Girl Next Door // Danny Phantom + Reader [Possible Rewrite?]

Character Rewrite # 1 | Dash Baxter [plus some news you'll want to hear]

Hello, I decided to start the bonus content of this story with a character rewrite I had for Dash Baxter. This is my trial run with rewriting a character I hate and making them more likable because we all know how unbearable Dash is. I'm also not a fan of cliche stereotypes and it gets on my nerves that's what Butch Hartman thrives off of. Without further ado I give you Dash Baxter's rewrite.

Name - Dash Baxter
Age - 14 to 16
Butch Hartman Stereotype - Popular Bully Character

Canon Personality of Character - At the top of the high school popularity list, Dash is a selfish, cruel, and mean bully to those who dwell on the bottom.

While adults like teachers give his behavior a pass most of the time because he's a victorious football player, many of his peers despise and fear him. Whenever something goes wrong for him, Dash will most likely take his frustration out on innocent students, like Danny, his favorite target to bully and humiliate.

Enjoying his superiority over others, he never has second thoughts about shoving people in lockers or giving them wedgies. When he is humiliated by his enemies, Danny being the offender often, he becomes enraged and determined to avenge his dignity. In fact, whenever a ghost attacks, he is usually the first to run and hide.

He even states in Micro Management how he hates being puny and hated being shrunk as he felt weak. He seems aware that high school is going to be his best years of his life before his life goes downhill as his intelligence and grades are low and he has nothing to offer but his football skills, which he admits in his debut in "Mystery Meat".

Although very athletic and strong, Dash isn't very intelligent. Jazz has to tutor him in "Attack of the Killer Garage Sale" so that he can get better grades, and fails a test in "Shades of Gray". He frequently calls Danny unimaginative derogatory nicknames like "Fen-toad", "Fen-toenail", "Fen-turd", "Fen-tertainment Tonight", and "Fen-tuns 'o fun".

However, he is creative in some cases, such as building a better spooky room than Danny, with animatronics and a roller coaster, during their competition in "Fright Night".

In addition, Dash isn't as tough as he tries to make himself appear, as many characters learn. Danny's powers have revealed certain disturbing things about Dash, like the fact that Dash secretly collects teddy bears.

He also has a soft spot for old romance movies, listens to boy bands, and watches the romance channel.

Despite his negative traits, he does have one or two redeeming traits which mainly show through his admiration of Danny Phantom. He genuinely respects Danny Phantom as a hero, stating it was the best day of his life when he met him face to face in "Micro Management." [taken from the official Danny Phantom Wiki]

Personality Rewrite - 2004 was pretty much the prime era when it came to giving characters cliche stereotypes rather than focusing on depth and development through the past few decades. And with that, you would obviously get your average stereotypes like the dumb blonde, or the emo kid who only wears black and is obsessed with gloom and doom.

Dash Baxter was one of those characters, given the classic attractive football player bully stereotype that is more so annoying than anything else. I've always found myself hating Dash due to his insignificance and how he was only seen as a bumbling idiot who thought picking on people was good entertainment. There are certain aspects I would like to keep to have a similar character, but also change him to make him actually likeable rather than the audience to get annoyed with.

I'd like to imagine Dash as probably the biggest asshole on the planet. He's mean for no reason, cares a lot about sports and nothing else. He likes to keep the image that he's this perfect golden boy child, although that is not really the case. I would also like to change his range of intelligence from just being an idiot, to actually being pretty smart, but not applying himself because he doesn't think he can do it.

He doesn't necessarily bully students like in the show, but more so picks at the person until they're ready to explode because he likes to get a rise out of people. He doesn't shove them into lockers or punch them in order to keep his record spotless. I definitely imagine him as the athlete that has a ton of scholarships waiting for him when he graduates instead of when the show makes a joke about how his life will go downhill.

His grades are average, but this doesn't make him appear any less competent than his other peers. He can be nice when he wants to be, but most of the time chooses to be a jerk and it's hard to tell with him.

He's confident in himself and can be seen as very charismatic, often serving as a sarcastic comic relief. I'd also want to make him an actual fitting rival for Danny, someone Danny strives to be like since he's so thirsty for popularity.

I imagine him and Danny getting into a few scuffles, but not to where he's constantly victimized by Dash. This Dash would have some limits to his extent of teasing and would much rather do without violence unless the situation calls for it. I can also imagine Dash being very insecure about himself, but he covers it with false egotism.

Dash doesn't have a problem with getting in trouble and doesn't sweeten up to the teachers when he's about to be punished like in the series. Dash wouldn't be completely heartless, having some empathy towards people. I also imagine him having a strained relationship with his father who makes him feel like he has to keep his ego in order to be successful.

He could also have a few more friends rather than just the main popular characters from the series. I wouldn't want him to be spineless in the face of a ghost attack and when he sees Danny Phantom in action, has an unbridled admiration for the ghost boy. Maybe this inspires him to take a more heroic approach and strive to be someone people should look up to.

All of these factors would actually be more likeable and for it to make much more sense for him to actually be popular. Popular people are typically more well liked since they're able to socialize well. But someone who punches everyone or is a terror to school, doesn't exactly scream popular to me.

I would still like to keep the fact that he's flirtatious, but not to the point where it borderlines sexual harrassment. Being flirtatious and having a charismatic personality can often go hand in hand with the appeal of a popular guy like Dash. He can be respectful towards girls and this gives other girls more of a reason to want to be with him.

In a way I can see him envious of Danny, but he's unsure what it is that makes him so jealous. Maybe it's the fact he doesn't have to keep up a front or the fact he has friends that care about him and doesn't have to be fake.

Dash can't really be himself with his friends since they're into more superficial interests and might feel like people only tolerate him because he's popular. This would drive in even more of his personal self deprecating flaws and the charade overall is very exhausting to keep up with.

In conclusion, I think these all are good personality traits that would make him more well rounded. His flaws and his positive traits are balanced and he wouldn't be as hated as he is in the show.

Author's Note

I was thinking about rewriting this story and comparing both to each other. I've had a lot of ideas for Danny Phantom and really want to get back into writing fanfiction like back in September. I want to fix all the plot holes and various other aspects that I don't really think fit all that well with my current writing style. Going back and reading this fanfiction makes me cringe and I hate how it turned out, but I do want to rewrite this. Let me know if you want me to rewrite Girl Next Door and I'll consider it.