Some jokes in the comic have been used multiple times; here is a list of them in chronological order from their first appearance.
Many of the following, while they may have appeared as a gag, are more of a recurring element.
| Running Gag
(unofficial names) |
Description | Character Mentions | Appearances | Example Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vaarsuvius's Gender | The largest and most frequently mentioned gag, Vaarsuvius is ambiguously gendered. Their gender is unclear in each of their appearances.
According to The Giant, this was originally unintentional (he had thought of Vaarsuvius as having a specific gender), but when readers couldn't figure out Vaarsuvius' gender, he decided to go along with it. |
Lee briefly asks what V's personal pronouns were in 637. |  | |
| Blackwing? | Vaarsuvius always forgets about their raven familiar, Blackwing. | This was parodied in Comic 674, where none of The Order recognized Blackwing, despite having seen him before (Haley even named him! However she later stated that she was "busting V's chops" in 943). From this comic onward, Blackwing became a more important character, always perched on Vaarsuvius' shoulder. | 003, 154, 178, 232, 271, 440, 658, 660 |  |
| Up/Down a Level | The OOTS (most commonly Roy and Haley) often get confused about going up a level, as in going up a "level" of stairs, and going up a level, as in getting raised a level in their character class. | Roy mentions not starting up the gag again when Haley asks him when to go up a level or go down a level in 841. | 12, 124, 841, 1188 |  |
| "Dunh dunh DUNH!" | Elan says dunh dunh DUNH! To heighten dramatic tension, as if there were a soundtrack to his life. Even Roy and Tarquin has picked up on the gag. | Roy mentions the gag in 490.
Nale refuses to do it and is chastised by Tarquin for it in 821. |
21, 43, 272, 591, 968 |  |
| Bardic Nudity | Elan believes by being naked, he'd have a lower Armor Check penalty. | In 559, and 1190, the gag is mentioned. | 25, 26, 27, 302, 665 |   |
| The Lawyers | Jones and Rodriguez always appear for a legal scene of any sort. | See main article: The Lawyers |   | |
| Thor | Thor gets the odd mention in The Order of the Stick, often appearing in cutaway panels for a gag. | Durkon frequently mentions Thor when praying, anything with religion, or asking for advice. | See main article: Thor |   |
| Flumphs | The tentacled creatures are continuely landed on by characters in Order of the Stick. | Haley mentions the Flumphs as an "easy recurring joke" in 680. | 55, 74, 120, 210, 271, 292, 346, 444, 695, 805, 1090 |   |
| "Isn't Your Dad Dead?" | Whenever Roy mentions the manifestation of his father, one of the Order of the Stick says "Isn't your dad dead?". this is said variously by Elan, Belkar, and Haley (even when she lost her voice). | 60, 94, 116, 291 |   | |
| Kobold-head-into-an-object | Belkar has killed each of his kobold counterparts in the Linear Guild and turned their head into "something wacky". He also intends to do this to the Oracle, but is thwarted by the Oracle's preparations for his own forseen death. | It was mentioned by Elan in #124, after Yikyik's demise.
Belkar says he wants to turn the Oracle's head into a litter box for Mr. Scruffy in #568. |
Yikyik's skull has been turned into a "swanky new leather hat" in #63. (He refers to it as such in #69).
Belkar turns Yokyok's skull into a tortilla chip bowl in #358, as well as using his tail and other parts to make extra chunky salsa (though he later states that had no intention of actually eating the salsa). Belkar follows through on his planned use of the Oracle's head by turning the still-living head of Yukyuk into Mr. Scruffy's litterbox in #835. |
 |
| Banjo the Clown | Elan's puppet god makes regular appearances. | See main article: Banjo the Clown |   | |
| Explosive Runes | V uses this infamous spell on their unsuspecting enemies. | It was mentioned by Ian Starshine in 941.
Belkar mentions to have been a victim of it 11 times in a day in 323. |
092, 173, 220, 221, 317, 318, 659, 660 |   |
| "Gate? What Gate?" | The MitD's famous quote, also proof he is ignorant of the gates' existence, for some reason. | Tsukiko says the line in 543, to which MitD replies "Hey, that's my line!" Qarr uses the line in 668. Minrah uses a derivation in 1142. |
96, 106, 196, 331, |   |
| "Who?" | Xykon can never remember Roy's name... | 110, 112, 120, 371, 430, 901, 1222
In 2011, an OOTS Christmas ornament displayed Roy and Xykon battling it out, with a caption that says, "He made his list, checked it twice, and had no idea who the guy with the sword is." |
  | |
| Thor's Might | Durkon's massive power-up spell. | 111, 354, 453, 588
The High Priest of Hel uses Hel's Might in 1008. |
  | |
| Durkon's Fear of Trees | Durkon has an irrational fear of trees as like other dwarves. Parodied when Leeky Windstaff is introduced. | Durkon mentions paper cuts as "treevenge"
Young Durkon plays "Smite Tha Tree" with his cousin. |
150, 161, 162, 163, 169, 269, 344, 583, 680, 682, 1130, 1136, 1164 |   |
| Belkar's lead sheet | The sheet Belkar carries to 'prove his manhood.', although he actually uses it to block Miko Miyazaki's Detect Evil. He has left it behind at Azure City as of 779. | Belkar references the gag when confronted with the lead sheeting around Girard's Gate. | 202, 208, 228, 779, 895 |   |
| Atomic Elementals | Redcloak prefers to use the Periodic Table of Contents rather than the classic elements | 423, 457, 825, 901 | ||
| Sexy Shoeless God of War | Belkar announces he is this from time to time. | In 476, Belkar proclaims himself a sexy shoeless god of cooking. | 439, 610, 807 |   |
| "Belkar's Right." | After Durkon was turned into a vampire, Roy begins to admit that Belkar is right about some things. Belkar is always weirded out by Roy's agreement with him. | 896, 1000, 1026, 1027, 1030, 1080, 1097 |   |
