This article focuses on the interactions between Duncan and Harold.
Overview[]
Harold and Duncan's conflict begins from their very first interaction.
Duncan and Harold's long history of conflict started during the very beginning of the show. Duncan cannot stand Harold's geeky ways, and Harold does not particularly like Duncan's aggressive ways and is a favorite target of his bullying, displaying a classic "Bully vs. Nerd" scenario.
Throughout Total Drama Island, Harold was frequently tormented by Duncan who had pulled many pranks on him. After a while, Harold could no longer take Duncan's bullying and decides to get even with him in Basic Straining by rigging the votes to eliminate Duncan's love interest, Courtney.
By the time Total Drama Action starts, Duncan had found out about Harold's actions towards Courtney in the previous season and intensifies his bullying on Harold. This includes Duncan belittling Harold of his feelings towards Leshawna, who didn't return his feelings. Despite this, Leshawna often protected Harold from Duncan's bullying several times during the season. Duncan and Harold are once again placed on the same team in this season and they were forced to work together several times since their team is unable to work properly together, especially after Gwen and DJ were eliminated and Heather and Leshawna couldn't be trusted due to former's actions in the previous season and the latter for fake crying in order to claim a challenge reward for hersel). Their combined efforts were proven fruitful as they helped their team to win invincibility several times. It was also brought out that the two of them did not fully hate each other as they revealed that they have some degree of respect for the other.
Near the end of the season, Duncan and Harold nearly ended their conflict since neither of them wanted to sabotage the other during the challenge in Crouching Courtney, Hidden Owen. In fact, they get along well and helped each other throughout the challenge. However, Owen was forced by Chris to break them up by telling Harold to punch Duncan. Harold finally does so after Duncan again mocks Leshawna. With this, their temporarily truce was broken and their conflict resumed as usual. However, Harold now no longer fears Duncan and gives him a taste of his own medicine by pulling several pranks on him. Their conflict is still unresolved due to their lack of interaction in Total Drama World Tour, but Harold has somewhat settled the score and got even with Duncan.
Total Drama Island[]
Not So Happy Campers - Part 1[]
The conflict is born when Chris starts talking about team organization. When Harold smiles at him in a friendly way, Duncan suddenly puts his fist in Harold's face, scaring him. At the end of the episode, Harold is impressed by the way Duncan brutally kills a cockroach in the Gophers' cabin.
The Big Sleep[]
Duncan pranks Harold for the first time.
Duncan makes Harold wet himself in his sleep by putting his hand in a cup of lukewarm water. Duncan laughs and points out the incident, causing Harold to run away embarrassed and angry, humiliated, before anyone notices.
Dodgebrawl[]
Duncan doesn't appreciate Harold putting a stick up his nose.
When Harold enters the main lodge, he has a marker-drawn mustache on his face (revealed to have been drawn by Duncan in Haute Camp-ture). Although he likes it at first, it makes him the laughingstock of the rest of the camp. Later in the episode, when it became apparent that Duncan's ferocity was needed to win the dodgeball game, Harold was forced by Courtney to poke a stick up Duncan's nose, which made him very nervous. Courtney claims that if Duncan kills Harold, he's the only one on the team the Bass can afford to lose.
Harold is eventually allowed back into the game due to Geoff's attempt to be friendly and his team's desperation. Harold wins and saves his team, beating the odds by dodging all of Owen's balls and managing to catch the last one to win for the Bass. Duncan compliments Harold's impressive dodgeball skills (which Harold claims come from figure skating) after he wins the challenge, saying "Nice job, skater nerd!" as a sign of respect. Duncan also helps hold Harold up and cheers along with the rest of the team.
Phobia Factor[]
Harold cheers for Duncan after he overcomes his fear.
Up the Creek[]
Duncan teams up with Harold and Sadie.
Duncan chooses Harold and Sadie as his canoe paddling partners, though both Harold and Sadie are visibly uncomfortable, with Harold seemingly intimidated.
If You Can't Take The Heat...[]
Duncan, DJ, and Geoff, frequently prank Harold throughout the episode.
While doing his morning exercise routine, Duncan is disgusted by the smell of Harold's underwear lying around. In revenge, Geoff and DJ join Duncan in "teaching Harold a lesson" by pulling a series of pranks on Harold. Geoff secretly steals one of Harold's underpants and DJ deliberately spills water on Harold, forcing him to change. Led by Duncan, they also put hot sauce on a pair of Harold's underwear. Geoff then feeds Harold a sandwich containing Harold's stolen underwear. The boys say that they will return Harold's clothes once he admits to leaving his underwear lying around. After the ceremony, Duncan, Geoff, and DJ drag Harold's bed to the dock while Harold sleeps. (He was naked because they stole all his clothes.) Harold finally admits that he will never leave his underwear lying around when he wakes up naked in front of all the girls who are swimming in the lake and laughing at him. Satisfied, the trio gives Harold his clothes back.
Basic Straining[]
Harold switches the votes, resulting in Courtney's elimination, to get back at Duncan for torturing him.
The episode begins with Duncan and Geoff making s'mores out of Harold's underwear. Duncan, with Geoff's help, also wedgies Harold with a fishing hook and tricks Harold into drinking kitchen grease by telling him it is apple juice. Later, when Duncan and Courtney smuggle food out of Chris's tent, Duncan uses some peanut butter to smear Harold's bed. Geoff and Duncan laugh at Harold's reaction when he sees what they've done to his bed and exclaims that what they've done is disgusting. When Harold sees Duncan and Courtney kissing, Harold plots his revenge against him by using Courtney and Duncan's relationship. At the end of the episode, it is revealed that Courtney was voted out because Harold tampered with the votes to get back at Duncan by "messing with his love life".
X-Treme Torture[]
The conflict takes a brief pause when the two are shown exchanging smiles when the Bass successfully catch a falling DJ on their couch, and walking away together whistling as he is folded into the couch. In the confessional before the final part of the challenge, Harold states that he and "bad to the bone" Duncan will guarantee their teams' victory. Despite their mutual animosity, Duncan high-fives Harold as he leaves the island.
Haute Camp-ture[]
Harold says that he hates Duncan and then lists all the pranks Duncan has pulled on him over the course of the season. He admits that what he did to Courtney was pretty heinous, but justifies that he only did it get back at Duncan for bullying him. He still refuses to vote for Duncan to win, despite Courtney's threats to post his love letters to Leshawna on the Internet.
Total Drama, Drama, Drama, Drama Island[]
Harold asks Courtney and Duncan if he can join them in the challenge, but Courtney furiously rejects him, saying that he will only slow them down. Duncan also insults him in the confessional after Courtney turns down Harold.
Total Drama Action[]
Harold is attacked by Duncan in the opening sequence.
Opening sequence[]
Duncan is seen shooting Harold with multiple seagulls until he falls off of the surfboard.
Monster Cash[]
After Chris tells the contestants to go and complete the challenge, the contestants are seen trampling each other to leave the crowded bus, and Duncan throws Harold out of the bus, yelling "move it or lose it!"
Beach Blanket Bogus[]
Duncan laughs at Harold after he painfully dismounts the surfing challenge along with Heather and Gwen. But in the sandcastle building challenge, Duncan looks impressed with Harold's sandcastle. Harold also agrees with Duncan's theory about the relationship between Trent's number nine superstition and with Gwen. However, they were both proven wrong as Trent reveals that his obsession with the number nine has nothing to do with Gwen. Later, during the Gaffers' victory party, Duncan kicks sand in Harold's face after while he's dancing, acknowledging that Harold actually does have decent dance skills.
3:10 to Crazytown[]
Duncan trips Harold into a tub of water and laughs at his misfortune after Harold shows off his toughness before the first challenge. Duncan purposely landed on Harold when he successfully landed on the horse during the first challenge. A frustrated Leshawna is shown in the confessional, disapproving of Duncan's behavior to Harold. Later, Harold is hogtied by Duncan and has his entire body wrapped in rope by him after the Screaming Gaffers won the final challenge. Duncan shakes Harold out of the barrel he is bathing in. In the confessional stall, Leshawna wonders why "that punk-haired skull-shirted wannabe" Duncan continues to pick on Harold, clearly frustrated at this point over the way Duncan is treating her crush. Duncan is shown in his confessional scene immediately afterwards, replying that he is paying Harold back for what Harold did to Courtney in Basic Straining, having figured out Harold was behind her wrongful elimination in Total Drama Island.
One Flu Over the Cuckoos[]
Duncan pulls down Harold's pants using a replica of fake hands.
During the episode, Leshawna makes an attempt to form an alliance with Harold and Duncan in order to keep an eye on Heather and eventually eliminate her. Despite her attempts, they both refuse outright. Duncan just laughs at the idea. After she pitches the same idea to Harold, Harold vehemently refuses. Harold also questions why Leshawna even talks to Duncan, saying he is a "worthless punk." Throughout the episode, Duncan continues to bully Harold, such as when he pulled down his pants during the first part of the challenge, when Duncan tramples Harold only to say "whoopsie-daisy," and when Duncan attempted to take Harold's 'temperature' with a rectal thermometer. Also, Harold reveals his full name in the confessional, and tells the cameraman to not tell Duncan that one of his middle names is "Doris." However, Duncan found out anyway, infuriating Harold. However, Leshawna steps in for Harold multiple times when Duncan antagonizes him.
The Sand Witch Project[]
"I can't believe we're putting our team's fate into the hands of the great dorko."
The conflict continues in this episode. While the Gaffers are discussing who the killer should be for this challenge, everyone agrees that Duncan should be the killer because of his acting abilities and plain scary personality; Harold agrees, shivering and stating that he's already "terrified of (Duncan) on a daily basis." Harold tries to convince Duncan and the others that he is very skilled at magic multiple times, but Duncan remains unimpressed, and often refers to him by insulting names such as "The Great Dorko" and "Harry Hou-weenie." At one point, Harold uses Duncan's soccer ball to perform a magic trick (in an attempt to scare the opposing team out of the tent, which was the objective of the challenge), after which Duncan proceeds to kick him in the groin for messing with his soccer ball.
Masters of Disasters[]
Duncan and Harold celebrate their victory while being civil with each other.
In the beginning of the episode, Duncan nods in agreement when Harold says he wishes DJ was still making food and in the competition. While Beth is busy talking about her boyfriend, Duncan is seen putting his share of Chef's disgusting food in Harold's bowl. During the flooding submarine challenge, Harold volunteers to pick the lock and boasts about his lock-picking skills. Duncan trips him and tells him to hurry up. Later, Harold criticizes Duncan's intelligence by stating that he doesn't "look like a thinker," which causes Duncan to dunk Harold's head underwater out of anger. At the end of the episode, Duncan and Harold are shown happily clanking bottles of soda together during their victory celebration.
Full Metal Drama[]
Duncan makes fun of Harold, after he knocks himself out.
When the war challenge starts, Harold insists that he will be a valuable player due to his vast experience in online battles. Though Duncan simply mocks him by calling him a "virtual loser". Harold retorts by saying that he will defeat his foes with his "num-yos", and proceeds to show them off in a spinning routine. However Duncan sticks a twig into the yo-yos while they're spinning, causing one of Harold's yo-yos to hit him in the groin. Duncan calls him a loser and walks off laughing, while Harold lies in pain.
When Harold and Duncan are trapped in the foxhole with Leshawna farting all over the place, Duncan is desperate to escape, but gets in a heated argument with Harold when they accuse each other of not being team players. Fed up, Harold blocks the exit and forces Duncan to admit to that he isn't a complete loser and that he values a small portion of him that isn't a loser by intimidating him with Leshawna's worsening farts. Later, Duncan and Harold cooperated in fighting off the attacking Killer Grips. Using Leshawna's blasts of bad gas as cover, Duncan buys Harold time to defeat all of the Grips with his "num-yos," and is thoroughly impressed by Harold's performance. Later, when they find that the chest they were protecting was empty, they both wail in agonizing defeat.
Ocean's Eight - Or Nine[]
Duncan consistently picks on Harold throughout the challenges again. For the bank-robbing heist, he made masks from Harold's lucky socks, cut up his karate magazines to make a stick-up note, and slapped an unflattering caricature of Harold on Harold's face. When Harold notices Courtney returned, he teases Duncan by saying "Good news, eh, Duncan?," to which Duncan replies by shoving him to the ground. Duncan also laughed at him, along with Heather, when Harold had a bra on, after they had crashed through a pile of clothing during the go-kart challenge.
One Million Bucks, B.C.[]
Duncan trips Harold during the challenge.
Early in the episode, Harold slips on his own soap bar and falls to the ground. Duncan laughs at Harold, but then grows uncomfortable over Harold's subsequent nudity, telling him to "keep your skin to yourself, dweeb." Later, Duncan throws a rock on Harold's feet when Harold was condescendingly explaining the advantages of rocks in prehistoric times. During the fire-building challenge, Duncan trips Harold and lets the "animatronic" prehistoric beavers take him, but has a concerned look on his face when Harold is dragged off screen. Duncan eventually looks worried when woolly beavers attack Harold during his duel with Justin, in the final challenge and tries to reassure him to no avail. In the confessional, Harold admits that both he and Duncan equally hate each other, though he's willing to put that aside for the good of the team.
Million Dollar Babies[]
Harold collapses into Duncan's arms in the confessional.
After Harold and the other guys wake up due to a trumpet blast at the beginning of the episode, Duncan remarks that if Harold has added trumpets to his snoring, it was "definitely time for Harold to die." Later, as Chris was announcing the participants for the boxing challenge, Harold misinterpreted Chris's description of the Gaffers' boxer ("the deluded dork, the lightweight loser, the knock-kneed numskull") as referring to Duncan, only to find out that Chris was talking about him. Duncan smirks smugly at Harold's misinterpretation, and cheers "go Harold!" when Chris announces he won the challenge. Duncan and (especially) Harold are so crestfallen because of what Leshawna said about them that they're too sad to even insult each other for the remainder of the episode. Duncan and Harold share a confessional at the end of the episode. Duncan looks sorry for Harold when he admits he's still sad about Leshawna trash-talking about him. Duncan then angrily frowns at Harold after being hugged by him
Dial M for Merger[]
Harold and Duncan glare at each other, despite Leshawna's protests.
After Chris announces that deactivating a bomb will be a component of the episode's challenge, Duncan and Harold proceed to derisively dismiss each other's supposed bomb-deactivating abilities. In the laser challenge, Harold comments that Duncan was "too busy making googly eyes at a certain girl" to help Leshawna get through the lasers, causing Duncan and Harold to glare at each other. Duncan then pushes Harold into a laser. In the bomb-deactivating challenge, both blamed each other about not knowing how to disarm a bomb. In the end, they both finally agree to forming an alliance with Leshawna in this episode.
Super Hero-ld[]
Duncan puts a burrito in Harold's pocket then kicks him, causing the burrito to explode.
Duncan puts a burrito (off-screen) in Harold's pocket after dinner. After Duncan brings it to Harold's attention, Harold reaches in to see what's in his pocket, only to cause the burrito to burst onto his hand. Harold glares at Duncan for this; Duncan then kicks him in the butt, causing the burrito to splatter all over Harold's pants, much to Harold's annoyance. Justin intervenes in the fight and convinces Duncan and Harold to form a new guys' alliance because they were outnumbered by the girls. The two agreed to join him.
"You may have forgotten that my real superpower is being able to cream dorks like you."
- Duncan.
During the superhero challenge, as Harold was getting ready to head over to complete the obstacle course, Duncan makes fun at Harold and jokingly asks him if he's using his farts to get him through. Harold tells him that he is right and manages to complete it. After Harold tells Duncan to top that (referring to Duncan as the "All-Seeing Jerk"), Duncan grabs him by the cape and threateningly tells Harold that his real superpower is being able to cream dorks like Harold. As the Guys' Alliance plan on who to vote off, Duncan suggests that Leshawna gets sent home, but Harold refuses to vote with him and Justin. Harold reminds Duncan about their alliance with Leshawna and says to him that they should vote him off for treason. Duncan again threatens Harold, telling Harold that he plans on telling Leshawna that Harold picks his nose in his sleep if he doesn't vote her off. Harold replies that Duncan only has circumstantial evidence at best (while sticking out his mucus at Duncan).
When it is revealed that Leshawna is sent home instead of Duncan, Harold tells her that he voted for her along with Justin, Duncan, and Courtney. Leshawna forgives him, having suspected that Harold was manipulated to doing so. As she heads over to the Lame-o-sine, Leshawna tells Harold to kick Duncan's butt. After she leaves, Duncan tells Harold that he's got something in his pocket, then kicks him in the butt, splattering a burrito all over Harold's pants again. Duncan runs away laughing, and Harold remarks that he should have seen that coming.
The Princess Pride[]
Duncan steals an air kiss intended for Harold.
Duncan is sickened by Harold's burrito that resembles Leshawna in his burrito-building contest at the beginning of the episode, but awards the win to him anyway. Later, Duncan tries to impress Courtney by beating up Harold while she is singing. When Courtney blows an air kiss to Harold, Duncan grabs it before it can reach Harold, then sarcastically wishes him luck in a sneering tone of voice. When Duncan is fighting the dragon, he calls the dragon names he would usually call Harold, even calling the dragon a "Harold-type loser.” Harold teams up with Justin to help take down Duncan by having the dragon fall on him.
Get a Clue[]
Duncan easily obtains Harold's DNA.
When Chris gives clues on where to find him in the bank vault set, Duncan says that unless there is an awesome reward he isn't going to go look for Chris, as he can use a day off from him and his challenges. Harold gladly agrees with Duncan and says to let Chris search for them. Harold attempts to get Duncan's DNA and fingerprints with an elaborate trap, but Duncan manages to avoid it; Duncan subsequently holds Harold down and steals his handprint and beard hair, winking at him as he leaves. Harold tries to trap Duncan again in the confessional by dropping a barrel on him, but Duncan catches it. When Chris is thought to be dead, Duncan tells Harold and Beth to calm down. After the castmates throw soda and a pillow at the train's wheels in an attempt to stop it, their contents fly back at Harold, covering him with feathers; Duncan laughs at Harold for this, calling him Bigfoot.
Rock n' Rule[]
At the beginning of the episode, Duncan vents about being fed up with Lindsay while pulling Harold around by the shirt. Duncan also gets annoyed with Harold acting like a rock star. He tells Harold to bite him before the guitar playing challenge begins. During the red carpet challenge, when Harold is about to start, Duncan tells Harold to hurry up, calling him by his middle name, Doris. This caused Harold to have a crying fit and run through all the cardboard cut-outs of the fans and paparazzi, destroying them. During the elimination ceremony, Harold and Beth vote for Duncan.
Crouching Courtney, Hidden Owen[]
Duncan and Harold work well together in a challenge.
Duncan and Harold's conflict nearly vanishes in this episode. At the beginning of the episode, it's revealed that Duncan filled Harold's bed with snails as a prank. They are then paired up against Beth and Courtney for the challenge, with Duncan being the master and Harold being the student. When Harold is punching a "Duncan" punching bag very poorly, Duncan angers Harold by saying he "had kissed Leshawna" which results in Harold blowing a left hook in his face. When Duncan gives Harold the platter of bees for him to catch with chopsticks, he looks shocked when the bees swarm Harold, and says in the confessional that it wasn't his intention to have them swarm Harold. Right before the challenge, Chris put Harold and Beth in robotic combat suits which were controlled by Duncan and Courtney; Duncan makes Harold kick himself several times for his own amusement. In the end, the two of them manage to defeat Beth and Courtney and are allowed to proceed to the next challenge.
At this stage, Duncan and Harold start to get along with Duncan helping Harold when he almost spills his cup of water which Harold thanks him for. They later agreed to split the prize money if they win and helped each other climb the mountain. However, Chris dislikes their new budding friendship and sends Owen to sabotage it. After several unsuccessful attempts, Owen asked what Harold missed about Leshawna, Harold comments that he misses Leshawna's "delicate beauty." Duncan laughed derisively at Harold's response and commented that she was about as delicate as a freight train. This caused Harold to grab Duncan's glass of water, splash it in his face, then knock Duncan out with a single left hook. This allowed him to win the challenge. Duncan can later be seen sulking outside the tent while Harold indulges in his reward.
In an exclusive clip taking place immediately after the episode, Duncan confirms that Harold kept the reward for himself; in reference to that and the punch he received from Harold earlier, Duncan acknowledges how quickly the student became the teacher and how the "little twerp" made him proud. This indicates that despite Owen's attempts at sabotaging what could have been a budding friendship, it did not prevent Duncan from developing newfound respect for Harold in the long run.
2008: A Space Owen[]
Harold pulls down Duncan's pants after his elimination.
At the beginning of the episode, it's revealed that Harold filled Duncan's mattress with rocks as a prank, possibly as retaliation for Duncan's actions in the previous episode. This made Duncan's back feel incredibly sore throughout the episode. When Scruffy, Duncan's pet tarantula, jumps on Harold's face, Duncan scolds Scruffy for misbehaving and takes him off Harold. After Harold accidentally kills Scruffy, Duncan helps vote out Harold. The two briefly discuss their love of cat fights, but Duncan is weirded out when Harold elaborates on his definition of them. When Harold departed the competition, Duncan shouted "Get on with it, Doris!" This implied that Duncan was eager to see Harold finally leave. This angered Harold, causing him to run up to Duncan and pull down his pants. Duncan admits he had that one coming for everything he's done to Harold throughout the season.
The Aftermath: IV[]
Chris shows a video clip that reveals Duncan's kinder side. Duncan tucks Harold's foot into bed while Harold was sleeping. Harold also seems impressed, and somewhat relieved, with Duncan when he manages to fit through a hole and pass through the other side on a treadmill. Duncan tells Beth that Harold's idea for the tie-breaker is the stupidest thing he ever participated in, though. Harold also grins smugly when Duncan has problems with fitting through a hole that has the shape of Harold's face. When it's Harold's turn to ask Duncan and Beth a question, he asks them both to draw an imaginary animal. Duncan explains he drew a hybrid samurai sword/stealth bomber, which Harold points out is not really an animal but interesting nonetheless. He claims that Duncan has "surprised and intrigued" him, calling him sir as well.
Total Drama Action Alternate Realities[]
Duncan using Harold as a shark food.
Duncan's Alternate Reality is Dork Fishing, where Harold is tied up as bait while Duncan is watching, waiting for the shark to eat him.
Total Drama World Tour[]
Opening sequence[]
When Harold is doing karate moves on a hut, Duncan throws a canoe paddle at him, knocking him off. He then laughs at Harold as he falls.
Walk Like An Egyptian - Part 1[]
When Harold asks if he'll be able to beatbox, Duncan told Harold he would beat him up if he tried to.
Hawaiian Style[]
For the surfing challenge, Harold asks his fellow Team Cody supporters to let him participate, to which Duncan says is fine with him. However, Duncan also calls Harold a "moron" for volunteering to be in another life-threatening challenge despite no longer being on the show. Additionally, he's one of the people who laughs at Harold's decision in choosing a deer as Cody's spirit animal.
Trivia[]
- There is a connection between this conflict, Courtney and Harold's conflict, and Duncan and Leshawna's conflict.
- They are the two highest-placing members of the Screaming Gaffers.
- Both have kissed two female members of the Screaming Gophers.
- Both have had one-sided attractions to Heather.
- Both have experienced break-ups at some point in the series:
- Leshawna broke up with Harold in Total Drama, Drama, Drama, Drama Island.
- Courtney broke up with Duncan in The EX-Files while Gwen broke up with him in Moon Madness.
- Both have placed fifth in back-to-back seasons.
- Both have quit the competition at one point in Total Drama World Tour.
- Both were members of the Muskrat Boys in their youth; Duncan mentions this in Mutiny on the Soundstage while Harold mentions it during Rowin' Time in Walk Like An Egyptian - Part 2.
- In an interview, Duncan's voice actor Drew Nelson opined that he would have liked for Duncan and Harold to become friends, just like he is with Harold's voice actor Brian Froud.
See also[]
| Duncan | |
|---|---|
| Interactions with | Everyone | Alejandro | Beth | Chef Hatchet | Chris | Courtney | DJ and Geoff | Gwen | Harold | Heather | Leshawna | Mike | Owen | Trent | Zoey |
| Other content | Guys' alliances | Scruffy |
| Harold | |
|---|---|
| Interactions with | Everyone | Courtney | DJ | Duncan | Heather | Leshawna | Owen |
| Other content | Leshawna Jr. | The Drama Brothers |