Earthworm Jim (3D)

Earthworm Jim (3D) Oh Jim, what did VIS Interactive do to you? Gender: Male Type: Flanderized Superhero Accident-Prone "Gunner" Species: Earthworm Portrayed by: Dan Castellaneta Status: Alive Media of origin: Earthworm Jim

Earthworm Jim is the protagonist of the Earthworm Jim video game series, the action figure line, the comic book mini-series, and the animated television series which ran for two seasons. He’s normally a likable and hilarious superhero in the franchise, however, in Earthworm Jim 3D, sadly, he was badly flanderized.

Not So Groovy Qualities

NOTE: This only focuses on the Earthworm Jim 3D version of Jim, since the original and recent Earthworm Jim is likable.

1. He was hit with some serious Flanderization. He went from being a lovable, wacky & hilarious yet incredibly competent superhero, and he has become more of a weak, loud yet forgettable, unfunny, somewhat sadistic, and hugely accident-prone loser with a gun that has low range.
2. He is much more of a bland, watered down and basic version of Earthworm Jim as a hero, where comes out short by personality and character development. This makes him more generic somehow, he's basically the "I'm gonna save the world" type of protagonist with nothing else unique about him aside from being a colossal schlemiel, hence the explanation.
3. His design in-game is ugly and it looks like a slightly distorted, rough yet subpar look of Jim himself. Where his design on the cover art of the N64 game/PC game (despite looking unsettling & odd), and the concept art for Earthworm Jim 3D (in and out of the trailer) look better than how he is in the game.
   • His design in the cutscenes is rather mediocre.
4. Since his gender-swapped counterpart of himself has a stereotypically sexist motive of wanting to control Jim's mind with female hormones because of a "Girls are better than boys" cliche, Jim's motive here is favoring his masculinity over femininity. Where Kim's goal is misandristic, Jim's goal to foil her plan has a slight implication of Jim showing mild misogyny towards himself.
   • Due to the original creator, Doug TenNapel, being infamous for being a homophobe and a transphobe, there was a surgence in the popularity of Earthworm Kim; as she can be seen as both a representation of Jim himself, being a closeted transwoman, or Jim being a transmale and renstating his identity. Which can come off as insulting to trans people.
5. When Jim gets hurt, makes sounds, makes puns, or says anything. He never SHUTS UP.
6. Much like Bubsy: He often says things that aren't funny and it can easily get annoying.
7. He has moments of being sadistic, like whip-lashing an innocent hamster to open a gate.
8. A bit like Rito Yūki (To Love-ru): Jim being a Butt-Monkey comes across as sad and pathetic than comical/humorous.

"Groovy!" Qualities

1. He can have some funny one-liners every now and then.
2. Dan Castellaneta does a good job at voicing Jim (whenever he doesn't yell, shriek, or talk way too much) since he is reprising his voice talents from the 90s animated cartoon of Jim.
3. He has redeemed himself in later adaptations of Earthworm Jim that did a better job with his characterization.
4. Despite being a tad bit unlikeable, he's still very heroic and still shows to have his enthusiastic personality.

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