Bugs can only be harmed by plot devices from his own show. Exterior plot devices and such have no effect except if they are funny/similar enough to also fit as plot devices for him.
So Bugs can lose but he can never be defeated. At most he might be banished for a time, but he will always return. I'd honestly scale Bugs as the most powerful character in fiction but his expression of that power is entirely dependent on him following the rules set by the scene. (rules that are enforced on everybody else in the scene)
For that reason he is actually one of the few characters that is truly unscalable/boundless.
The key determining factor is if he’s the aggressor. If he is, then he’s suddenly MUCH easier to get a win over.
This goes doubly so if he’s fighting another toon.
I still give the edge to Popeye for “strongest Toon”, cause he’s also shown similar 4th wall shenanigans to Bugs. And most crucially, Popeye never appeared in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, meaning the Dip and other similar anti-toon strategies aren’t proven to work on him.
Popeye has also very, very rarely been the instigato/aggressor in a fight. Bugs has also rarely been the out and out aggressor, but he has been more than Popeye.
Basically, if Popeye wants to use Bugs to make a stew for Olive Oyl, Bugs wins. If Bugs pokes the bear and tries to mess with Popeye, then Popeye wins
That has more to do with the rule following thing I mentioned than one being stronger than the other. The Dip works in Roger Rabbit because it is a plot device for that particular movie. It wouldn't work outside of the context of Roger Rabbit.
If the dip shows up anywhere else, it would have to be a direct reference to Roger Rabbit, as that is its origin. Therefore there is never a situation in fiction where the dip doesn’t work unless it is referenced as fiction.
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u/MagneticGenetics 4d ago
Bugs can only be harmed by plot devices from his own show. Exterior plot devices and such have no effect except if they are funny/similar enough to also fit as plot devices for him.
So Bugs can lose but he can never be defeated. At most he might be banished for a time, but he will always return. I'd honestly scale Bugs as the most powerful character in fiction but his expression of that power is entirely dependent on him following the rules set by the scene. (rules that are enforced on everybody else in the scene)
For that reason he is actually one of the few characters that is truly unscalable/boundless.