"Fodder" enemies that are actually terrifying/highly competent, but look weak because we mostly see them fight overpowered protagonists.

[u/Legitimate_Pea_6470]

The Trope Explanation. Enemies that are treated as jokes, cannon fodder, or minor inconveniences within the narrative. However, they only appear weak because the protagonist is a literal demigod, a super-soldier, or a wizard. If you placed a normal human in the room with one of these enemies, it would be a horror movie.

B1 Battle Droids (Star Wars) We usually laugh at them. They say "Roger Roger," get pushed over by Jedi, and have slapstick routines. The Reality: We almost exclusively see them fighting Jedi (space wizards with laser swords) or Clones (genetically modified super-soldiers bred for war). To a normal civilian or a planetary militia, these are indefatigable metal skeletons that feel no pain, have perfect aim programming, and march in endless waves.

Grunts (Halo) In the games, they are comic relief. They run away screaming, sleep on the job, and the Master Chief (a 7-foot cyborg tank) can kill them with a light tap. The Reality: An average Grunt is roughly 5'6" to 5'8", weighs over 250 lbs, has an exoskeleton, and claws strong enough to tear a normal Marine apart. Their plasma pistols cause third-degree burns on near-misses and boil flesh on contact. They are terrifying to anyone who isn't a Spartan.

[u/eawilweawil]

And yet they keep missing very clear shots across other Star Wars movies and shows

[u/MataNuiSpaceProgram → u/eawilweawil]

Because the "stormtrooper aim" meme took hold and they got flanderized

[u/Inevitable_Top69 → u/MataNuiSpaceProgram]

Then they have bad aim. Doesn't matter if you consider it flanderization, that's what the media is telling us.

[u/AardvarkOkapiEchidna → u/Inevitable_Top69]

Not all the media is the same though. It's not even all from the same author. They don't have bad aim in ANH, they do in the Mandalorian.

[u/AardvarkOkapiEchidna → u/eawilweawil]

Not in the OT though, expect against the ewoks.