If someone is Giving the Sword to a Noob, nine times out of ten this person is the noob. If every conceivable misfortune happens to the Butt-Monkey, regardless of its logic or lack thereof, you've got yourself a Cosmic Plaything.
More commonly male, but female examples are not unheard of. While the trope is often played for laughs and we are encouraged to find the misery at least somewhat amusing, some portrayals go for a much darker presentation, deconstructing the idea and showing what an emotional and psychological wreck such a person may very well be in Real Life. However, if the audience relishes the character's misfortune and looks forward to seeing them suffer, congratulations your Butt-Monkey has devolved into The Chew Toy. The joke can also be dragged too far in other ways - to make a character a Butt-Monkey of fate is one thing to have them constantly taking the punishment for the misdeeds of an unsympathetic cast is another. Furthermore, if the audience begins to resent the "unfair" treatment of the character, they can become the Designated Monkey. If the audience sympathizes with them, they become a Woobie. The Butt-Monkey is occasionally dangerous if they're pushed too far. This can be counteracted if you occasionally Throw the Dog a Bone, though many writers just can't resist Yanking The Dog's Chain. If carried too far, may result in Deus Angst Machina. The direct opposite of a Karma Houdini (although technically the definition applies to those who escape from karma regardless of whether it's good or bad). Sometimes it's all the writers can think of to do with the character. They don't have to deserve what they go through, but they're an easy target. With tertiary characters, it must be their sole purpose to exist. With primary and secondary characters, it must be a regular occurrence. Simply having a character go through hell once or twice (no matter how severely) is not enough to be the Butt-Monkey. Long story short, it sucks to be a Butt-Monkey. Nothing ever goes right for this character, and if something bad is going to happen to someone, chances are it's going to happen to them. For whatever reason, the Butt-Monkey seems to walk through life with a permanent "Kick Me" sign attached to their backs, invisible to them, but all too visible to the rest of the world. The character who is always the butt of the demeaning joke or the "put them through hell" plotline. Xander Harris, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
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