Although the original U.K. version left nothing to be desired as far as ridiculousness, NBC's The Office managed to take its characters into even more outrageous territory. The much-loved satirical sitcom is ed for its large and talented cast and its depictions of cringe-inducing, painfully awkward workplace foibles.
But some characters take the cake as far as memorability, and Dwight Schrute (Dwight has a massive ego and rarely feels sorry for himself. Nevertheless, over nine seasons viewers witness and discover undeniably sad information about Dunder Mifflin's top-performing salesman.
His Upbringing
A longtime resident of the farm once owned by his parents, a strict Pennsylvania Amish couple, Dwight often recounts stories from his extremely difficult childhood.
In "Safety Training," Dwight reveals that he was shunned by his parents from the ages of four to six for failing to reserve the oil from a can of tuna. In "Viewing Party," he explains that he's so skilled at soothing Jim and Pam's baby daughter because, in the Schrute family, the youngest child is forced to raise the others. He never really got to experience what it was to be a child.
He Misses His Son's Early Childhood
Dwight is committed to creating an heir, and in season 6 enters into a baby-making contract with his then-ex-girlfriend, head ant Angela, to achieve this goal. Although the contract proves fruitless, Angela does become pregnant in season 8, ostensibly with her husband State Senator Robert Lipton's son.
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Dwight suspects the baby could be his, but she claims otherwise until the penultimate episode "A.A.R.M" when Dwight finally proposes. If the troubled couple had reconciled earlier, perhaps Dwight could have had a larger role in his son's early years.
Jim Almost Lets Him Succumb To Appendicitis
On a special work trip to Tallahassee to learn about a new brick-and-mortar Sabre venture, Dwight complains of stomach pain and other nasty symptoms. Although he believes it's just stress, Jim tells the notoriously gullible Dwight that he's poisoned him.
Even as a clearly sweaty and pained Dwight spends an important meeting popping antacids, an unconcerned Jim keeps up the facade for far too long, and Dwight collapses. It's a hilariously sad moment where Dwight is in crisis, but his co-workers practically turn a blind eye.
He Loses His Job Over Something He Didn't Do
In "Traveling Salesmen," Angela is late to hand in important forms to corporate and gets her lover, Dwight, to deliver them. Dwight attempts to off his absence from work as a dentist visit, but Michael's suspicions of a mutinous meeting at corporate are seemingly confirmed when Andy finds a New York toll booth ticket in Dwight's car.
With Angela insisting their affair remain secret, Dwight is forced to quit his job. Fans know how much his work means to Dwight and how devastating a moment it is for him, as well as his shocked colleagues.
He Constantly Falls For Jim's Pranks
Although Dwight believes himself to have genius-level intellect, he often demonstrates a childlike naivety. Dwight's relationship with his nemesis (and later friend) Jim is dominated by the latter pranking Dwight with schemes that are highly implausible, and yet still believable to Dwight.
Dwight buys, for instance, that the CIA is trying to recruit him for top-secret operations, that Jim possesses telekinetic powers, and that faxes he receives are sent by his future self. While most of them are harmless, there have been times where the viewers' sympathies have lied with Dwight as Jim has taken a joke too far.
When He Believes He Can't Have Children
In the ninth-season episode "Work Bus," Jim resorts to trickery to get Dwight, now the office's landlord, to implement repairs. He convinces Dwight that Pam must stay home for a week due to the radiation in the building, not realizing that his prank had caused a new fear for Dwight.
Unaware that Angela's child is actually his, the progeny-obsessed Dwight becomes convinced he's infertile. His only consolation comes in the form of Jim reassuring him of his fatherly role in the office.
His Coworkers Don't Respect Him
Despite how seriously Dwight takes his job, and even though he's the best-performing salesman in the branch, he fails to command the respect of his coworkers.
When Dwight temporarily takes power in "Dwight K. Schrute, (Acting) Manager," he implements a variety of new procedures, including a gold star-style "Schrute Bucks" system, which everyone flatly refuses to follow. Even inspiring rebellion is hard for Dwight: when his rival Jim is in power, Dwight delivers a rousing speech calling for Jim's overthrow that lands with a resounding thud.
He Loses His Girlfriend After Killing Her Cat
Dwight's romance with office ant Angela Martin spans practically the entirety of The Office, making it one of the show's most important relationships.
At the beginning of the fourth season, however, Dwight throws it all away when he decides to take the health of Angela's precious cats into his own hands. Rather than istering medication to her cat Sprinkles, Dwight decides to euthanize her 'out of kindness.' Although Dwight and Angela eventually rekindle their love, this mishap marks a tragic, temporary end to the couple's happiness. Dwight's heartbreak afterward brought tears to fans' eyes.
His Relationship With Michael
Dwight greatly ires his boss, often operating as Michael's wingman and confidant, taking pride in his meaningless role as Assistant to the Regional Manager. Sadly for Dwight, this affection usually appears one-sided, as Michael clearly favors the ostensibly cooler Jim and Ryan. A frantic Michael begs that anyone but Dwight come to his rescue in "The Injury," and while going over options for his replacement in "Beach Games," he opines that Dwight is, in his words, an idiot.
One of Michael's worst slights, though, has to be not inviting Dwight to his iconically disastrous dinner party.
His Demotion From Regional Manager
One of Dwight's main character arcs is his intense desire to become the manager of Dunder Mifflin Scranton and his many attempts to realize this dream. When, against all odds, the high-performing yet highly inappropriate Dwight manages to secure the position of interim branch manager following Michael's departure, he quickly screws it up.
While brandishing a gun he bought (a pistol just like those his boss Jo Bennett collects), Dwight accidentally fires the weapon, causing Andy to lose his hearing. After Jo finds out, Dwight's brief stint in power ends as quickly as it began.