aside from the obvious Power Trio and instances of action, Ed occasionally makes comments to this effect:
Cquote1

 Ed: Dig a hole, dig a hole, dig a hole.

Cquote2
    • What about Double D?
Cquote1

 Edd: Messy, messy, messy!

Edd: Sleepy, sleepy, sleepy...

Edd (labeling a file cabinet): Dusty, dusty, dusty.

Cquote2
    • And then again when Eddy cops DD's schtick:
Cquote1

 Eddy: Filthy, filthy, filthy...

Cquote2
  • Running Gag: Ed falling off the treehouse and having to get pulled back up in "Vert-Ed-Go".
  • Sadist Show: The violence featured in the show borders on Refuge in Audacity. At one point, Sarah throws a car on Nazz.
    • Possibly even topped in the flashback episode where Ed, Edd n Eddy end up as kids. Edd refuses to participate in the scam, so Ed goes off-screen and slams a freaking house on Edd.
  • Schizo-Tech: The show is set in an ambiguous timeline. Sometimes it appears to be set in the 70s, sometimes the 90s and sometimes the 21st century.
    • According to a store in the prepare for school episode, it is most likely set in the 2000s.
    • In the beginning of the movie, Double D uses a commemorative glass in Eddy's brother's room to listen through the door. The glass has "Peach Creek Diner 2000 Best Eater" on it, thus adding more confusion to the exact date of the series.
    • If the KND-Billy and Mandy crossovers say anything, it's set in the present.
    • The show's creator states that the show has no set date because "[Danny] wanted the show to appeal to any generation."
  • Schmuck Bait: The Movie's Noodle Incident apparently involved a red button.
  • Screwed by the Network: The Movie didn't air in the United States for months... long after Australia, Scandinavia, and parts of Asia got their hands on it.
  • Second-Person Attack: Several examples.
    • At the end of "Who Let The Ed In?", Eddy hits Ed with an invisible potato in an invisible slingshot.
    • This trope also occurs in the Valentine's Day special when Kevin tosses the end of the gym rope towards Eddy, and it hits him in the face.
    • In "The Good, The Bad, and the Ed", Rolf challenges Eddy to a series of dangerous challenges. One of the challenges involved Eddy and Rolf getting giant boulders smashed against themselves in a giant Newton's Cradle. At the start of that challenge, Eddy's POV shows Ed tossing one of the boulders, smashing him hard.
  • Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Double D and both of his friends (Mostly Eddy).
  • Shapeshifter Swan Song: Played for laughs after a prank involving joke gum. Ed gets harmlessly electrocuted in the movie, and ends up taking on nearly every notable form or persona he's ever donned.
  • Ship Tease: Kevin and Nazz, especially in The Movie!
  • Shout-Out: The names of various AKA Cartoon employees are featured in the show, and at one point Edd uses the pseudonym "Walter Sobchak" to fool the Kankers.
    • The letters "AKA" are found somewhere in every episode, usually on some sign or in a Blink-And-You'll-Miss-It moment.
    • From The Movie:
Cquote1

 Eddy: (to Ed) If you had a brain!

Ed: Aw, come on, have a heart.

Edd/Double D: Courage... courage, Eddward!

Cquote2
    • And in the same scene:
Cquote1

 Ed: The hills are alive Eddy!

Eddy: Yeah, with the sounds of an idiot.

Cquote2
    • And in the series proper:
Cquote1

 Rolf: (After learning Edd's middle name) Marion the Hungarian?

Kevin and Jonny: No! Marion the Librarian!

Cquote2
    • Another one to Airplane!
Cquote1

 *while the other boys are thinking about Nazz*

Ed: Hello? Echo! My name is Ed!

Cquote2
    • Ed pulls a reference in the episode "For Your Ed Only".
Cquote1

 Ed: I'm a Borg.

Cquote2
    • In "Avast Ye Eds", when Jonny tears apart the Kankers sail, Jimmy remarks "Just like Errol Flynn!"
  • Sleepwalking: In "A Glass of Warm Ed", as well as the opening of "Run For Your Ed".
  • Smelly Skunk: In "Sorry, Wrong Ed", when Eddy calls into his supposedly cursed phone, a skunk comes out and sprays him.
Cquote1

 Ed: Who stepped on a duck?

Cquote2
Cquote1

  Eddy: Johnny! People really like it when you SAY WHY ALL THE TIME!!

Cquote2
  • Super Strength: Ed, Rolf, and Sarah have all been shown to be stronger than your average human. Rolf's backbreaking chores give him an excuse, at least.
    • In the first episode, "The Ed-Touchables", Eddy also shows at least a temporary bout of Super Strength by lifting, and slamming down, Edds bed in an attempt to stop him from panicking (an attempt which worked incidentally, though it did leave the bed damaged beyond repair).
  • Swallowed a Fly: In one episode, Eddy unintentionally swallows a fly and loses his voice because of it.
  • Take Our Word for It: It is never revealed what Edd keeps under his hat, but it is certain that he has reason to do so from the times when his hat is taken off.
    • Word of God says he's blond.
    • More like Shrug of God. One Word of God says he just has blond hair (though he was lying about that one) while the majority are neutral.
    • If you played the food fight game as Double D on the official website he'd throw his hat up in victory, revealing that his hairdo has a disturbing resemblence to Ed's (In other words he's practically bald with only a bit of stubble here and there for hair)
  • Terrible Trio: If the Eds have gone too far in a scam, the kids will jump to that conclusion immediately. The Kanker Sisters are a more proper example, especially when they destroy the cul-de-sac trying to find their heirloom, the Ship-Inna-Bottle.
  • That's All Folks: In The Movie, after the credits, Plank "tells" Jonny that it's too late to get his revenge on the rest of the kids ("What? There's no time left? It's the end of the movie? What movie?") And speaking of Looney Tunes tropes...
  • Toon Physics: Drive the entire show, especially lampshaded in "1 + 1 = Ed".
  • Trademark Favorite Food: Jawbreakers for everyone--they act as a sort of currency and/or prize. Ed, meanwhile, loves buttered toast and gravy.
    • And in the episode 'Brother, Can You Spare an Ed?', Sarah and Jimmy wanted Ed to buy them fudge instead of jawbreakers. So either that's their favorite food or the writers just gave them a craving for fudge for the sake of the episode.
  • Traumatic Haircut: Nazz in the movie, due to separation from hair care products. Played for laughs.
  • Triple Take: Used in The Movie, when the Eds bust out of Eddy's house in his brother's car.
  • True Companions: Eddy is very much the "dad" of the group, while Edd is the "mom" and Ed is the "child."
  • The Un-Reveal: Cruelly applied to the secret of what lies beneath Double D's hat, TWICE.
    • In The Movie. Just what DID the Eds do that A) resulted in Jonny getting a bear trap on his head, Kevin getting set on fire, Nazz wearing a box and losing most of her hair, and Rolf getting a chunk bitten out of his torso; and B) that Eddy thought going to his abusive big brother was the better option over letting the other kids get back at him?
    • In another episode, Eddy is running for King of the Cul-de-Sac against Plank and resorts to Blackmail. We never see what the photograph is, but it horrifies everyone who sees it (except Rolf, who doesn't understand it at all).
  • Unrequited Love Switcheroo: In the Ed-Touchables, the first episode, it would appear that Double-D has the crush on Sarah and she's just not interested. Five episodes later, this is reversed and intensified, with Sarah developing an obsession with Double-D who is scared that she won't leave him alone.
  • Unstoppable Rage: "Little Blue Ed" shows us that almost nothing in the world can stop Ed when he's in a bad mood... all because he ended up with a pebble in his shoe.
  • Unusual Euphemism: "That's my udder you're touching."
  • Vague Age: Averted with the main trio (they're all 12), but played straight with all the other characters (All of them are junior high age, apparently).
  • Visual Pun: While Edd is giving a morality lecture, Eddy simply reaches down, picks a sock up, and shoves it in Edd's mouth. There are several similar gags throughout the show.
  • The Voiceless: Plank, at least to everyone who isn't Jonny. Eddy also becomes this in "Button Yer Ed", when a fly gets lodged in his throat, only allowing him to make wheezing, squeaky noises.
  • Weaksauce Weakness:
    • Jimmy's foot gets broken by a clothespin.
    • Ed is fearful of bathroom products.
    • In "Pass it on Ed", Eddy implies that his brother is lactose intolerant.
  • What Do You Mean Its Not Symbolic: In "Out With the Old, In With the Ed", when the Eds make a deal with the Kankers to get the same homeroom, Lee spins a valve on the boiler, giving the Kankers a fiery background.
  • Watch Out for That Tree: Happens to Ed twice while he's looking for Sarah in tall grass in "Keeping Up with the Eds".
  • What Happened to the Mouse?? Did Rolf and Wilfred make up after the end of the movie?
  • Wheel-O-Feet: Played with in "1 + 1 = Ed" when Eddy pulls this off, and then throws Sarah into the wheel blur, causing her to speed off out of control. Played straight in The Movie. In a car.
  • When It Rains, It Pours: Done in "Read All About Ed":
Cquote1

 Double D: Summer rains, you can never predict them. (cue flash storm every time he says that)

Cquote2