Crazy Scientist

Doctor Frankenstein - Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

hrf004

2002

Movies and TV

Unlicensed figure based on Universal Studios' "Frankenstein"

The "Mad Scientist" is a stock character, a trope found extensively in film and television. There's no single individual with that name; rather, it's an archetype.

This character typically embodies a brilliant yet eccentric scientist, often driven by ambition and a disregard for ethical boundaries. They are usually male, though female examples exist, and characterized by unconventional experiments and a thirst for knowledge, regardless of the consequences.

Common traits include wild hair, lab coats, goggles, and a penchant for dramatically announcing their discoveries. The settings of their experiments are typically cluttered laboratories filled with bubbling beakers, strange machinery, and sparking electrodes.

Notable examples are Dr. Frankenstein (Frankenstein), Dr. Emmett Brown (Back to the Future), and Rick Sanchez (Rick and Morty). The character serves various narrative functions, from generating conflict through their dangerous inventions to satirizing scientific hubris.